Techie GainInfrastructure Operations Platform
Free trial

Connect a Server

Connect a Linux server you already run, from any provider, as root or a user with sudo, and check what the platform detects about it.

Before you start: A Linux server you can reach over SSH, and a password or key for an account on it.

  1. 1

    Open Servers and choose Add server

    Servers is under Infrastructure in the sidebar. Next to the button you can see how many servers your plan allows and how many remain. Saved credentials are on the Credentials tab and can be reused.

  2. 2

    Enter the address and username

    Enter the hostname or IP address, the SSH port if it is not 22, and the username. The account can be root or any user with sudo; the platform detects which when it connects.

  3. 3

    Add a password or SSH key

    Both are encrypted before they are stored and are never shown again. If the account signs in with a key but needs a password for sudo, enter the sudo password as well. It is stored the same way and passed to sudo on standard input, never on the command line.

  4. 4

    Save and review the detected details

    Saving connects immediately. The server’s row shows the distribution, architecture, package manager, CPU, memory and disk, and a badge showing how the platform reaches root: Root, Sudo or Sudo with password. The host key is pinned on this first connection.

  5. 5

    Fix any reported problems

    If the account cannot become root, the row says what to change: add its sudo password or allow passwordless sudo. Distributions that playbooks do not support are flagged too, although commands still run there. After a change, choose Test: the row shows whether the server connected and what was found, or why it could not connect.