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What is in your SSH folder?

Your SSH folder is usually ~/.ssh on macOS and Linux, or C:\Users\<yourname>\.ssh on Windows. It can contain:
  • id_ed25519 or id_rsa: your private key, which proves your identity.
  • A matching .pub file: the public key you add to Compute.
  • known_hosts: saved server identities and, when configured, trusted certificate authorities.
  • config: optional connection settings for your instances.

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Use the instance’s connection details

Wait for Running, then open the instance’s SSH connection details in the Compute console. Running means the instance has responded over SSH; it does not guarantee that an application inside it has finished starting. Copy the current hostname, username, and connection command. The instance has a stable SSH endpoint on port 22. Its login can use a configured username, so do not assume it is ubuntu. A basic config entry looks like this:
Replace YOUR_SSH_HOST and YOUR_SSH_USER with the console values, and set IdentityFile to your matching private key. Include any additional settings supplied in the console’s SSH configuration. Only add a proxy or jump-host setting if those instructions require one. Connect with:
Use a different Host alias for each instance.

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Verify the server identity

Compute instances present signed SSH host certificates. A host certificate identifies the server; your own SSH key identifies you. These are separate checks. Certificate verification depends on your SSH client trusting the signing certificate authority. Use the SSH configuration supplied by Compute. If you need certificate-authority details that are not shown there, ask Support for the trusted configuration. If your client asks you to accept a host identity, verify it using trusted information from Hivenet before accepting. Do not disable host checking to get past a warning.

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A saved host identity has changed

If you see WARNING: REMOTE HOST IDENTIFICATION HAS CHANGED!, stop and check that you are connecting to the hostname shown for the intended instance. A replaced instance can have a different identity, but the warning can also mean you reached an unexpected server. After verifying the replacement identity with Hivenet, remove only the stale entry if needed:
Reconnect and verify the new identity. Do not clear the entire known_hosts file.

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Keep your private key private

Upload only the .pub file contents to Compute. Never send your private key to Support or paste it into a web form.