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SSH Access

ArkKVM supports SSH access for advanced configuration and debugging. When you enable SSH access, you must provide a public key as SSH uses key-based authentication only. And for security reasons, ArkKVM web UI password is not supported.

Generate an SSH Key​

If you don't already have an SSH key, you will need to generate one first. We recommend ed25519 for new SSH keys. If ed25519 is not supported on your system, use RSA with a 4096-bit key.

Then follow the instructions below based on your operating system.

macOS / Linux​

  1. Open Terminal.
  2. Run the following command to generate a new SSH key pair:
ssh-keygen -t ed25519

Or use RSA if ed25519 is not supported:

ssh-keygen -t rsa -b 4096

  1. When prompted:

    • Press Enter to accept the default file location (~/.ssh/id_ed25519 or ~/.ssh/id_rsa).
    • Optionally enter a passphrase for additional security.

  2. Your public key will be saved to (~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub or ~/.ssh/id_rsa.pub).

Windows​

  1. Open Windows PowerShell.
  2. Run the following command to generate a new SSH key pair:
ssh-keygen -t ed25519

Or use RSA if ed25519 is not supported:

ssh-keygen -t rsa -b 4096

  1. When prompted:

    • Press Enter to accept the default file location (C:\Users\YourUsername\.ssh\id_ed25519 or C:\Users\YourUsername\.ssh\id_rsa).
    • Optionally enter a passphrase for additional security.

  2. Your public key will be saved to C:\Users\YourName\.ssh\id_ed25519.pub or C:\Users\YourName\.ssh\id_rsa.pub.

View and Copy Your Public Key​

  • After generating, run following command to view your public key:
cat ~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub

Or for RSA:

cat ~/.ssh/id_rsa.pub
  • Or you can open your public key file (~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub or C:\Users\YourUsername\.ssh\id_ed25519.pub) with a text editor application.

Or for RSA:

~/.ssh/id_rsa.pub or C:\Users\YourUsername\.ssh\id_rsa.pub

  • Copy the entire output—you'll need it in the next step.

Enable SSH on ArkKVM​

  1. Open the web UI and go to Settings → Advanced
  2. Enable SSH Access
  3. Paste your public key into the SSH Public Key field
  4. Click Update SSH Key
info

Make sure to paste the public key (.pub file), not the private key. The public key typically starts with ssh-ed25519 or ssh-rsa.

Connect ArkKVM via SSH​

  1. Once SSH is enabled, run following command to connect to your ArkKVM device:
ssh root@<ArkKVM-ip>
  1. Replace <ArkKVM-ip> with your ArkKVM's IP address (e.g., 192.168.1.100).
  2. If you set a passphrase for your SSH key, you will be prompted to enter it.
Tips

The default SSH user is root. If SSH Access is turned off, SSH connections are not allowed even if a key was previously saved.

What you can do over SSH​

SSH access provides a more direct way to interact with your ArkKVM device. Typical use cases include:

  • Uploading files

Transfer files (such as ISO images) directly to the device using SCP or other tools.

  • Accessing logs

View system logs to help diagnose issues or understand system behavior.

  • Network diagnostics

Use basic tools (such as ping or ifconfig) to check connectivity and network status.

  • Advanced configuration

Modify system settings or troubleshoot issues that are not exposed in the web interface.

This environment is intended for advanced users. Some commands and tools may be limited due to the lightweight system design.