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Kisuke Kisuke

Server Setup

This guide helps you connect to your server, VPS, or cloud hosting account.

What You’ll Need

Section titled “What You’ll Need”

Before starting, gather this information:

  • Server IP address (like 165.232.144.78 or server.example.com)
  • Username (usually provided by your hosting provider)
  • Password (for authentication)
  • Port number (usually 22, sometimes custom)

Step-by-Step Setup

Section titled “Step-by-Step Setup”

1. Open Kisuke and Add Space

Section titled “1. Open Kisuke and Add Space”

Launch Kisuke and tap the Add Space button on the main screen.

2. Enter Server Details

Section titled “2. Enter Server Details”

Fill in your server information:

Name

  • Give it a friendly name like “Production Server” or “Dev VPS”
  • This is just for your reference

Host

  • Enter your server’s IP address (e.g., 165.232.144.78)
  • Or use your domain if configured (e.g., myserver.com)

Port

  • Usually 22 (the default SSH port)
  • Some hosts use custom ports like 2222 or 7822
  • Check your hosting provider’s documentation

Username

  • Your server account username
  • Common examples: root, ubuntu, admin, or your custom username
  • ⚠️ Case-sensitive! Admin is different from admin

3. Enter Your Password

Section titled “3. Enter Your Password”
  1. Enter your server password
  2. Enable Save Password (recommended)
  3. Kisuke stores it securely in iOS Keychain
  4. Protected by Face ID/Touch ID

For extra security:

  • Don’t save the password
  • Enter it each time you connect
  • Maximum security, less convenience

4. Test Your Connection

Section titled “4. Test Your Connection”

Tap Connect to establish the connection.

First-time connection:

  • You’ll see a host fingerprint verification
  • This is a security feature - tap “Accept” if you trust the server
  • The fingerprint is saved for future connections

Success! You should see:

  • Your server’s command prompt
  • Username and hostname in the terminal
  • Current directory path

Common Server Providers

Section titled “Common Server Providers”

DigitalOcean

Section titled “DigitalOcean”
  • Host: Your droplet’s IP address
  • Username: Usually root or custom user
  • Port: 22 (default)
  • Find details in your DigitalOcean dashboard

AWS EC2

Section titled “AWS EC2”
  • Host: Public IPv4 address or DNS
  • Username: Varies by AMI (ec2-user, ubuntu, admin)
  • Port: 22 (unless customized)
  • Use password authentication initially
  • Consider enabling password authentication if only key access is configured

Linode

Section titled “Linode”
  • Host: Your Linode’s IP address
  • Username: root or custom user
  • Port: 22 (default)
  • Password sent via email initially

cPanel/Shared Hosting

Section titled “cPanel/Shared Hosting”
  • Host: Your domain or server hostname
  • Username: Your cPanel username
  • Port: Often custom (check with provider)
  • Note: SSH must be enabled in your hosting plan

Heroku

Section titled “Heroku”
  • Heroku doesn’t provide direct SSH access
  • Use Heroku CLI locally instead
  • Consider switching to a VPS for full access

Troubleshooting

Section titled “Troubleshooting”

”Connection Refused”

Section titled “”Connection Refused””

Check these common issues:

  1. Is SSH enabled? Some hosts require manual activation
  2. Correct IP? Verify in your hosting dashboard
  3. Right port? Some hosts use non-standard ports
  4. Firewall rules? Ensure port 22 (or custom) is open

Test from terminal:

Terminal window
ssh username@your-server-ip -p 22

“Authentication Failed”

Section titled ““Authentication Failed””

Password issues:

  • Passwords are case-sensitive
  • Try copy-pasting from your hosting provider
  • Some special characters need escaping
  • Root login might be disabled (use regular user)

Account issues:

  • Verify username is correct
  • Check if account is active
  • Ensure SSH access is enabled for your user

”Network Unreachable”

Section titled “”Network Unreachable””

Connection problems:

  • Check your internet connection
  • VPN might be required for some corporate servers
  • Server might be down (check provider status page)

“Host Key Verification Failed”

Section titled ““Host Key Verification Failed””

This happens when:

  • Server was reinstalled
  • IP address changed
  • Potential security issue (rare)

Solution: Remove old fingerprint and reconnect

  • In Kisuke: Delete and re-add the space
  • Verify new fingerprint if possible

Security Best Practices

Section titled “Security Best Practices”

Use Strong Passwords

Section titled “Use Strong Passwords”
  • At least 15 characters long
  • Mix of letters, numbers, symbols
  • Unique for each server
  • Change regularly

Create a Non-Root User

Section titled “Create a Non-Root User”
Terminal window
# On your server (as root)
adduser yourusername
usermod -aG sudo yourusername

Then connect as this user instead of root.

Keep Your Server Updated

Section titled “Keep Your Server Updated”
Terminal window
# Ubuntu/Debian
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade


# CentOS/RHEL
sudo yum update

Monitor Login Attempts

Section titled “Monitor Login Attempts”
Terminal window
# View recent logins
last


# Check failed attempts
sudo grep "Failed password" /var/log/auth.log

Next Steps

Section titled “Next Steps”

Now that you’re connected:

Learn Terminal Commands Essential commands for server management Manage Files Upload, download, and edit files on your server

Getting a Server

Section titled “Getting a Server”

Don’t have a server yet? Here are beginner-friendly options:

For Learning ($5-10/month)

Section titled “For Learning ($5-10/month)”

For Projects (Free Tier)

Section titled “For Projects (Free Tier)”

For Static Sites (Free)

Section titled “For Static Sites (Free)”