How to Get SSH Access to Your Lobsterfarm Instance

TL;DR: Generate an SSH key pair on your computer, send us the public key via chat, and we'll add it to your server. Never share your private key with anyone — not even us.

Your lobsterfarm instance is a real dedicated server. While most people never need to touch it directly, you have full SSH access if you want to tinker, debug, or just poke around.

What is SSH?

SSH (Secure Shell) is a way to securely connect to a remote server from your terminal. It uses a pair of cryptographic keys instead of passwords — this means nobody can guess or brute-force their way into your server.

• Private key — stays on your computer, never shared with anyone
• Public key — safe to share, gets added to the server

Think of it like a lock and key. You give us the lock (public key), and you keep the key (private key). Only your key can open your lock. No password to remember, no password to steal.

Step 1: Generate Your SSH Key Pair

On Mac or Linux

Open Terminal and run:

ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -C "[email protected]"

When prompted:

• File location: Press Enter to accept the default (~/.ssh/id_ed25519)
• Passphrase: Optional but recommended. Adds extra security if someone gets your laptop

This creates two files:

• ~/.ssh/id_ed25519 — your private key (keep this secret!)
• ~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub — your public key (this is what you send us)

To view your public key:

cat ~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub

It'll look something like:

ssh-ed25519 AAAAC3NzaC1lZDI1NTE5AAAAIJqKx... [email protected]

On Windows

Windows 10/11 with OpenSSH

Open PowerShell and run:

ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -C "[email protected]"

Same prompts as Mac/Linux. Your keys will be in C:\Users\YourName\.ssh\

To view your public key:

Get-Content $env:USERPROFILE\.ssh\id_ed25519.pub

Step 2: Send Us Your Public Key

Once you have your public key, send it to us via chat. Just paste the key and let us know which instance it's for.

We'll add it to your server and confirm when it's ready.

⚠️ NEVER share your private key. Not with us, not with anyone. If someone asks for your private key, it's a scam. We only ever need the public key (the one ending in .pub).

Step 3: Connect to Your Server

Once we've added your key, you can connect with:

ssh lobster@YOUR_SERVER_IP

Replace YOUR_SERVER_IP with the IP address we give you (visible in your dashboard).

First time connecting? You'll see a fingerprint warning — type yes to continue. This is normal.

Troubleshooting

"Permission denied (publickey)"

• Make sure your private key has the right permissions: chmod 600 ~/.ssh/id_ed25519
• Check you're using the correct username (lobster)
• Confirm your public key was added to the server

"Connection refused" or "Connection timed out"

• Double-check the IP address
• Make sure your instance is running (check the dashboard)
• Your network might be blocking port 22 — try from a different network

What Can You Do With SSH Access?

• View logs: journalctl -u clawdbot -f
• Check resource usage: htop
• Edit configuration files
• Install additional tools
• Debug issues directly
• Feel like a hacker 😎

Remember: you have full root access via sudo. With great power comes great responsibility — don't break anything you can't fix!

Need Help?

Stuck? Just message us. We're happy to help you get connected.