SSH Access Explained: Why Developers Need This

SSH (Secure Shell) access is an essential feature for developers who need professional hosting. In this article, we explain what SSH is, why it matters, and how to use it.

What is SSH?

SSH is a secure network protocol that uses encryption to safely connect to remote servers. Unlike traditional FTP access, SSH provides an encrypted connection that protects your login credentials and data from eavesdropping.

For developers, SSH access means complete control over your hosting environment via the command line. You can manage files, execute scripts, modify databases, and change server configurations - all from a secure terminal session.

Why Do Developers Need SSH?

Direct Server Access: With SSH, you can log directly into your server and execute commands as if you were physically at the machine. This is indispensable for debugging problems, installing dependencies, or performing maintenance tasks.

Automated Deployments: SSH enables automatic deployments. You can write scripts that automatically push code updates to your production server, without manual FTP uploads.

Security: SSH uses strong encryption and key-based authentication. This is far more secure than traditional password-based access. With SSH keys, you can even disable password logins entirely.

Git Integration: For modern development workflows, SSH is crucial. You can directly clone, pull, and push Git repositories from your server, making version control seamlessly integrate with your hosting.

SSH Keys vs Passwords

While you can log in with SSH using a password, most security experts recommend using SSH keys. An SSH key pair consists of a private key (stored locally) and a public key (placed on the server).

This method is more secure because the private key is never transmitted over the network. Even if someone intercepts your traffic, they cannot log in without the private key from your local machine.

SSH Hosting Requirements

Not all hosting providers offer SSH access. Shared hosting packages often exclude SSH for security reasons. As a developer, you typically need VPS hosting, cloud hosting, or dedicated servers where SSH is available by default.

When choosing hosting with SSH access, consider:

• Is SSH offered by default or does it cost extra?
• Can you use SSH keys alongside passwords?
• Are there restrictions on which commands you can execute?
• Is sudo/root access available?

Getting Started with SSH

To use SSH, you need an SSH client. On Linux and macOS, this is already built into the terminal. Windows users can use PuTTY or the built-in OpenSSH client in modern Windows versions.

You create a basic SSH connection with the command: ssh username@yourserver.com

For more information about hosting for developers and which features you need, check our comprehensive guide.