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SSH Setup and Repair Workflow

Published · Last updated: May 2026 · 1 min read

Overview

CloudAIPilot connects to your servers over SSH to provide full management. The platform handles SSH setup automatically on GCP and Azure. AWS and manually imported servers require an extra step.

How SSH Setup Works by Provider

  • GCP and Azure: CloudAIPilot automatically injects its SSH key when the server is provisioned or imported. No action needed from you.
  • AWS (existing servers): AWS does not allow CloudAIPilot to automatically set up access on existing servers. You run a short setup script on your server once to grant access.
  • Other providers: You must manually add the CloudAIPilot public key to the cloudpilot user's authorized_keys file, then retry.

SSH Not Connected Banner

If SSH setup fails or is pending, you will see an amber banner at the top of the server detail page. This banner has a Retry SSH Setup button.

For AWS servers, the banner also shows a setup script you can copy and run on your server. The script creates a cloudpilot system user and adds the platform's public key to its authorized_keys. After running it, click Retry SSH Setup. CloudAIPilot will verify the connection within 60 seconds.

Retrying SSH Setup

  1. Open the server detail page.
  2. If you see the SSH banner, click Retry SSH Setup.
  3. The button enters a 60-second cooldown while CloudAIPilot checks the connection in the background.
  4. The page updates automatically when SSH is confirmed.

Adding Your Own SSH Key

You can add your own public key to a server to connect via your terminal directly. Go to the server Security tab and look for the SSH Keys section.

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