Guest access

Manage SSH keys, serial console sessions, and guest agent access.

Guest access provides SSH key registration and an authenticated serial console for droplets. Project membership does not automatically create an operating system account inside a guest.

SSH keysCopy link

Register public keys under Project settings → SSH keys. Infra validates the key format and displays a fingerprint. Select keys during droplet creation to install them into the image's default user through guest initialization.

The registry stores public keys only. Removing a registered key prevents future selection but does not remove a copy already installed in a guest. Rotate guest keys through configuration management or a verified guest-agent action.

Connect through the networkCopy link

The client needs a route to the droplet, a firewall rule permitting SSH, and a valid guest account. A private address requires a private network path; assigning a public address requires explicit public routing. Verify the host-key fingerprint against a trusted console or provisioning record before accepting a connection. Replacing a guest can change its host key even if an address is reused.

From a terminal with that network path, connect with SSH:

ssh GUEST_USER@DROPLET_ADDRESS

Replace the following:

• GUEST_USER: the username declared by the image.
• DROPLET_ADDRESS: the address shown in the droplet's Networking details.

A successful login opens a guest shell. If SSH times out or rejects the login, follow Recover access.

Open a serial consoleCopy link

Open Droplet → Console with the Guest Console permission. Infra creates a short-lived session associated with your account, project, and droplet. Session creation and termination appear in the audit log.

The console connects to the configured serial device. The guest must expose a serial login or boot console; a blank terminal can mean the image does not enable that device. The console does not bypass guest login requirements.

Closing the tab ends the browser connection. It does not log out an operating system shell that remains active on the serial device. Log out inside the guest before ending a session on shared operational accounts.

Guest agentCopy link

The optional guest agent reports memory and filesystem measurements, helps with graceful shutdown, and supports filesystem freeze during snapshots. Hypervisor metrics and guest-agent metrics have different sources and can disagree.

A disabled agent does not stop a droplet. It removes guest-assisted features and changes the consistency options available to snapshots. Agent permissions should be limited to the required guest functions.

Recover accessCopy link

An SSH timeout requires checking the selected address, route, effective firewall, and guest listener. Permission denied requires checking the image's username and installed public key; opening a port cannot repair authentication.

A blank serial console can mean the image does not enable the expected serial device. An unavailable guest agent requires checking its in-guest service and image support. Neither condition proves that the hypervisor stopped.

Use rescue mode when the normal boot or login path cannot be repaired through an authorized session. Registry key deletion alone does not revoke a key already written to a guest.

For a damaged root filesystem, stop the droplet and use rescue mode or restore into a new guest. Rescue mode retains the original disks while booting an approved temporary image. Preserve a snapshot before modifying recovery data when the storage remains readable.

The Guest console and recovery API issues expiring terminal connections. SSH key API manages the provisioning registry; removing an entry does not remove already installed guest keys.