Back to Create Server

How to Create a Server

A step-by-step walkthrough of the server creation process in ServerSpot.

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STEP 1

Basic Info

Enter the core details needed to identify and reach your server.

Field	Description	Default
Server Name	A label for this server (e.g. "Production", "Staging")	—
Host / IP Address	The IP address or domain name of your server	—
SSH Port	The port SSH is listening on	22
Username	The SSH user you connect as	root

STEP 2

Authentication

Choose how ServerSpot will authenticate with your server.

Password

The simplest option. Enter the SSH password for the username from Step 1. The password is encrypted before storage (see Step 3).

SSH Key

More secure and the recommended option for production servers. You have two choices:

• Generate a new key pair — ServerSpot generates the key pair for you. Select the key type:
  • RSA 4096-bit (most compatible)
  • ED25519 (modern, compact)
  • ECDSA P-256
  • DSA 2048-bit (legacy)
  After generation, copy the public key and add it to your server using one of the provided commands for Linux, macOS, or Windows. The private key is stored encrypted by ServerSpot.
• Use an existing private key — Paste the contents of your private key file (e.g. ~/.ssh/id_rsa). If the key is passphrase-protected, enter the passphrase as well.

STEP 3

Encryption Key

All credentials stored by ServerSpot are encrypted using AES-256-GCM with a passphrase only you set. This is a zero-knowledge setup — ServerSpot cannot access your credentials without your passphrase.

Create a new encryption key

Enter a passphrase (minimum 8 characters) and confirm it. Tips for a strong passphrase:

• Use at least 12 characters
• Mix uppercase, lowercase, numbers, and symbols
• Store it somewhere safe — there is no recovery if you forget it

Reuse an existing encryption key

If you have already added servers to ServerSpot, you can reuse one of their encryption keys. Select a server from the list and enter its passphrase to verify access. The new server will share the same encryption key.

STEP 4

Advanced Settings

These are optional and can be left at their defaults for most setups.

Sudo configuration

If your SSH user needs sudo to run commands, enable the checkbox and pick the appropriate option:

Option	When to use
No password required	Your user has passwordless sudo (NOPASSWD in sudoers). This is the default on most cloud VPS providers.
Same as SSH password	Sudo prompts for a password and it matches the SSH password. Only applies to password-based auth.
Different password	Sudo uses a separate password. Enter it in the field that appears.

Connection timeout

How long (in seconds) ServerSpot waits before considering a connection attempt failed. Range is 10–120 seconds; the default is 30.

STEP 5

Team Access

Decide who else can access this server within your organization.

Server type

• Private — Only you can access it. Requires two-factor authentication (2FA) for added security.
• Team — Shared with selected team members using standard encryption.

Team members

If you chose "Team", select the organization members who should be able to manage this server. You can always adjust this later from the server settings.

STEP 6

Review & Test

A summary of everything you entered is shown for a final check:

• Server name, host, port, username
• Authentication method (password or SSH key)
• Connection string

Click Test & Create Server to verify the connection. ServerSpot will attempt to connect using the credentials you provided. The server is only saved if the connection test succeeds — everything is encrypted end-to-end before storage.

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Troubleshooting

Problem	Likely cause
Connection test fails	Incorrect host, port, username, or credentials. Double-check each field.
SSH key not accepted	The public key was not added to ~/.ssh/authorized_keys on your server, or you pasted the wrong key.
Sudo commands fail	The sudo configuration does not match your server's setup. Revisit Step 4.
Passphrase error on existing key	The passphrase entered does not match the one used when the original server was created.