🔐 Enabling and Accessing Jailed SSH on DomainIndia.com cPanel Hosting

Accessing SSH on DomainIndia.com cPanel Hosting: Terminal & SSH Key Authentication

📘 Introduction

DomainIndia.com cPanel hosting provides secure Jailed SSH access for advanced users who need command-line capabilities to manage applications, run Composer or Git, use WP-CLI, manage Node.js dependencies, or perform other server-side operations.

🔒 Important Security Note:
For security reasons, password-based SSH authentication is disabled on all shared hosting servers.

This guide explains:

• Why password-based SSH is restricted

• How to access SSH using cPanel Terminal

• How to configure SSH key-based authentication for PuTTY, macOS Terminal, and Linux

• Troubleshooting and best practices

❓ Why Is Password-Based SSH Authentication Disabled?

Password-based SSH login is intentionally disabled to ensure a secure shared hosting environment.

🛡️ Key Security Reasons

1️⃣ Protection Against Brute-Force Attacks

Passwords are vulnerable to automated brute-force attacks. SSH key authentication eliminates this risk, as cryptographic keys cannot be guessed.

2️⃣ Shared Hosting Environment Security

Our shared hosting servers host 1000+ websites. Enabling password-based SSH for one user would require enabling it server-wide, potentially exposing all accounts to security risks. SSH keys provide per-user isolation.

3️⃣ Industry-Standard Security Practices

SSH key authentication is the industry standard and is mandated by major cloud providers such as AWS, Google Cloud, and Microsoft Azure.

4️⃣ Credential Theft Prevention

Passwords can be compromised via phishing, malware, or keyloggers. SSH private keys remain on your local system and are never transmitted over the network during authentication.

5️⃣ Strong Cryptographic Security

A 2048-bit or 4096-bit RSA SSH key provides exponentially stronger protection than any human-memorable password.

🚀 Method 1: Using cPanel Terminal (Recommended & Easiest)

The cPanel Terminal is the simplest way to access SSH. No additional software or SSH key configuration is required.

✅ Steps to Access cPanel Terminal

Step 1: Login to cPanel

• Open: https://yourdomain.com:2083

• Enter your cPanel username and password

Step 2: Open Terminal

• Use the cPanel search bar and type Terminal

• Or navigate to Advanced → Terminal

Step 3: Accept Terms (First-Time Only)

• Click I Agree to continue

Step 4: Start Using SSH

• The terminal opens in your home directory: /home/username

⭐ Advantages of cPanel Terminal

• No external software required

• No SSH key configuration needed

• Works from any browser or device

• Secured via HTTPS

• Automatic session timeout

⚠ Limitations

• Requires active cPanel login

• Not suitable for long-running background tasks

🔑 Method 2: SSH Key-Based Authentication (PuTTY / macOS / Linux)

External SSH clients require SSH key-based authentication.

🧩 Step 1: Generate SSH Key Pair in cPanel

1. Login to cPanel → https://yourdomain.com:2083

2. Navigate to Security → SSH Access

3. Click Manage SSH Keys

4. Click Generate a New Key

🔧 Recommended Settings

Click Generate Key, then Go Back.

🧩 Step 2: Authorize the Public Key

1. Under Public Keys, click Manage next to your key

2. Click Authorize

3. Confirm status shows Authorized

🧩 Step 3: Download the Private Key

🖥️ PuTTY (Windows)

1. Under Private Keys, click View/Download

2. Enter the key password

3. Convert to PPK format

4. Download and store securely

🍎 macOS / Linux

1. Copy the private key content

2. Create a key file:

nano ~/.ssh/id_rsa_domainindia

3. Paste the key and save

4. Set correct permissions:

chmod 600 ~/.ssh/id_rsa_domainindia

🔌 Step 4: Connect Using Your SSH Client

▶ PuTTY (Windows)

You will be prompted for the SSH key password, not the cPanel password.

▶ macOS / Linux

ssh -i ~/.ssh/id_rsa_domainindia [email protected] -p 22

Optional SSH config (~/.ssh/config):

Host myhosting
  HostName yourdomain.com
  User username
  Port 22
  IdentityFile ~/.ssh/id_rsa_domainindia

🛠️ Troubleshooting Common SSH Issues

❌ No supported authentication methods available

• Cause: Password authentication attempted

• Solution: Use SSH keys or cPanel Terminal

❌ Permission denied (publickey)

• Verify public key is authorized in cPanel

• Ensure correct private key is used

• Confirm file permissions (600)

❌ Key password incorrect

• Use the SSH key password, not the cPanel password

❌ PuTTY unable to use key file

• Ensure the key is in PPK format

❌ Connection Timeout

• Verify hostname/IP and port 22

• Check if your IP is blocked

• Contact support if needed

🔐 SSH Access Best Practices

• Never share your private key

• Use strong key passwords

• Rotate SSH keys annually

• Remove unused keys from cPanel

• Secure your local device

• Use cPanel Terminal for quick tasks

📝 Requesting SSH Access

If SSH is not enabled on your account:

1. Login to Client Area
   https://www.domainindia.com/clientarea

2. Open Support Ticket → Technical Support

3. Subject: Request for SSH Access

4. Mention your use case (Git, Composer, Node.js, etc.)

5. Await confirmation via email

✅ Conclusion

DomainIndia.com provides secure Jailed SSH access via:

• Browser-based cPanel Terminal

• SSH key authentication for external clients

Password-based SSH access is disabled to protect your hosting account and shared infrastructure. For most users, cPanel Terminal is fast and sufficient. Advanced users can rely on SSH keys for long-term, secure workflows.

📞 Need Help?

• 🎫 Submit a Ticket: https://www.domainindia.com/support

• 📚 Knowledgebase: https://www.domainindia.co