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Download and set up PuTTY
to connect using SSH in Amazon Lightsail

Last updated: April 14, 2023

You can use an SSH client like PuTTY to connect to your Lightsail instance. PuTTY requires
a copy of your private SSH key. You might already have a key, or you might want to use the key
pair that Lightsail creates. Either way, we’ve got you covered. For more information about
SSH, see SSH and
connecting to your Lightsail instance. This topic walks you through the steps to
download a key pair and set up PuTTY to connect to your instance.

The method to connect to your instance described in this guide is one of many. For more
information about the other methods, see SSH and connecting to your Lightsail instance.

The easiest way to connect to your Linux or Unix instance in Lightsail is by using the
browser-based SSH client that is available in the Lightsail console. For more information, see
Connecting to
your Linux or Unix instance in Amazon Lightsail.

Prerequisites

You need a running instance in Lightsail. For more information, see Create an
instance in Amazon Lightsail.
We recommended that you create a static IP address and attach it to your instance so
you won’t have to reconfigure PuTTY if your public IP address changes later. For more
information, see Create a static
IP and attach it to an instance in Amazon Lightsail.

Step 1: Download and install
PuTTY

PuTTY is a free implementation of SSH for Windows. You can learn all about PuTTY on this page, including
restrictions related to countries where encryption isn’t allowed. If you already have PuTTY,
you can skip to Step 2.

Download the PuTTY installer or executable file from the following link: Download
PuTTY.

If you need help deciding which download to choose, see the PuTTY
documentation. We recommend using the latest version.
Go on to Step 2 to get your private key before you configure
PuTTY.

Step 2: Get your private key
ready

You have several options for getting your private key. You might want to use the default
private key that Lightsail generates, you might want to have Lightsail create a new
private key for you, or you might already have one from another service. The steps for each of
these options is outlined in the following procedures:

Sign in to the Lightsail console.
Choose Account on the top navigation bar, and then choose
Account from the drop-down.
Choose the SSH Keys tab.
Choose one of the following options depending on which private key you prefer to
use:
- To use the default private key that Lightsail
  generates, in the Default keys section of the page,
  choose the download icon next to the default private key for the AWS
  Region where your instance is located.
- To create a new key pair in Lightsail, in the
  Custom keys section of the page, choose Create key
  pair. Choose the AWS Region where your instance is located,
  and choose Create. Enter a name, and choose Generate
  key pair. You will be given the option to download the private
  key.
  
  Important
  
  You can only download the private key once. Save it in a secured
  location.
- To use your own key pair, choose Upload
  New. Choose the AWS Region where your instance is located,
  and choose Upload. Choose Upload file, and
  then locate the file in your local drive. Choose Upload key when
  you’re ready to upload your public key file to Lightsail.
If you downloaded the private key, or you created a new private key in Lightsail,
then make sure to save the .pem key file somewhere you can easily find
it.

We also recommend that you set permissions for the file so that no one else can read
it.

Step 3: Configure PuTTYgen with
your Lightsail private key

Now that you have a copy of your .pem key file, you can set up PuTTY using
the PuTTY Key Generator (PuTTYgen).

Start PuTTYgen (for example, from the Start menu, choose
All Programs, PuTTY,
PuTTYgen).
Choose Load.

By default, PuTTYgen displays only files with the .ppk extension. To
locate your .pem file, select the option to display files of all
types.
Choose lightsailDefaultKey.pem, and then press
Open.

PuTTYgen confirms that you successfully imported the key, and then you can choose
OK.
Choose Save private key, and then confirm you don’t want to save
it with a passphrase.

If you choose to create a passphrase as an extra measure of security, remember you
will need to enter it every time you connect to your instance using PuTTY.
Specify a name and a location to save your private key, and then choose
Save.
Close PuTTYgen.

Step 4: Finish configuring PuTTY
with your private key and instance information

You’re almost there! Hang on while we make one last change.

Open PuTTY.
From Lightsail, grab the public IP address (hopefully you’re using a static
IP address) from the instance management page.

You can get the public IP address from the Lightsail home page, or choose your
instance to view more details about it.
Type (or paste) the public IP address into the Host Name (or IP
address) field.

Note

Port 22 is already open for SSH on your Lightsail instance, so accept the default
port.
Under Connection, expand SSH and Auth, and then
choose Credentials.
Choose Browse to navigate to the .ppk file that you
created in the previous step, and then choose Open.
Choose Open again, and then choose Accept to
trust this connection in the future.
Log in using one of the following default user names depending on your instance
operating system:
- Amazon Linux, Amazon Linux 2, openSUSE, and FreeBSD: ec2-user
- CentOS instances: centos
- Debian instances: admin
- Ubuntu instances: ubuntu
- Bitnami instances: bitnami
- Plesk instances: ubuntu
- cPanel & WHM instances: centos
For more information about instance operating systems, see Choosing an image in Lightsail.
Be sure to save your connection for future use.