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Connecting to Instances

Once your instance is Deployed, you can connect via SSH, set up VS Code Remote, and forward ports for services like Jupyter.

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SSH Connection

The SSH command is available on your instance’s detail page. The general format is: 
ssh root@<instance-ip> -p <port> -i ~/.ssh/your_key
For example: 
ssh root@203.0.113.42 -p 22 -i ~/.ssh/id_rsa
Some instances use a non-standard SSH port. Always check the port shown in your instance details.

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First Connection

On your first connection, you will be asked to confirm the server fingerprint: 
The authenticity of host '203.0.113.42 (203.0.113.42)' can't be established.
ED25519 key fingerprint is SHA256:xxxxx.
Are you sure you want to continue connecting (yes/no)?
Type yes to continue. This is normal for new instances.

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Verify GPU Access

After connecting, confirm that your GPU is available: 
# Check GPU status
nvidia-smi

# Check CUDA version
nvcc --version

# Verify PyTorch GPU access (if PyTorch image)
python3 -c "import torch; print(torch.cuda.is_available()); print(torch.cuda.get_device_name(0))"

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Port Forwarding

To access services running on your instance from your local browser, use SSH port forwarding: 
ssh root@<instance-ip> -p <port> -i ~/.ssh/your_key -L <local-port>:localhost:<remote-port>

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Common Ports

ServiceRemote PortLocal Forward Command
Jupyter Notebook8888-L 8888:localhost:8888
TensorBoard6006-L 6006:localhost:6006
Gradio7860-L 7860:localhost:7860
VS Code Server8080-L 8080:localhost:8080
Example — forward Jupyter to your local machine: 
ssh root@203.0.113.42 -p 22 -i ~/.ssh/id_rsa -L 8888:localhost:8888
Then open http://localhost:8888 in your browser.

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VS Code Remote SSH

VS Code can connect directly to your instance for a full IDE experience.

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Setup Steps

  1. Install the Remote - SSH extension in VS Code.
  2. Open the Command Palette (Cmd+Shift+P / Ctrl+Shift+P).
  3. Select Remote-SSH: Connect to Host….
  4. Enter the connection string: root@<instance-ip> -p <port>.
  5. When prompted, select the SSH key to use.
  6. VS Code will install its server component on the instance and connect.

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SSH Config (Optional)

For quicker access, add your instance to ~/.ssh/config: 
Host runcrate-instance
    HostName 203.0.113.42
    Port 22
    User root
    IdentityFile ~/.ssh/id_rsa
Then connect with: ssh runcrate-instance or select runcrate-instance from VS Code.

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File Transfer

Use scp to copy files to and from your instance: 
# Upload a file
scp -P <port> -i ~/.ssh/your_key ./local-file.py root@<instance-ip>:/root/

# Download a file
scp -P <port> -i ~/.ssh/your_key root@<instance-ip>:/root/results.csv ./

# Upload a directory
scp -r -P <port> -i ~/.ssh/your_key ./my-project root@<instance-ip>:/root/

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Troubleshooting

  • Verify the instance status is Deployed on the dashboard.
  • Confirm you are using the correct IP address and port from the instance details.
  • The instance may still be starting up — wait a minute and try again.
  • Ensure your SSH key is added to your Runcrate account and was selected during deployment.
  • Verify you are using the correct key file: ssh -i ~/.ssh/correct_key ...
  • Check file permissions: chmod 600 ~/.ssh/your_key
  • Check your local network and firewall settings.
  • Verify the instance IP and port on the dashboard.
  • If the instance was recently deployed, wait 1-2 minutes for networking to initialize.