Using ConnectBot to gain Shell (SSH) Access with the Android App

Last updated: March 19th 2021

Introduction

It is easy (once you know how) to get SSH Shell access to your server(s) via. the Android app. At the moment there are a bit many steps you need to go through however for initial setup, which we hope to improve upon in future versions of the app.

Get it on Google Play

First time Setup / Installing ConnectBot

In order to connect with SSH you need a 3rd party application called ConnectBot. 

  1. Install ConnectBot from Google Play
     
  2. Start the ConnectBot App and Generate an SSH Keypair by going to Manage Pubkeys in the context menu (three small dots) in the top right corner of the screen. Tap the + Icon to add a new Public Key.  Just go with the defaults on screen, give it a name, no need to add a password unless you are extra paranoid.
     
  3. Once the Keypair has been generated, copy the Public Key by long-pressing on the entry in the ConnectBot List of keys
     
  4. Open the Webdock App and go to Account -> Public Keys and add the Public Key to your Webdock Account by tapping the + Icon down in the bottom right corner
     
  5. Name your Public Key anything you like in the Webdock App and paste the Public Key you just copied from ConnectBot into the appropriate field in the Webdock App

Now you have ConnectBot set up ready to go and your Key has been added to your Webdock Account and is ready to be deployed to any Shell User on any one of your Webdock Servers.

Connecting with a Shell user to a Webdock Server with ConnectBot

Now that you have installed ConnectBot on your device and copied the Public Key for your ConnectBot installation to your Webdock Account you can now proceed to connect to a Server.

  1. Go to any server in the Webdock App and go to the Shell Users screen by swiping right a few times
     
  2. Tap the shell user you want to connect with, or create a new Shell User and Assign the Public Key for your ConnectBot - you only need to do this once for each Shell User you want to connect with
     
  3. Now you can use the ConnectBot Icon in the bottom navigation bar on the main Server information screen or just tap the Shell User you want to log in with from the Shell Users list for your Server.
     
  4. Pro tip: More often than not you do not know the Sudo password for your Shell user. This is especially true for the default "admin" user we create for you in our LAMP or LEMP stacks, as the password for this user is only visible if you log in to the Webdock dashboard online. 

    You will need this password if you want to run sudo commands or become Root on your server by running "sudo su" - in this case we recommend you enable Passwordless Sudo in your server which you can do on the Shell Users screen in the Webdock Dashboard.

Password-based authentication can not be managed or toggled in the app but you need to do so online by logging in to the Webdock Dashboard and going to the Shell Users screen for your server.

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