Getting started
Root password or SSH key: which to choose at deploy
The two ways to log in to a new LiteKeep server: an SSH key from your account, or a generated root password shown once. How each works and which is safer.
Last updated 27 October 2026
Choose an SSH key if you have one: it is safer and there is no password to lose. Choose Root password, shown once if you don’t: we generate a strong password, show it to you one time, then delete our copy.
Side by side
| SSH key | Root password | |
|---|---|---|
| Set up first | Add your public key to your account | Nothing |
| What you keep | The private key file on your computer | A 20-character password, shown once |
| Guessing attacks | Not practical | Possible, so turn password logins off later |
| Lost it? | Use another key or computer that has it | We can’t show it again |
Using an SSH key
Add your public key under SSH keys on your Account page before you deploy. At the access step, pick the option that names your key. The server is created with that key installed and no password set. New to keys? Create one on Windows in a few minutes.
Using a root password
We generate a 20-character password and show it once on the server’s Overview. Save it in a password manager, tick I’ve saved it somewhere safe and press Done, forget it. After that only you have it. Once logged in, add a key and turn off password logins: the SSH hardening tutorial shows how.
Lost the password or the key
- There is no password reset in the console, and we can’t show a password again once you press Done, forget it.
- If you can still log in another way (another saved key, or a session that is still open), set a new password with
passwdand add a fresh key. - If you can’t log in at all, deploy a new server and delete the old one. Keeping your key or password in a password manager avoids this.