You can connect to your Runpod Pods using a few different methods, depending on your specific needs, preferences, and the template used to create the Pod.

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Web terminal connection

The web terminal offers a convenient, browser-based method to quickly connect to your Pod and run commands. However, it’s not recommended for long-running processes, such as training an LLM, as the connection might not be as stable or persistent as a direct SSH connection.

The availability of the web terminal depends on the Pod’s template.

To connect using the web terminal:

  1. Navigate to the Pods page in the Runpod console.
  2. Expand the desired Pod and select Connect.
  3. Select Open Web Terminal.

This will open a new tab in your browser with a web terminal session.

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JupyterLab connection

JupyterLab provides an interactive, web-based environment for running code, managing files, and performing data analysis. Many Runpod templates, especially those geared towards machine learning and data science, come with JupyterLab pre-configured and accessible via HTTP.

To connect to JupyterLab (if it’s available on your Pod):

  1. Deploy your Pod, ensuring that the template is configured to run JupyterLab. Official Runpod templates like “Runpod Pytorch” are usually compatible.
  2. Once the Pod is running, navigate to the Pods page in the Runpod console.
  3. Find the Pod you created and click the Connect button. If it’s grayed out, your Pod hasn’t finished starting up yet.
  4. In the window that opens, under HTTP Services, look for a link to Jupyter Lab (or a similarly named service on the configured HTTP port, often 8888). Click this link to open the JupyterLab workspace in your browser.
  5. Once in JupyterLab, you can create new notebooks (e.g., under Notebook, select Python 3 (ipykernel)), upload files, and run code interactively.

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SSH terminal connection

Connecting to a Pod via an SSH (Secure Shell) terminal provides a secure and reliable method for interacting with your instance. Use this to manage long-running processes, critical tasks, and when you need the full capabilities of a shell environment. Every Pod offers the ability to connect through SSH.

To establish an SSH connection, you’ll need an SSH client installed on your local machine. The exact command will vary slightly depending on whether you’re using the basic proxy connection or a direct connection to a public IP.

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Basic SSH connection

Runpod provides a basic SSH connection that is proxied through Runpod’s systems. This method does not support commands like SCP (Secure Copy Protocol) or SFTP (SSH File Transfer Protocol).

To connect using this method:

  1. Ensure you have an SSH key pair generated on your local machine. If you haven’t done this, you can generate one using this command on your local terminal:

    ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -C "YOUR_EMAIL@DOMAIN.COM"

  2. To retrieve your public SSH key, run this command:

    cat ~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub

    This will output something similar to this:

    ssh-ed25519 AAAAC4NzaC1lZDI1JTE5AAAAIGP+L8hnjIcBqUb8NRrDiC32FuJBvRA0m8jLShzgq6BQ YOUR_EMAIL@DOMAIN.COM

  3. Copy and paste the output into the SSH Public Keys field in your Runpod user account settings.

  4. To get the SSH command for your Pod, navigate to the Pods page in the Runpod console.

  5. Expand your Pod and select Connect.

  6. Select the SSH tab. Copy the command listed under SSH. It should look something like this:

    ssh 8y5rumuyb50m78-6441103b@ssh.runpod.io -i ~/.ssh/id_ed25519

  7. Run the copied command in your local terminal to connect to your Pod.

For a detailed guide on setting up SSH keys, see Use SSH.

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Full SSH connection (via public IP)

For full SSH capabilities, including SCP and SFTP for file transfers, you need to rent an instance that supports a public IP address and ensure an SSH daemon is running within your Pod.

To connect using this method:

  1. Follow the same SSH key setup as for the basic SSH connection.

  2. An SSH daemon must be started in your Pod. Runpod official templates, such as “Runpod PyTorch”, often have this pre-configured. If you’re using a custom template, ensure TCP port 22 is exposed and the SSH daemon is started. Refer to the Use SSH guide for commands to include in your custom Docker template.

  3. To get the SSH command for your Pod, navigate to the Pods page in the Runpod console.

  4. Expand your Pod and select Connect.

  5. Select the SSH tab. Copy the command listed under SSH over exposed TCP. It should look something like this:

    ssh root@213.173.108.12 -p 17445 -i ~/.ssh/id_ed25519

  6. Run the copied command in your local terminal to connect to your Pod.

The SSH command above has the following structure:

ssh root@[POD_IP_ADDRESS] -p [SSH_PORT] -i [PATH_TO_SSH_KEY]

Where:

  • root: Your assigned username for the Pod (typically root).
  • [POD_IP_ADDRESS]: The public IP address of your Pod.
  • [SSH_PORT]: The designated public SSH port for your Pod.
  • [PATH_TO_SSH_KEY]: The local file path to your private SSH key.

If you’re prompted for a password when attempting to connect, this indicates an issue with your SSH key configuration. Refer to the troubleshooting section in the Use SSH guide for common mistakes and solutions.

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Connect to VSCode or Cursor

For a more integrated development experience, you can connect directly to your Pod instance through Visual Studio Code (VSCode) or Cursor. This allows you to work within your Pod’s volume directory as if the files were stored on your local machine, leveraging VSCode’s or Cursor’s powerful editing and debugging features.

For a step-by-step guide, see Connect to a Pod with VSCode or Cursor.