MODULE 3.1 / 3 OF 4
VPS: the same, on a server
Connect to an Ubuntu VPS with your key, navigate with the same commands, and bring your GitHub project there.
1Get a VPS with your key
type %USERPROFILE%\.ssh\id_ed25519.pub
What you see: A line starting with ssh-ed25519. Copy the entire line.
What it is
Choose a provider and the Ubuntu operating system. During setup, it asks for an SSH key: paste the line this command displays. Make a note of the IP the provider gives you.
Why learn it
With your key registered, you can connect without a password, and no one without your private key can get in.
Key concepts
VPS: a rented Linux computer that runs 24 hours a day. Ubuntu: the most widely used Linux version on servers. IP: the server's numeric address. type: displays the contents of a file in cmd.
2Connect to the VPS
ssh root@VPS-IP
What you see: root@vps-name:~# — the terminal is now the server.
What it is
Replace VPS-IP with the number from your provider. The first time, it asks whether you trust the server: answer yes. To disconnect, type exit.
Why learn it
It's the same window as always, but connected to another machine. Everything you type now happens on the VPS.
Key concepts
ssh: opens a secure connection to another computer. root: the Linux administrator. ~: the user's home folder on the VPS. exit: closes the connection and returns to Windows.
3Same navigation, different names
mkdir -p ~/projects
cd ~/projects
ls
pwd
What you see: pwd shows /root/projects — the folder path, like cd showed in Windows.
What it is
On the VPS: dir becomes ls, cls becomes clear, type becomes cat, %USERPROFILE% becomes ~, and the slash is / instead of \. cd, cd .., and mkdir are the same. There's no File Explorer: ls does that job.
Why learn it
That's why the course starts on Windows: anyone who understands folders there can navigate the VPS in minutes.
Key concepts
ls: lists the folder. pwd: shows where you are. mkdir -p: creates the folder and doesn't complain if it already exists. Linux is case-sensitive: Projects and projects are different folders.
4Bring your project from GitHub
apt update && apt install -y git
cd ~/projects
git clone https://github.com/YOUR-USER/my-site.git
cd my-site
ls
What you see: index.html and AGENTS.md, the same files as on your Windows computer, now on the VPS.
What it is
apt installs Git on Ubuntu. git clone copies the entire repository, including its history, into the current folder.
Why learn it
GitHub is the bridge: the same project lives on Windows and the VPS, and the versions move from one to the other.
Key concepts
apt: the Ubuntu installer (similar to winget). git clone: downloads a repository for the first time. && : runs the second command only if the first one succeeds.
5Install the agent on the VPS
curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash
cd ~/projects/my-site
claude
What you see: Claude Code opens inside the my-site folder on the VPS. For Codex, install Node and use npm install -g @openai/codex.
What it is
The Linux installation command is the one in the official documentation. The first time you use it, the agent shows an address: open it in your computer's browser and sign in with your subscription.
Why learn it
With the agent on the VPS, work can continue on the server even when your computer is turned off.
Key concepts
install.sh: the installer for Linux and Mac. | bash: gives the downloaded installer to the terminal to run. Login without a screen: the agent shows a link and a code so you can authorize it from another device.
6Get the changes and disconnect
cd ~/projects/my-site
git pull
ls
exit
What you see: git pull shows the updated files; exit returns to C:\Users\YourName>.
What it is
Changed something on Windows and pushed it? On the VPS, git pull brings in the change. To return to Windows, use exit.
Why learn it
That's the routine between the two machines: push on one side, pull on the other, always through GitHub.
Key concepts
git pull: brings in the latest versions from GitHub. exit: closes the SSH connection. To reconnect: ssh root@VPS-IP and cd ~/projects/my-site.
HANDS-ON / ~20 MIN
Your project running on the VPS
Check each item when it actually works on your computer, not when you finish reading.
Cheat sheet for part 3
type %USERPROFILE%\.ssh\id_ed25519.pub
ssh root@VPS-IP
mkdir -p ~/projects
cd ~/projects
ls
pwd
apt update && apt install -y git
cd ~/projects
git clone https://github.com/YOUR-USER/my-site.git
cd my-site
ls
curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash
cd ~/projects/my-site
claude
cd ~/projects/my-site
git pull
ls
exit
Done criteria
Connect to an Ubuntu VPS with your key, navigate with the same commands, and bring your GitHub project there.
Review what you learned
On Windows, you use dir and cls. What are their equivalents on the VPS?
View the explained answer
ls to list and clear to clear the screen. cd, cd .., and mkdir work the same; the home folder is ~ instead of %USERPROFILE%.