How to enable SSH through WHM

Shell access is enabled by default on our Shared Hosting Accounts, VPS and Dedicated servers. When you try to SSH into your server and you get the following error:

Sample terminal with terrors

Shell access is not enabled on your account!
If you need shell access please contact support.

Your server may have SSH disabled by mistake. This can be fixed easily through your WHM. The following tutorial will explain how to enable shell access(SSH) on your server through the WHM.

Don’t have time to read our full article? Watch our walk-through video.

Enabling SSH through the WHM

  1. Log into WHM.
  2. Account Functions in WHM Go to Account Functions.
  3. Modify the Account in WHM Select Modify Account.
  4. Click Modify the Account Select the account to change and click Modify.
  5. Shell Access checkbox in WHM Scroll down to the bottom of the page where it shows Shell Access check box. Click the checkbox. Save the changes.
  6. Proceed with enabling SSH To make SSH available for all the accounts, Select the Update package radio button to apply the SHell Access change across all your cPanel accounts that are on the same package.Click Proceed.
SSH Login terminal scren

Now try accessing your server using SSH. You should have a login screen like the snapshot to the right.

Interested in information about hosting that supports SSH access? Learn more about SSH Hosting.

6 Comments

    • I updated to the most recent version of cPanel/WHM and I do see all the options as described in this article. Are you logged in as the root user? What version of cPanel/WHM are you running?

      • I agree with shemeshdeals and tjohns92109.

        The “Account Functions” is not located as default where the screenshot in this article say.

        When you enter in Root WHM, you will see 2 view options in the right. “Default” (is default) and “Classic”.

        If you want to use the steps listed in this article you have to click on “Classic” and the continue.

        If not, you have to login in ROOT WHM and then go down in the sidebar menu to the section “Account Functions” and click on “Modify an Account”

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