How to Change the Root Password on Your Linux Root Server / vServer
Using the passwd command you can change the password of your current user — or, as root, the password of any other user — directly on the server.
Log in as root
Connect via SSH
Connect to your server via SSH:bashssh root@YOUR_SERVER_IPssh root@YOUR_SERVER_IP
Change your own password
Run the following command:
bash
passwdpasswdYou will be prompted to:
- Enter your current password (non-root users only).
- Enter your new password.
- Re-enter the new password to confirm.
Note
For security reasons nothing is displayed while typing — not even asterisks. Type the password blindly and confirm with Enter.
Change another user's password
As root you can set the password of any other user without knowing the old one:
bash
passwd USERNAMEpasswd USERNAMEExample:
bash
passwd myuserpasswd myuserTips for strong passwords
- At least 16 characters.
- Mix of upper and lower case, numbers and special characters.
- No dictionary words and no personal data.
- Use a unique password per service — ideally managed in a password manager.
Tip
For even more security, use SSH keys instead of passwords. The full guide is available at Secure SSH Access.