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

1. Connect via SSH
   Connect to your server via SSH:

   ssh root@YOUR_SERVER_IP
   

Change your own password

Run the following command:

passwd

You will be prompted to:

1. Enter your current password (non-root users only).
2. Enter your new password.
3. Re-enter the new password to confirm.

Change another user's password

As root you can set the password of any other user without knowing the old one:

passwd USERNAME

Example:

passwd myuser

Tips 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.