Cloning Lightsail Instance

Question

When I create a snapshot of an instance in Lightsail which is currently running and properly functioning, and then proceed to create a new instance from that snapshot, I am unable to connect to the new instance. When attempting to connect to the new instance using the browser-based SSH client, all I see is 'Connecting to your instance...' and then a completely blank screen with no functionality. The specs of the new instance are identical to those of the original one. I receive no errors, and the Lightsail console shows the new instance as 'running'.

I've made sure the new instance has SSH enabled on port 22: SSH / TCP / 22 Any IPv4 address Lightsail browser SSH/RDP

The original instance which I can connect to is on a static IP, and is running: Ubuntu 22.04 LTS, 512 MB RAM, 2 vCPUs, 20 GB SSD

Thank you!

I've made sure the new instance has SSH enabled on port 22: 
SSH / TCP / 22 
Any IPv4 address
Lightsail browser SSH/RDP

The original instance which I can connect to is on a static IP, and is running: Ubuntu 22.04 LTS, 512 MB RAM, 2 vCPUs, 20 GB SSD

Thank you!

Answer

Hi Ryan E,

Follow the below steps to trouble shoot your issue.

**Check Snapshot:** Make sure the snapshot of your original instance was made correctly. If unsure, try creating a new snapshot and use that.

**Instance Status:** Verify that the new instance is fully up and running. Sometimes it needs a few minutes to boot up completely.

**Security Settings:** Ensure the new instance's security settings allow SSH connections on port 22. Go to the Networking tab in the Lightsail console 
  to check this.

**SSH Keys:** Make sure the correct SSH key is associated with the new instance. Lightsail usually handles this automatically.

**Check Logs:** Look at the system logs for the new instance in the Lightsail console. Logs can show errors or issues during startup.

**Use External SSH Client:**
   Instead of the browser SSH, try using an external SSH client like PuTTY (for Windows) or the terminal (for Mac/Linux). Use this command in 
   your   terminal:
          
```
ssh -i /path/to/your/lightsail/key.pem ubuntu@

```
Replace /path/to/your/lightsail/key.pem with the path to your SSH key and  with your new instance's IP.

**Reboot Instance:** Sometimes a simple reboot can fix the issue. Reboot the instance from the Lightsail console.

**Recreate Instance:** If nothing works, delete the new instance, create a new snapshot of your original instance, and launch a new instance from this 
   new snapshot.

Cloning Lightsail Instance

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