---
title: "Quickstart"
description: "Get started with Alpacon in 5 minutes. Learn to get your workspace, register your first server, and connect via browser terminal. No SSH keys or VPN required."
---
> Full documentation index: https://docs.alpacax.com/llms.txt
# Quickstart
A 5-minute guide for first-time Alpacon users. Follow this guide to quickly experience everything from getting your workspace to your first server connection.
## Before you start
What you need to use Alpacon:
- An Alpacon workspace: set up with our team when you book a demo, or join your team's workspace through an invitation from your admin
- A server to manage (Linux, macOS, or Windows)
- Terminal or administrative access to the server (to run the install command)
---
## Step 1: Get a workspace [#step-1-get-a-workspace]
A workspace is an independent space for managing servers and team members.
**If you are starting with a new workspace:**
1. Book a demo
2. In the demo, we agree on the workspace name, URL, and region with you
3. After the demo, we prepare your workspace and tell you when it is ready
4. Sign in to Alpacon
**If your team already has a workspace:**
1. Ask a workspace admin to invite you
2. Accept the invitation from the email, or from the "No workspace yet" screen after you sign in to Alpacon
Your workspace has a dedicated URL.
Example: `https://alpacon.io/my-production/`
๐ก **Tip**: To add separate workspaces for dev/staging/production environments, contact us.
---
## Step 2: Register your first server (2 min)
### 2-1. Start server registration
In your Alpacon workspace:
1. Click **Servers** in the left menu
2. Click **Register server**
3. Choose **Registration with token** as the registration method
4. On **Server information**, set:
- **What is the server's OS?**: pick the OS family (Debian family, RedHat family, macOS, or Windows)
- **Server name** (optional): a display name (e.g., `web-server-01`)
- **Server registration token** (optional): selecting a token automatically configures access groups
5. Click **Continue**
See [Register a server](/use/servers/register/) for the full flow, including the Ansible, AWS Cloud-Init, and Terraform methods.
### 2-2. Install the Alpamon agent
1. Copy the generated install command
2. Open a terminal on your server and run it (Linux and macOS use `sudo`; Windows uses an elevated PowerShell)
3. When registration completes, the window closes automatically
4. Verify the server shows **Online** in the server list
> Registering a Windows server? See [Windows servers](/reference/platforms/windows/) for supported features, the permission model, and troubleshooting.
---
## Step 3: Connect to your server (1 min)
Access in Alpacon runs through a work session: you request access, and it's scoped and time-bound.
1. Choose the server you want from the **Servers** list
2. Click **Connect**
3. Select the access you need (e.g., **Web terminal**) and a **Session duration**, then start the session
4. The browser terminal opens for the session you requested
Depending on your workspace's policy, the session may need a Superuser's approval before the terminal opensโit moves from **pending** to **approved** first.
๐ **Done!** You've connected to your server from the browser without a separate SSH client.
### Try key Websh features
Once the terminal is open, try these features:
- **Execute commands**: Use like a normal terminal: `ls`, `top`, `df -h`, etc.
- **Reconnect**: Your shell stays alive for the duration of the work session, so you can close the tab and resume later
- **Customize settings**: Click the โ๏ธ icon in the terminal to adjust theme and font size
---
## Step 4: Invite team members (Optional, 1 min)
> ๐ This feature is available in **Essentials plan or higher** (paid version).
You can invite team members to share server access. Only users with **staff** or **superuser** privileges can invite team members.
1. Click **IAM** > **Users** in the left menu
2. Click **Invite user** on Alpacon Cloud or **New user** on self-hosted deployments
3. On Alpacon Cloud, enter the email address of the person to invite in the **Invite user** form
4. Click **Invite**
Invited members will receive an invitation link via email, which remains valid for **48 hours**.
### IAM permission levels
- **Member**: Regular users who can only access resources within their granted permissions
- **Staff**: Users with administrative privileges who can perform some admin functions
- **Superuser**: Full administrative access and workspace-wide configuration privileges
---
## Next steps
You've completed the basic setup! Now explore more Alpacon features:
### Enhanced security
- [User & group management](/use/iam/) - Fine-grained access control and batch permission settings by team
- [Monitoring](/use/audit/) - Server activity logs and auditing
### Improved productivity
- [Websh](/use/work-sessions/terminal/) - Remote shell from browser with real-time collaboration
- [WebFTP](/use/work-sessions/files/) - File transfer from browser
- [Multi-server commands](/reference/work-session-features/) - Run commands on multiple servers at once
### Advanced features
- [CLI tool](/reference/cli/) - Manage Alpacon from terminal
- [API integration](/reference/api/) - Automation and custom integrations
---
## Need help?
- [Common issues](/use/troubleshooting/) - Frequently occurring problem resolution
- [Connection issues](/use/work-sessions/troubleshoot-connections/) - Server connection problems
- [Agent issues](/use/servers/troubleshooting/) - Alpamon agent problems
- [Support](mailto:support@alpacax.com) - Technical support inquiries
Source: https://docs.alpacax.com/learn/quickstart/