# How to use the virtual machine console

Source: https://docs.quake.ai/docs/compute/how-to/use-vm-console
Markdown: https://docs.quake.ai/docs/compute/how-to/use-vm-console.md

---

# How to use the virtual machine console

Access a running virtual machine through a browser-based VNC terminal. The console lets you interact with the instance without SSH, which is useful during OS installation, when network access is unavailable, or when recovering from a misconfiguration.



You need a login password set on the instance to authenticate in the console. SSH key pairs are not accepted via the VNC console. See [How to set a password on an instance](/docs/compute/how-to/create-password).



<PrerequisiteBlock methods={["console", "cli", "api"]}>

- A running instance
- A login password set on the instance

</PrerequisiteBlock>

## Open the console

<MethodTabs>
<Method label="Console">

1. Go to **Compute** > **Instances**.
2. Locate the instance row. The row's first action icon is the **Console** icon (tooltip `Console`).
3. Select the **Console** icon, then select **Open Console** from the dropdown. The VNC console opens in a new browser tab. The sibling **Console Log** item navigates to the instance detail page's Console Log tab and shows serial and boot output instead.
4. Log in with the instance username and password.

Common usernames: `ubuntu` (Ubuntu), `debian` (Debian), `rocky` (Rocky Linux). See [default usernames](/docs/compute/how-to/create-password#default-usernames-by-distribution).



the Console embeds the noVNC lite viewer (`vnc_lite.html`). The only chrome control is a single **Send CtrlAltDel** button in the top-right; there is no fullscreen, clipboard, or send-key affordance. For a richer toolbar, fetch the console URL with the CLI (see the **CLI** tab) and open it in a desktop VNC client.



</Method>
<Method label="CLI">

Retrieve a time-limited console URL and open it in a browser:

```bash
openstack console url show --novnc my-instance
```

Alternative console types include `--xvpvnc`, `--spice`, `--rdp`, `--serial`, and `--mks`. Without a console-type flag, the CLI defaults to `--novnc`.

The response includes a URL you can open directly:

```bash
openstack console url show --novnc my-instance -f value -c url | xargs open
```

On Linux, replace `open` with `xdg-open`. The console host is `sky-console.us-east-1.rumble.cloud` in us-east-1, distinct from the main Cloud Console at `sky.us-east-1.rumble.cloud`.

</Method>
<Method label="API">

Request a VNC console URL:

```bash
curl -X POST "$OS_COMPUTE_URL/servers/SERVER_ID/action" \
  -H "X-Auth-Token: $OS_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"os-getVNCConsole": {"type": "novnc"}}'
```

The response contains a `url` field. Open that URL in a browser to access the console.

</Method>
</MethodTabs>

## See also

- [How to set a password on an instance](/docs/compute/how-to/create-password)
- [Compute console reference](/reference/compute/console/instances)
- [Instances concepts](/docs/compute/concepts/instances)