> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.xloud.tech/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Remote Console Access

> Access instances via browser-based VNC console from the Dashboard. Use for out-of-band management and boot-time debugging.

## Overview

The Xloud Dashboard provides browser-based VNC console access to instances. The console
opens in a new browser tab and provides direct keyboard and mouse interaction with the
guest OS — useful for troubleshooting network issues, configuring instances that cannot
be reached via SSH, or observing the boot process.

<Note>
  **Prerequisites**

  * An instance in `Active` status
  * The instance must not be a bare metal instance
  * A modern web browser with JavaScript enabled
</Note>

***

## Open the Console

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="Dashboard" icon="gauge">
    <Steps titleSize="h3">
      <Step title="Navigate to Instances">
        Navigate to **Compute > Instances** in the sidebar.
      </Step>

      <Step title="Open the console">
        Click the **Console** action on the instance row — this is the **first
        action** (directly visible button, not under the More dropdown).

        A confirmation dialog appears. Click **Confirm** to open the VNC console
        in a new browser tab.

        <Note>
          The Console action is only available for instances in `Active` status.
          Bare metal instances do not support VNC console access.
        </Note>
      </Step>

      <Step title="Interact with the instance">
        The console provides full keyboard and mouse input. Use it to:

        * Log in to the guest OS when SSH is unavailable
        * Observe boot messages and GRUB configuration
        * Debug network configuration issues
        * Access Windows instances via the graphical interface

        <Tip>
          For Windows instances, the VNC console provides RDP-like graphical access
          directly in the browser without requiring a separate RDP client.
        </Tip>
      </Step>
    </Steps>
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="CLI" icon="terminal">
    ```bash title="Source credentials" theme={null}
    source openrc.sh
    ```

    ```bash title="Get VNC console URL" theme={null}
    openstack console url show <INSTANCE_ID>
    ```

    Open the returned URL in a browser to access the VNC console.

    ```bash title="View serial console log" theme={null}
    openstack console log show <INSTANCE_ID> | tail -50
    ```

    <Tip>
      Use the serial console log to review boot messages and diagnose startup
      issues without opening a VNC session.
    </Tip>
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

***

## Instance Detail — Logs Tab

The instance detail page includes a **Logs** tab that displays the serial console
output. Navigate to **Compute > Instances**, click the instance name, and select
the **Logs** tab. This provides the same information as `openstack console log show`
without needing CLI access.

***

## Next Steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Launch an Instance" href="/services/compute/launch-instance" color="#197560">
    Create a new instance with the appropriate configuration
  </Card>

  <Card title="Manage IP Addresses" href="/services/compute/manage-ips" color="#197560">
    Configure floating IPs for SSH access alongside console
  </Card>

  <Card title="Reboot an Instance" href="/services/compute/reboot-instance" color="#197560">
    Restart an unresponsive instance before using the console
  </Card>

  <Card title="Troubleshooting" href="/services/compute/troubleshooting" color="#197560">
    Resolve console connection issues and black screens
  </Card>
</CardGroup>