VNC Console for the Proxmox Server (Host)?

[wnpaul]

Great product!

Is there a reason why there isn't a link to open a VNC console to the proxmox server, i.e. under Administration->Server ?

How difficult would it be to add that? In other words, how difficult would it be to use the vncterm used for VE consoles for a Host console?

Thanks.

 

[tom]

Great product!

Is there a reason why there isn't a link to open a VNC console to the proxmox server, i.e. under Administration->Server ?

How difficult would it be to add that? In other words, how difficult would it be to use the vncterm used for VE consoles for a Host console?

Thanks.

we already thought of this but not implemented yet - should be straight forward but there are some security reservations which are not solved yet (encryption).

 

[mangoo]

Great product!

Is there a reason why there isn't a link to open a VNC console to the proxmox server, i.e. under Administration->Server ?

How difficult would it be to add that? In other words, how difficult would it be to use the vncterm used for VE consoles for a Host console?

Thanks.

What's wrong with SSH access?

 

[wnpaul]

Mangoo: There is of course absolutely nothing wrong with ssh access. But just as it is convenient to have the Java/VNC console for the virtual machines, it would be convenient to have the Java/VNC console for the server. Think of a situation where you are in front of some PC which has a browser but not a ssh client -- maybe you can't think of such a situation, but I can, and I am sure others can, too.

Tom: But isn't the console also running through a https link, and thus encrypted already?

 

[mangoo]

Mangoo: There is of course absolutely nothing wrong with ssh access. But just as it is convenient to have the Java/VNC console for the virtual machines, it would be convenient to have the Java/VNC console for the server.

No.
VNC access to virtual machines lets you see/interact:
- during system bootup, choose device to boot (HDD, CD-ROM), bootloader (like GRUB), kernel messages or system booting etc.
- it lets you configure guests when you don't have network access to them

VNC access to the host doesn't let you do any of the above, for obvious reasons.

Think of a situation where you are in front of some PC which has a browser but not a ssh client -- maybe you can't think of such a situation, but I can, and I am sure others can, too.

To be frank, I must say that I've never heard or seen a system with GUI disabled (i.e. starts in text console mode only), but with VNC access enabled (just to connect to a text console; which wouldn't be that trivial over VNC, BTW).

And also, logging in to an important system (PV host which hosts several guests) from some random system out there is not a good idea (think of keyloggers and friends).

 

[wnpaul]

We could debate this forever. It's obviously not as far out as you make it out to be or Tom would not have said that they thought about it.

And I can think of situations where this would be useful that do not involve "some random system out there".

I have a dedicated server with a German hosting company where all dedicated servers can be re-installed with various versions of Linux by means of a VNC server which gives access to the console. Don't know exactly how its implemented but obviously there are ways to do this.

I don't understand why some people have this need to argue that what someone else wants is useless or nonsense instead of simply not using it themselves and letting the other be.

 

[mangoo]

We could debate this forever. It's obviously not as far out as you make it out to be or Tom would not have said that they thought about it.

And I can think of situations where this would be useful that do not involve "some random system out there".

Give some examples then

I have a dedicated server with a German hosting company where all dedicated servers can be re-installed with various versions of Linux by means of a VNC server which gives access to the console. Don't know exactly how its implemented but obviously there are ways to do this.

It's a hardware solution.
KVM-IP viewer is connected to the keyboard, video and mouse ports of a given server. It grabs all signals and allows you to connect via VNC.
You can't implement it in software.

I don't understand why some people have this need to argue that what someone else wants is useless or nonsense instead of simply not using it themselves and letting the other be.

I'm just pointing out your misconceptions about such a solution.

Also, putting development effort where real and usable features are needed is better.


Linux is not Windows, and especially a console-only server.
You don't need GUI access (i.e. VNC) to a server running console only.

And if you think you need, just use apt-get install vncserver (or similar).

 

[wnpaul]

I'll give you one example, and then I consider that particular discussion closed (at least, I won't reply any longer) because I don't think it's helping anything or going anywhere.

I do part-time tech support at an international K-12 school, together with one fulltime guy. We are rarely at our desks when we are told about some problem or other. But we are usually within reach of some office or classroom computer from which we can do some troubleshooting iff we can get to our systems from such a computer. We have neither Putty nor VNC installed on each computer in the building, but we do have a browser on each computer. A console link on the Proxmox web interface would be very useful in our situation. That, by the way is also why a system like Webmin has a Java console built in. It has nothing at all to do with thinking that a console-only linux server is Windows, it has nothing at all to do with a need for a GUI -- it's a need for a commandline terminal deployed on-demand over the network.

As for the VNC for installations: actually, it's not hardware, they have that too. Their VNC console only is active during installs, if you need a remote console after installation they indeed have a hardware device. I tend to think that it's something in the form of a network-booted mini-environment which includes a VNC server and re-directs the console somehow.

Anyway, as far as I am concerned, this is a dead subject.

 

[mangoo]

I'll give you one example, and then I consider that particular discussion closed (at least, I won't reply any longer) because I don't think it's helping anything or going anywhere.

(...)

is Windows, it has nothing at all to do with a need for a GUI -- it's a need for a commandline terminal deployed on-demand over the network.

So you need a Java SSH client (or similar), not a VNC server capable of connecting to Linux virtual consoles (are there such VNC servers? sounds complicated).

Yes, I agree, it could be useful in some cases.

You can find such clients in Google. If you find anything interesting, open source, and generall worth considering, please post it here.

As for the VNC for installations: actually, it's not hardware, they have that too. Their VNC console only is active during installs, if you need a remote console after installation they indeed have a hardware device. I tend to think that it's something in the form of a network-booted mini-environment which includes a VNC server and re-directs the console somehow.

Some installers (i.e. Debian) can be started in SSH mode. Which can be later wrapped to something else (i.e. VNC).

 

[dietmar]

Someone need to implement the ssh/tls layer for our vncterm/vncviewer.