Console Access

Edge provides two browser-based consoles for reaching a running VM without SSH, RDP, or any network service inside the guest. The graphical console is a VNC session showing the guest as it would appear on an attached monitor. The serial console is a terminal attached to the VM’s emulated serial port, and is offered on Linux VMs only.

Both open from the VM’s Dashboard tab.

Graphical Console

Select Connect on the Dashboard tab. Because the console attaches at the virtual display, it works before the guest has any network configuration, making it the place to complete first-boot setup or recover a guest you are locked out of over SSH or RDP.

Serial Console

Select Serial Console on the Dashboard tab. The terminal opens with the same power controls and Disconnect button as the graphical console, and reconnects the same way.

Press Enter once connected. A configured guest redraws its screen or shows a login prompt. A terminal that stays blank has connected, but nothing in the guest is writing to the serial port.

Enable the Serial Console in the Guest

VMs created from Gallium’s Linux templates use cloud images, which already direct console output and a login prompt to the serial port. A Linux VM installed from an ISO usually does not, and needs the following configuration inside the guest.

1. Edit /etc/default/grub and add console=ttyS0,115200 to the GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX line. Keep console=tty0 as well to preserve output on the graphical console:

   GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX="console=tty0 console=ttyS0,115200"

2. Apply the change:

   # Debian/Ubuntu
   sudo update-grub
   
   # RHEL/CentOS/Fedora
   sudo grub2-mkconfig -o /boot/grub2/grub.cfg

3. Start a login prompt on the serial port:

   sudo systemctl enable --now serial-getty@ttyS0.service

4. Reboot. Boot messages appear in the serial console and pressing Enter presents a login prompt.

These steps apply to most systemd-based Linux distributions. The bootloader configuration may differ on other systems.