What VNC is and when to use it
VNC gives you the server's screen directly, so it works when SSH does not. When to reach for it, and why to turn it off afterwards.
VNC gives you the server's screen and keyboard as though you were standing in front of it. Applies to all VPS and dedicated servers.
Its value is that it does not depend on SSH or on the network stack inside the server. When those are broken, VNC still works — which makes it the tool for exactly the situations where nothing else responds.
When to use it
- You locked yourself out with a firewall rule. Very common: a misplaced
iptablesrule drops your own SSH session and you cannot get back in. - SSH will not start, or is misconfigured after an edit.
- The server boots but does not reach the network.
- You are installing an OS from your own media and there is no SSH yet — see Boot media and boot order.
For a server that will not boot at all, rescue mode is usually the better tool — it gives you a working environment with your disk mounted, rather than a console showing a failed boot.
Enable and connect
- Open the Cloud Console and select your server.
- Go to Options → VNC.
- Select Enable VNC Access.
- Select Browser VNC to open the console in a popup.
Allow popups for the console if nothing opens.
VNC is unencrypted. Anyone able to observe the network between you and the server could record the session, including every keystroke — a root password typed into a VNC console is typed in the clear.
Use it to regain access, then switch to SSH for real work, and select Disable VNC Access when you are finished. Leaving it enabled is an open console on a public server.
Working in it
It is a raw console, so expect the limitations:
- No clipboard. You cannot paste; long commands must be typed.
- Keyboard layout may not match yours, which matters for symbols in passwords.
- It is slower than SSH and redraws visibly.
Fix what is broken, then get back to SSH.