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IPMI and console (emergency access)

If SSH no longer works: reach the server via the console.

The console is the access that works independently of the operating system. It is the last way in when SSH no longer works, for example because a firewall rule is wrong or the system no longer boots.

What is IPMI?

IPMI is a small, independent controller on the motherboard of a dedicated server. It has its own network port and keeps working even when the operating system has crashed or is not installed. With it you can:

switch the server on and off or restart it,
see the server's screen in the browser (KVM console), including the boot menu and error messages,
work directly on the server with keyboard and mouse, as if you were sitting in front of it,
monitor temperatures, fans and the power supply.

Control usually runs through a web interface in the customer panel. The console opens in its own window in the browser.

Typical cases

SSH access blocked, e.g. after a wrong firewall rule or an SSH configuration with a typo
System no longer boots after a kernel update (the boot menu shows the error message)
Network is configured but wrong, so the server cannot be reached on the network

Procedure

Open the console from the customer panel. The window shows the server's screen.
Log in as the user. If you cannot get in, a rescue mode or a restart via the control panel helps.
Undo the change, e.g. the firewall rule with ufw disable or reset the SSH configuration. Then check SSH with sshd -t.

Before changing the firewall or SSH, always check that console access works. It is best to open it and log in once while everything still works.

Keyboard in the console

By default, the console uses the English (US) keyboard layout, regardless of the layout set on your own computer. The keys are then arranged differently than on a German keyboard:

Y and Z are swapped. This is especially noticeable with commands such as systemctl or yes.
@ is Shift+2 on US, and AltGr+Q on a German keyboard.
Umlauts and ß (ä, ö, ü, ß) do not exist on the US keyboard.
Other characters such as , { }, [ ], | and ~ are in different places.

For passwords this means: type them in the console according to the US layout, not your own keyboard. A password with umlauts or many special characters is therefore impractical. A password you cannot type in the console can lock you out in an emergency.

The keyboard setting of the console can only be changed partly in the viewer or the customer panel. When in doubt, enter the characters according to the US layout or use a password manager that pastes the password into the console.