ESXi and VNC password (RemoteDisplay.vnc.password)

[jim_md]

When enabling VNC access within the .vmx file on ESXi, it seems the password option is ignored:

RemoteDisplay.vnc.enabled = "TRUE"

RemoteDisplay.vnc.password = "12345678"

RemoteDisplay.vnc.port = "5901"

This is how I used to do it on GSX. But on ESXi, no matter what the password is, I can connect to the vm without a password.(esxi isn't prompting)

Is anyone else having this problem?

[Peter_vm]

I think everyone wanting to secure builtin VNC with a password has that problem. I do.

[nick_couchman]

I take it that you're saying that the password option does not work in ESX(i)?

[jim_md]

Yes. The vnc password option does not work. You can connect directly to the virtual machines VNC port without a password even though one is defined.

[mk1970g]

What other remote console software/method could I then use on Linux?

[pmhausen]

I run a local X server on my admin machine and use SSH with X11 forwarding to the Linux/FreeBSD box in question. Regularly I do not need graphical/console access at all, but if I have to use a SuSE system for a particular application I can still fire up Yast2 and click away. Or install Orcale, or whatever might need X11. As I said, most of the time my admin console/tool is vi.

Kind regards,

Patrick

[mk1970g]

Maybe I do not understand your reply correctly but here's my usage scenario:

• ESXi and VI Client (running on Windows) are in server room. I have few Windows virtual machines running on this ESXi.

• I'm using my Ubuntu desktop, I have no physical access to the Windows PC running VI Client (since it's only used for administrative tasks).

• I can start/stop/restart VMs with RCLI directly from my Ubuntu desktop.

Now I want to connect to the (virtual) Windows PCs but I want to have some kind of password prompt before I can see the console. Since VNC password is ignored, I want to have something else. My question is "what and how".

[pmhausen]

Ah ... I intepreted your question for remote console software "on Linux" as "how can I connect to Linux server from Windows"?

But to connect to Windows, why bother with VNC at all? RDP is far superior in terms of interactive performance/responsiveness.

See http://www.rdesktop.org/

Kind regards,

Patrick

[nick_couchman]

...but only if you're running Windows XP.

[pmhausen]

XP, Vista, 2000 Server, 2003 Server, 2008 Server, ... did I miss anything that is still available and supported?

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=fh;\[ln\];lifesupsps#Windows

Kind regards,

Patrick

[jim_md]

Without the builtin VNC with passwords (like in GSX), our application isn't going to work. Rdesktop or installing VNC directly onto the VM's is not an option for us.

Is anyone having the problems with regular ESX?

If this can't be fixed, we'll have to switch to VMware Server (assuming it doesn't also have the same problem)

[admin]

In the hosted products, RemoteDisplay.vnc.password (plaintext) was replaced by RemoteDisplay.vnc.key (encrypted). In recent builds, RemoteDisplay.vnc.password was restored, since it's bad for VMs which used to require a password to stop requiring them when run under a newer version of Workstation. It doesn't look like this change got ported to ESXi, though.

Basically, use RemoteDisplay.vnc.key instead of RemoteDisplay.vnc.password - we're working on posting directions on how to generate the key.

[jim_md]

I googled around for "RemoteDisplay.vnc.key" and found someone's configuration file with an encrypted key.

I added it to my .vmx file and VNC did ask for a password! So, that does work.

We just need to know how to generated the encrypted key now.

[Peter_vm]

In the hosted products, RemoteDisplay.vnc.password (plaintext) was replaced by RemoteDisplay.vnc.key (encrypted). In recent builds, RemoteDisplay.vnc.password was restored, since it's bad for VMs which used to require a password to stop requiring them when run under a newer version of Workstation. It doesn't look like this change got ported to ESXi, though.

Basically, use RemoteDisplay.vnc.key instead of RemoteDisplay.vnc.password - we're working on posting directions on how to generate the key.

Do you have any details on that?

[thingy]

If the key is generated via a well known hash, can you let us know what it is so that we can come up with our own scripts to generate the key?

[DSTAVERT]

Somehow I think people are missing the significance of the rdesktop reference. Rdesktop gives linux the ability to do a Microsoft RDP connection to Windows, complete with a normal Login screen etc. I am sure it is included as part of most (ALL) linux distributions. It removes the need to create keys, manage all the port settings for VNC etc. I use both but only use the VNC connection if I absolutely must. The performance and screen resolution are just far superior with rdesktop.Pretty simple to use as well.

[Peter_vm]

VNC support is built in into ESX35i. You can access guest as soon as it powers on. No guest network connection is neccessary.

It is just lack of password support so irritating...No performance problems with VNC so far.

[nick_couchman]

Hmmm...except on guest O/Ss that don't provide RDP servers - like Linux, anything Windows version before XP and 2000 Server, NetWare, Solaris, FreeBSD, NetBSD, OpenBSD, etc. Sure, if you're accessing Windows Server or XP and later, RDP works fine. Also, RDP is only good after the O/S is booted - during boot you have no access to the console. This is fine as long as the O/S boots correctly, but if you have any problems with Windows booting then you may need something else.

As far as performance, RDP definitely has better built-in encryption and compression (VNC doesn't have any), but as long as you're on a 100Mbit+ network, VNC works fine.

[mk1970g]

With rdesktop you connect to the guest once it's up and running (and like others pointed out it must be running Windows). But what if the guest uses DHCP to obtain an IP address, how can you connect with rdesktop to it if you don't know the IP address?

With VNC you can connect to the console using the management network (and at least my ESXi has a static address) so this is easier for me...

[DSTAVERT]

Not wanting to prolong this but somewhere in this thread someone wanted an alternative to VNC since the password is a problem. Since this is a linux to windows question, rdesktop was the perfect choice. When rdesktop was dismissed as though it hadn't actually been tried, I responded as I did. Since the password problem was the most important issue, reverting to server was the solution and it sounded like the poster had not used rdesktop I thought it important to reiterate the rdesktop reference.

I use VNC and have used it for many years. I use it where apropriate. If it is appropriate for you to use without a password then use away. For the person or persons wanting an alternative and the VI client is not an option then rdesktop is the appropriate choice.