Activating the emergency console

If you have lost SSH access to your expert server, you can access it by the console in order to see what the problem is and fix it. (Note: Access to the emergency console is not possible on a VPS in AI mode.)

This can be activated from your server's control panel on gandi.net. Scroll down until the System Administration section:

Click on the “Change status” link.

You will then need to choose for how long you need access.

After activating your emergency console access, you can connect to it with the following:

ssh your_ip@console.gandi.net

The password that you provide will be the one that you chose during the initial creation of your server (you can reset it via the web interface if necessary).

The emergency console will work if the VPS is running, the version of the console depends on the kernel version.

To get a working emergency console, you will have to update the console version in regard to the kernel, on the Gandi.net control panel, go to the advanced mode of the system disk, find below the list of corresponding consoles for the concerned kernel :

HVM :

3.12  | ttyS0
3.18  | ttyS0
grub  | ttyS0
raw   | ttyS0

Xen :

2.6.18 | xvc0
2.6.27 | tty1
2.6.32 | hvc0
2.6.36 | hvc0
3.2    | hvc0
3.10   | hvc0
grub   | hvc0
raw    | hvc0

Restart the VPs in order to apply the changes, if you change to the right console, it will work fine, you will be able to login in your virtual server.

The escape commands are available by typing simultaneously on ~? after a line return (Type Enter first) :

root@ai2:~# ~?
Supported escape sequences:
  ~.  - terminate connection (and any multiplexed sessions)
  ~B  - send a BREAK to the remote system
  ~C  - open a command line
  ~R  - Request rekey (SSH protocol 2 only)
  ~^Z - suspend ssh
  ~#  - list forwarded connections
  ~&  - background ssh (when waiting for connections to terminate)
  ~?  - this message
  ~~  - send the escape character by typing it twice
(Note that escapes are only recognized immediately after newline.)

The Sysreq commands are available by typing simultaneously on CTRL + O (o, not zero) then type on the letter H like HELP :

root@ai2:~# 
SysRq : HELP : loglevel0-8 reBoot tErm Full kIll saK aLlcpus showMem Nice
powerOff showPc show-all-timers(Q) unRaw Sync showTasks Unmount
shoW-blocked-tasks

Replace H by the uppercase letter of the wanted command or a number for the loglevel.

To restart your VPS for example, type on CTRL + O then B.

The SSH key fingerprint for console.gandi.net is :

2d:e6:c0:48:5c:41:3b:95:81:0c:16:c1:32:a6:ef:8e