Setting a user password for VNC

In the next section, we’ll connect to our instance using the web-based vnc-console.

The vnc-console cannot use keypairs, so Nectar only provides the vnc-console in the secure trusted location of the Nectar dashboard. That location is secure enough to access your instance using a password.

Nectar preconfigured images, such as the Ubuntu image we used to launch our instance, do not have a password preconfigured on the default user account. So we need to set one ourselves. We’ll use our sudo privileges (this allows for administrator priviledges) to change the password on the ubuntu account as below.

Note:
You must be logged into your instance via SSH to first set the password.

$ sudo passwd ubuntu
Enter new UNIX password:
Retype new UNIX password:
passwd: password updated successfully

We do have some advice on passwords.

Important
Password authentication and SSH don’t mix well these days on the Internet. Automated entry attempts on well-known user accounts with well-known or stolen passwords occur continuously. Virtual machines based on Nectar official images are preconfigured to disable SSH password authentication to prevent this type of unauthorised access. You should not change this. Remember, for SSH we use our Public/Private Key Pair instead for authentication.

Leave SSH password authentication disabled
We’re serious.

For more practical security guidelines and see the security administration checklist in the Nectar knowledge base

Great Work!
With a password in place on our ubuntu account we’re ready to use the Nectar web-based vnc-console.