Appliance console

kcore nodes display a local appliance console on the host screen instead of a standard Linux login prompt. The console is read-only and designed for quick status checks during install, boot, and onsite troubleshooting.

Administration remains remote. Use kcorectl, SSH, and the authenticated kcore API for real management. The local console does not expose a root shell.

Remote management

Use the management URL shown on the Overview page from an operator workstation:

kcorectl login https://<management-ip>:8443

If the local API is not ready, the screen still opens and shows API: unavailable. Network and disk inventory continue to refresh from Linux when available.

Overview page

The first page shows node identity and management hints:

Product name: kcore hypervisor
Hostname, kcore version, and build ID
Management URL and local API endpoint
Cluster name and node role when known
Overall health, uptime, and current local time
Local login status: disabled

Pages

Page	Shows
Overview	Node identity, management URL, health, uptime, and remote-management command.
Network	NIC table with interface, MAC, state, IPv4, IPv6, MTU, speed, driver, default-route marker, and management marker.
Storage	Disk table with device, path, model, serial, size, SSD/HDD/NVMe type, read-only flag, mountpoints, health, and usage role.
Diagnostics	Local status for node-agent, controller, and dashboard.
Help	Keyboard shortcuts and security reminders.

Missing values are shown as - or —, depending on terminal capabilities.

Keyboard shortcuts

Key	Action
`Tab`, `Right`	Next page.
`Shift+Tab`, `Left`	Previous page.
`1` to `5`	Jump to Overview, Network, Storage, Diagnostics, or Help.
`Up`, `Down`	Move selection in the current table.
`r`	Refresh inventory now.
`h` or `?`	Open Help.
`Esc`	Return to Overview.
`q`	Disabled in production.
`Ctrl+C`	Disabled in production.

Security model

No local username/password prompt is exposed.
Reboot and shutdown actions are not available from the local TUI.
Real administration happens through the authenticated remote API and kcorectl.
If the console process exits or crashes, systemd restarts it.

Troubleshooting

If the console still shows a Linux login prompt:

Confirm kcore-console.service is enabled and running.
Confirm getty@tty1.service and autovt@.service are masked or disabled.
Confirm getty@tty2.service through getty@tty6.service are also disabled; users can switch VTs with Ctrl+Alt+F2 to F6.
Reboot and check the display attached to tty1.

If network or disk tables are incomplete, the node may be missing Linux data from ip, /sys, or lsblk. The console continues rendering and refreshes automatically.