When working with Dell servers running iDRAC6, the standard virtual console access requires launching a Java Web Start (JNLP) file through a web browser. This creates unnecessary overhead for Linux administrators who prefer command-line solutions. Here's what makes this particularly frustrating:

# The manual process we want to avoid:
wget https://drac.ip.addr/Software/jviewer.jnlp
javaws viewer.jnlp  # Requires GUI and browser interaction

The JNLP file contains temporary credentials that change with each session:

<jnlp>
  <application-desc>
    <argument>user=1678523412</argument>
    <argument>passwd=9a7b83c21d</argument>
    <argument>drac.ip.nr=192.168.1.100</argument>
  </application-desc>
</jnlp>

Method 1: Direct JNLP Download via cURL

You can automate the JNLP retrieval while bypassing the browser:

curl -k -u root:calvin \
  "https://192.168.1.100/Software/jviewer.jnlp" \
  --output ~/drac_viewer.jnlp && \
javaws ~/drac_viewer.jnlp

Method 2: OpenSSH Port Forwarding (For iDRAC6 Enterprise)

Some iDRAC6 Enterprise versions allow SSH access which can be tunneled:

ssh -L 5900:127.0.0.1:5900 root@idrac.ip.addr
# Then connect any VNC viewer to localhost:5900

While iDRAC6 doesn't officially support direct VNC, some users report success with:

vncviewer -encodings tight -quality 5 idrac.ip.addr:5900

Note: This requires enabling "Virtual Console" in iDRAC settings and may need firmware updates.

For complete automation, here's a Python solution that handles the JNLP workflow:

import requests
from subprocess import run
from bs4 import BeautifulSoup

def get_idrac_console(idrac_ip, user, password):
    session = requests.Session()
    session.verify = False
    session.auth = (user, password)
    
    # Get viewer.jnlp URL from HTML
    r = session.get(f"https://{idrac_ip}")
    soup = BeautifulSoup(r.text, 'html.parser')
    jnlp_url = soup.find('a', {'id': 'linkVirtualConsole'})['href']
    
    # Download JNLP
    jnlp = session.get(f"https://{idrac_ip}/{jnlp_url}").text
    with open('viewer.jnlp', 'w') as f:
        f.write(jnlp)
    
    # Launch viewer
    run(['javaws', 'viewer.jnlp'])

# Usage:
get_idrac_console('192.168.1.100', 'root', 'calvin')

• Always use HTTPS for iDRAC connections
• Consider using SSH tunnels for remote access
• The default credentials (root/calvin) should be changed immediately
• Java Web Start was deprecated in JDK 9 - consider alternative methods

Upgrading to iDRAC6 firmware version 2.92 or later may provide better remote console options. Check compatibility with your server model (R815 in this case) before updating.

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Working with Dell's iDRAC6 remote management controllers presents a peculiar annoyance for Linux sysadmins: the mandatory web browser dependency for virtual console access. The standard workflow involves:

1. Launching a web browser
2. Authenticating to the iDRAC web interface
3. Downloading a new viewer.jnlp file for each session

# Typical JNLP launch sequence
wget https://idrac-ip/data?file=viewer.jnlp
javaws viewer.jnlp

The temporary credentials embedded in each JNLP file suggest a security mechanism where:

• Single-use credentials are generated per session
• The iDRAC6 web interface acts as middleware
• No direct authentication protocol exists for the Java viewer

Examining a typical viewer.jnlp reveals the ephemeral nature:

<jnlp spec="1.0+" codebase="https://idrac-ip">
  <information>
    <title>iDRAC Virtual Console</title>
  </information>
  <security>
    <all-permissions/>
  </security>
  <resources>
    <j2se version="1.6+"/>
    <jar href="VirtualConsole.jar"/>
  </resources>
  <application-desc main-class="com.avocent.idrac.console.Main">
    <argument>ip=192.168.1.100</argument>
    <argument>user=temp_89dh39kd</argument>
    <argument>passwd=kd93jD8sk2</argument>
    <argument>port=5900</argument>
  </application-desc>
</jnlp>

We can automate the JNLP download process using cURL with proper authentication:

#!/bin/bash
IDRAC_IP="192.168.1.100"
USER="admin"
PASS="calvin"

# Authenticate and download JNLP
curl -s -k -u $USER:$PASS \
  "https://$IDRAC_IP/Applications/dellauncher.htm" \
  --data "app=virtualconsole&sessionType=jmx" \
  -o viewer.jnlp

# Launch console
javaws viewer.jnlp

While later iDRAC versions support direct VNC connections, iDRAC6 requires special handling:

# First extract VNC credentials from JNLP
VNC_PASS=$(grep -oP 'passwd=\K[^<]+' viewer.jnlp)

# Then connect using extracted credentials
vncviewer -passwd <(echo "$VNC_PASS" | vncpasswd -f) $IDRAC_IP::5900

Note that this requires the temporary password from a valid JNLP file, maintaining the one-time-use restriction.

For persistent access without browser dependency, establish an SSH tunnel:

# Create SOCKS proxy through jump host
ssh -D 1080 -N -f user@jumphost

# Configure browser to use localhost:1080
# Then access iDRAC web interface through tunnel

For direct VNC access through the tunnel:

ssh -L 5900:localhost:5900 user@jumphost
vncviewer localhost:5900

The open-source iDRAC-Tools project provides Python scripts for interacting with iDRAC interfaces:

# Install the toolkit
pip install idrac-tools

# Example console launch
idrac-console --host 192.168.1.100 --user admin --password calvin

This approach handles the JNLP retrieval and authentication automatically while providing a cleaner CLI interface.