Using the browser console and rescue mode on FreeBSD

When SSH is down — a bad pf rule, a broken /etc/fstab, a botched upgrade — the portal gives you two OS-independent ways back in. Neither depends on the network being up inside the guest.

Browser console

Service → Console opens a token-authenticated console in a new tab. It attaches to the VM's virtual display, so it works at the FreeBSD loader prompt, in single-user mode, and before networking starts. Use it to log in locally and fix config that would otherwise lock you out remotely.

Single-user mode

At the loader menu, choose single-user mode (option 2). You land at a root shell with the root filesystem mounted read-only:

mount -u /        # remount root (UFS) read-write
mount -a          # mount the rest of /etc/fstab
fsck -y /         # repair the filesystem if it's dirty
# ...fix what's broken (rc.conf, fstab, pf.conf)...
exit              # continue booting normally

This is the fastest fix for a boot-blocking edit: a typo'd /etc/fstab, a service that hangs at boot, or a firewall rule that shut you out.

Rescue mode

For deeper repairs, enable Rescue mode from the portal. The VM boots into a separate rescue environment with networking already configured from your cloud-init — no manual ifconfig needed — so you can fetch tools, mount your disk, and repair it. When you're done, click Exit Rescue Mode to restore the normal boot order and reboot.

Snapshot before you take a risk

Before any change you're unsure about — a release upgrade, a kernel tweak, a big config change — take an on-demand snapshot from the portal. If the change makes things worse, you roll back in seconds instead of rebuilding.