DavidRing.ie

This post was a result of requiring access to the VCSA BASH Shell console in order to perform such functions as certificate-manager (/usr/lib/vmware-vmca/bin/certificate-manager).

The default Shell access when you initially login to the VCSA via SSH is the basic Appliance Shell:

In order to access the BASH Shell console you will need to execute the following commands:

shell.set --enabled true
This will enable BASH Shell for the default of 3600 seconds as can be viewed by running: shell.get

If you wish to extend the timeout to the maximum of 86400 seconds / 1 day then use the following cmd:

shell.set --enabled true --timeout 86400

Having run the enable cmd you may now type the Shell cmd and hit enter to activate the BASH Shell session, an initial warning shall be displayed:

If you wish to make BASH Shell the default Shell for root then run the command (required for winscp/SCP access):

chsh -s /bin/bash root

Note: If you encounter password expired issues (default 90 days) then you may need to reset the root password before enabling the bash shell:

If you wish to revert back to the default Appliance Shell then run the following command followed by a logout and login for the changes to take affect:

chsh -s /bin/appliancesh root