> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://wiki.daki.cc/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Console & Power Actions

> How to view server output, control your server with power actions, and run shell commands in the Console.

The **Console** tab in the <Tooltip tip="Daki's Pterodactyl-based server-management panel (portal.daki.cc).">Portal</Tooltip> is your real-time window into your running server. It streams output as it happens and provides buttons to start, stop, restart, or forcefully kill your server.

## What you'll learn

* How to view live server output
* How to use power actions (Start, Stop, Restart, Kill)
* How to send shell commands in the console

***

## Viewing Live Output

Once your server is running, the Console tab streams its output in real time. Use it to:

* Confirm that your application started successfully
* Read startup errors and stack traces
* Monitor live log output

If your server starts and immediately crashes, the console output almost always shows why.

***

## Power Actions

| Action      | Effect                                              |
| :---------- | :-------------------------------------------------- |
| **Start**   | Starts the server                                   |
| **Stop**    | Sends a graceful stop signal to the running process |
| **Restart** | Stops the server and starts it again                |
| **Kill**    | Immediately and forcefully terminates the process   |

Use **Kill** only when the server is completely unresponsive and won't stop with the normal Stop button.

***

## Sending Shell Commands

By default, the console input box sends text to your application's stdin — useful for game servers or custom CLI interfaces. To run arbitrary shell commands instead (e.g., `ls`, `node --version`, `pip install requests`), you first need to configure your server to accept them.

### How to enable shell command input

1. Go to the **Startup** tab of your server.
2. Change the **Startup Command** to `bash`.
3. Return to the **Console** tab and click **Restart**.

After restarting, the console input accepts shell commands directly.

<Warning>
  With the startup command set to `bash`, your application will **not** start automatically. You must run it manually from the console, or restore your original startup command when you are done. See [Startup Settings](./startup-settings).
</Warning>

***

## Troubleshooting Common Issues

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Server crashes immediately on start">
    Check the console output for error messages. Common causes:

    * Wrong startup command (wrong filename or wrong syntax)
    * Missing entry point file (upload your files first)
    * Incorrect <Tooltip tip="The specific runtime version your server's container runs (e.g. Node.js 22).">Docker image</Tooltip> version
    * Missing dependencies (try running `npm install` or `pip install -r requirements.txt` manually via `bash` mode)

    See [Startup Settings](./startup-settings) and [File Manager](./file-manager).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Console shows no output at all">
    Your application may be writing logs to a file instead of stdout. Check if a log file exists in the file manager. Some frameworks require a specific flag to enable console output (e.g., disabling silent mode).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="I can't type in the console input box">
    Make sure your server is running (green status). The console input is only active while the server process is alive.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

***

## Next Steps

* [Startup Settings](./startup-settings) — Fix your startup command or Docker image.
* [File Manager](./file-manager) — Upload missing files.
* [Troubleshooting](./troubleshooting) — More help for common problems.