Tech Know-How: Terminals and Hidden Passwords

Are you trying to type in the password for a lab activity and the keystrokes won't appear?

When in a lab utilizing a terminal through a virtual machine, you may encounter a hiccup when inputting a given password into the terminal as per guided instructions. While you type the password, it can appear as if the screen is unresponsive and not accepting your attempted keystrokes. 

This is normal and expected behavior. A common function in terminals is to cloak the password for security purposes. Once you’ve typed the password, press Enter and you can proceed with the lab as normal.