See also VlcTelnetInterface.

For control via web:
In preferences, enable web. (It is easy to google for this bit. Basically look in preferences→all→interface.)
You set a password. **The username is blank, when the web browser asks for it.**

Now, if you want to connect from another machine, you need to edit the `.hosts` file.
This is found in:
* Windows – `C:\Program Files\VideoLAN\VLC\lua\http`
* macos – `/Applications/VLC.app/Contents/MacOS/share/lua/http/.hosts`
* Linux – `/usr/share/vlc/lua/http/.hosts`

If, like me, you live alone and so aren't worried about security, just make this `.hosts` file contain:
```plaintext
::1
127.0.0.1
0.0.0.0/0
```
The `0.0.0.0/0` line makes it wide open: any machine that can access the host on port 8080 can control Vlc. You have been warned.

Now connect, via a browser, on port 8080, that is `http://mymachine:8080/` and use a **blank username** and the **password set in preferences**.

I use the Chrome 'search' shortcut `vl` for this, so e.g. I can type `vl mrflibble/10` to access the Vlc instance on `mrflibble` on port 5010 (I use a base like 5000, and then ports 5000-5099 for vlc instances, and do something similar for e.g. [mpd](/aw/media/mpd). This points to my Raspberry Pi 3, so that `vl mrflibble` turns into `http://mypi3/vlc/mrflibble/10` and is handled by the following `.htaccess` and Php.
```
RewriteEngine On
ErrorDocument 404 /go404.php
RewriteBase /
RewriteRule ^/?vlc/.* vlc_host_login.php [L]
```
and `vlc_host_login.php` is (where the http password goes where you see `THEPASSWORD`)
```php
<?php
$a = $_SERVER['REQUEST_URI'];
function vlc_redirect($host,$port) {
  $url = "http://:THEPASSWORD@$host:$port/";
  #echo "Redirect: $url\n";
  #exit();
  header('Location: '.$url);
  exit();
}
function get_port($a) {
  $n = intval($a);
  if( $n < 1024 ) {
    $n += 8000;
  }
  return $n;
}
function get_host($host) {
  global $hosts;
  if( array_key_exists($host,$hosts) ) {
    return $hosts[$host];
  } else {
    return $host;
  }
}
$hostre = "[a-zA-Z0-9]+";
$hosts = [ "lh" => "localhost" /* put shorthands in here, e.g. so you can use t for turnipland */ ];
if( preg_match("@^/vlc/($hostre)(?:/|%20)+(\d+)$@",$a,$m) ) {
  #echo "Type 2: $a<br/>\n";
  #exit();
  $host = get_host($m[1]);
  $port = get_port($m[2]);
  vlc_redirect($host,$port);
} else if( preg_match("@^/vlc/(\d+)$@",$a,$m) ) {
  $host = "l440a";
  $port = get_port($m[1]);
  #echo "$host $port";
  #exit();
  vlc_redirect($host,$port);
} else if(preg_match("@^/($hostre)/(\d+)$@",$a,$m)) {
  #echo "Type 1: $a<br/>\n";
  #exit();
  $host = get_host($m[1]);
  $port = get_port($m[2]);
  vlc_redirect($host,$port);
} else {
  echo "invalid port: use http://pi3/\$vlc_host/\$port_no<br/>
    or http://pi3/vlc/\$vlc_host/\$port_no\n";
  exit();
}
```