1) Currently if you install from the ISO you go through the installed which asks you to set passwords and such. If you deploy the VM image then we don't have the opportunity to set passwords for you so we usually just leave them empty or use something simple like "turnkey", as documented on the appliance page.
For future versions we're thinking of working on making it possible for a user to the installer's configuration routines AFTER installation. That way it should be easier to set passwords even if you're using the VM build...
2) Making it easier for users to notice they are in the live environment is a good idea. Maybe we can patch the TurnKey console message and motd. I prefer empty passwords to something like "live" because an empty password is more convenient and consistent with the VM build.
Good feedback
For future versions we're thinking of working on making it possible for a user to the installer's configuration routines AFTER installation. That way it should be easier to set passwords even if you're using the VM build...
2) Making it easier for users to notice they are in the live environment is a good idea. Maybe we can patch the TurnKey console message and motd. I prefer empty passwords to something like "live" because an empty password is more convenient and consistent with the VM build.