CHAPTER 19

Host Administration Tools

6 sections · 14 min read · SimpleVM 10.1

Most day-to-day administration in SimpleVM happens on the dedicated pages for virtual machines, storage, networking, and the firewall. Two tools sit alongside those pages for the times when you need to work with the host directly: the File browser, which gives you a graphical view of the host file system, and the web Terminal, which gives you a command-line shell in the browser. Both are grouped under Tools in the navigation menu, and both reach past the curated management pages to the host itself.

That reach is what makes them useful and what makes them worth treating carefully. Use the File browser for host file tasks — uploading an ISO so it can install a guest operating system, confirming where a configuration file lives, or collecting a file for support — not as a replacement for the storage-pool or virtual-machine tools. Use the web Terminal for command-line confirmation, advanced troubleshooting, automation, or support-guided repair, after the graphical workflow has been ruled out. In both tools you are acting on the running host, so the same discipline applies throughout this chapter: know what you are touching, work read-only first, and have a way back before you change anything.

This chapter at a glance. The sections move from when to reach for these tools to the specific tasks they support:

• Know when to use them — what the host administration tools are for and how they differ from the dedicated pages (Section 19.1).
• Browse host files — read the file system, find configuration locations, and collect files (Section 19.2).
• Upload media and files — get an ISO or support file onto the host in the right place (Section 19.3).
• Open a shell — understand what the web terminal is and the user it runs as (Section 19.4).
• Run commands safely — confirm state, record what you change, and elevate only when needed (Section 19.5).
• Stay safe — the safe-handling pattern and the mistakes to avoid (Section 19.6).

19.1 Host Administration Tools Overview

Overview

SimpleVM groups its host-level tools under Tools in the navigation menu, below the System group that holds Overview, Virtual machines, Storage, Networking, and the rest of the everyday pages. The Tools group includes File browser, Software updates, SELinux, Diagnostic reports, Kernel dump, and Terminal. This chapter covers the two that give direct, general-purpose access to the host: the File browser and the web Terminal. Software updates are a distinct maintenance task and are covered in Chapter 18, Software Updates.

The two tools answer two different needs. The File browser answers “where is this file, and how do I get a file onto the host?” It is the right tool for uploading installation media, checking where a configuration file lives, or gathering a file to send to support. The web Terminal answers “I need to run a command on the host.” It is the right tool for read-only checks, support-guided commands, and the occasional task that has no graphical equivalent. Neither tool replaces the dedicated pages: manage VM storage on the Storage pages, manage virtual machines on the Virtual machines pages, and reach for these tools only when the task is specifically a host file task or a command-line task.

Both tools run as the account you are signed in with. For the default administrator that is svmadmin, and the root account is disabled by default. Privileged actions are not automatic: in the Terminal you use sudo for commands that require administrator rights, exactly as you would from a local console or an SSH session. The access model behind this is described in Section 17.3, Privileged Tasks.

19.2 File Browser Overview

Overview

The File browser provides a graphical view of the SimpleVM host file system inside the management interface, reached from File browser in the Tools navigation group. It opens on a directory and shows that directory’s contents in a table, with breadcrumb navigation across the top so you always know where you are. It is the safest way to look around the host file system without a shell, and the simplest way to move a file onto the host.

The page has a consistent set of controls, confirmed from the interface:

• Breadcrumb path — the current location, shown as a clickable path (for example / etc libvirt). Select any segment to jump up the tree.
• Filter directory — a field that filters the current directory listing by name. It filters what is shown; it does not search the whole file system.
• View toggle — switches the listing between views.
• Upload — uploads a file from your computer into the current directory (Section 19.3).
• Row menu — the per-file menu for actions on a single item.

Each row lists Name, Size, Modified, Owner, and Permissions, and a footer summarizes the directory — for example, Directory contains 4 directories, 16 files, 0 hidden.

What the file browser is for

Use the File browser for host file tasks such as:

• Uploading an ISO image so it can be used to install a guest operating system (Section 19.3).
• Confirming where a configuration file lives before you reference it or send it to support.
• Reviewing file ownership and permissions when troubleshooting a host service.
• Collecting a specific file requested during a support engagement.

Do not use it as a replacement for the storage or VM tools. Manage VM storage from the Storage pages and attach installation media from the VM workflow (Section 8.3, Selecting Installation Media). The File browser is for the file-level tasks those pages do not cover.

Confirmed host directories worth knowing

Screenshot 13 confirms the /etc/libvirt directory, which holds the virtualization configuration: the qemu, storage, secrets, and nwfilter subdirectories, along with configuration files such as libvirtd.conf, qemu.conf, and network.conf. These are reference locations, not files to edit casually. The broader set of confirmed default host paths is consolidated in Section 26.10, Default Paths and Directories; the most useful to recognize are:

Procedure

Browse the host file system:

1. Open File browser in the Tools navigation group.
2. Use the breadcrumb path to move up the tree, or open a directory row to move down into it.
3. Use Filter directory to narrow a long listing by name.
4. Confirm the current path shown in the breadcrumb before you act on anything.

Verification

• The breadcrumb shows the directory you intend to be in.
• The listing shows the expected files, with Owner and Permissions matching what you expect for that location.

19.3 Uploading Files and ISOs

Overview

The most common File browser task is uploading an ISO image so it can install a guest operating system. The Upload control places a file from your computer into the directory you are currently viewing, which means the directory you choose before uploading matters as much as the file itself.

There are two ways to get an ISO onto a SimpleVM host: the storage-pool workflow, which uploads media into the dedicated ISO storage location (Section 12.4, Uploading Installation Media), and the File browser, which uploads directly into a chosen directory. Until that is confirmed, the safest workflow is to upload installation media through the storage-pool ISO location and select it from the VM creation workflow (Section 8.3, Selecting Installation Media).

Before you begin

• You are signed in to the management interface with an account that can perform the task.
• The ISO image comes from a trusted source and matches the operating system you intend to install.
• You have confirmed the intended upload location. For installation media, use the configured ISO storage location (Section 12.3, ISO Storage). the correct target path for a file-browser ISO upload.
• The target location has enough free space for the upload. Confirm host storage capacity on the Storage page if you are unsure (Chapter 13, Managing Host Storage).
• You are not uploading into a system configuration directory unless an approved procedure or support tells you to.

Procedure

1. Open File browser in the Tools navigation group.
2. Navigate to the target directory for the upload.
3. Confirm the current path shown in the breadcrumb before uploading.
4. Select Upload.
5. Choose the file from your computer and start the upload.
6. Wait for the upload to complete before navigating away from the page.

Verification

• The uploaded file appears in the target directory.
• The Size shown in the listing matches the expected size closely enough to confirm the upload completed.
• If the file is an ISO, it is available from the relevant VM creation or storage workflow.

Revert this change

• If you uploaded the wrong file, remove it from the target directory using the row menu, if a delete action is available.
• If a file was uploaded into a system directory by mistake, confirm it is not in use before deleting it.
• If you overwrote an existing file, restore the original from backup before restarting any affected services (Chapter 20, Backup and Recovery).

19.4 Web Terminal Overview

Overview

The web Terminal provides a command-line shell on the SimpleVM host inside the browser, reached from Terminal in the Tools navigation group (URL /system/terminal). It is useful when you need a shell but do not have a separate SSH session — for read-only checks, support-guided commands, automation, and the occasional task with no graphical equivalent. Treat it with the same care as a local console or an SSH session, because it is the same kind of access.

The terminal opens as the account you are signed in with, not as root. For the default administrator the prompt is [svmadmin@tw-rnd1 /]$ — a standard $ prompt for the signed-in user, with the user and host named in it, not a root # shell. This corrects an earlier assumption that the web terminal opened a root shell. Because it runs as your account, privileged commands require sudo, exactly as they would elsewhere (Section 17.3, Privileged Tasks).

The page provides display controls only — they change how the terminal looks, not what it can do:

• Font size — decrease or increase the terminal font with the − and + controls.
• Appearance — select the color scheme (for example, Black).
• Reset — return the display controls to their defaults.

Before you begin

• You are signed in to the management interface.
• Your account is permitted to open the web terminal. whether opening the terminal requires a specific permission.
• You understand the command you intend to run and have confirmed it applies to the correct host.

Procedure

1. Open Terminal in the Tools navigation group.
2. Confirm the prompt before running anything — it names the signed-in user and the host, for example [svmadmin@tw-rnd1 /]$.
3. Run the required command, using sudo for actions that need administrator privilege.
4. Close the terminal when the task is complete.

Verification

• The command returns the expected output with no unexpected errors.
• If the command changed a setting visible in the interface, the management interface reflects the change.

19.5 Running Administrative Commands

Overview

Running commands from the web Terminal is the same as running them from any other shell on the host: there is no extra safety net, so the safety comes from how you work. The pattern is to confirm where you are, look before you change, record the original state, make the change with the least privilege needed, and verify the result. This section applies that pattern; the command reference itself lives in Chapter 26, Advanced Administration and Command-Line Reference.

Before you begin

• You are signed in and have opened the web terminal (Section 19.4).
• You understand what the command does and have confirmed it is correct for this host.
• For any command that changes configuration, you have recorded the original value or have an appropriate backup (Chapter 20, Backup and Recovery).

Procedure

Confirm state before you change anything. Start with read-only commands so you act on facts rather than assumptions. These confirm the host identity, capacity, virtual-machine state, and the management service, and none of them change anything:

Elevate only when the task requires it. Use sudo for a command that needs administrator privilege, so the action stays tied to your named account instead of a shared root session:

Replace <service> with the actual service name, and <vm> with the actual VM name, in any reference command.

Verification

• The command returns the expected output with no permission or syntax errors.
• If a command failed with a permission or sudoers error, confirm the account is intended to have administrative access before changing any privileges (Section 17.3, Privileged Tasks).
• If the command changed a setting that the interface shows, the management page reflects the new state.

Revert this change

There is no universal undo for a command-line change — how you revert depends on the specific command that was run. Before a command that changes configuration, record the original value or take an appropriate backup so you can restore it. If the effect of a command is unclear, stop and confirm the recovery path before continuing. For command references by area, and for the safe-handling pattern in full, see Chapter 26, Advanced Administration and Command-Line Reference and Section 26.2, Command-Line Administration Overview.

Troubleshooting

19.6 Safety Guidelines for File and Terminal Access

Overview

The File browser and the web Terminal share one characteristic that sets them apart from the rest of the interface: they act on the host directly, with the privilege of the signed-in account, and usually without a confirmation step. The guidelines below apply to both tools and are the single most important takeaway of this chapter.

A safe working pattern. Apply these habits every time you use either tool:

• Confirm the host first. Check the breadcrumb path or the terminal prompt before you act — both name where you are.
• Work read-only first. Look at files before changing them; run read-only commands before commands that change anything.
• Record the original state. Note the original value or take a backup before a change, so you can restore it.
• Do not paste unreviewed command blocks. Read each command before running it; understand what it does and where it applies.
• Have a recovery path. Confirm how you would undo a change — especially before touching storage, networking, the firewall, or user accounts.
• Use the right tool. Manage VMs, storage, and networking on their dedicated pages; reserve these tools for host file tasks and command-line work.
• Use least privilege. Sign in with a named account and use sudo for privileged commands rather than working in a long-lived root shell.

Mistakes to avoid

Chapter review

After completing this chapter, an administrator should know when to reach for the host administration tools instead of the dedicated pages, how to browse the host file system and confirm where configuration files live, how to upload an ISO or support file into the correct location, and how to open the web terminal — understanding that it runs as the signed-in user, not as root — and run commands under the safe-handling pattern. Before publishing, confirm the File browser upload and delete behavior and the correct target path for a file-browser ISO upload, the web terminal permission policy, and the final SimpleVM service names and preferred command examples.