CHAPTER 17

User Access and Administrative Tasks

6 sections · 15 min read · SimpleVM 10.1

SimpleVM controls access to the host and to the management interface through host user accounts — the same accounts that exist on the underlying operating system. This chapter explains the one distinction that matters most for day-to-day administration: signing in and administering are not the same thing. A person can sign in and review host status while still lacking the privilege to change storage, networking, the firewall, updates, or virtual machines. Keeping those two ideas separate is what lets you give people the access they need without handing everyone the keys to the host.

The chapter then shows the tasks that follow from that model: creating and managing named user accounts, elevating to administrative access when a task requires it, and reaching the host through the web console for routine work or the web terminal and SSH for advanced and recovery work. Throughout, the guidance favors named accounts over the shared root account, least privilege over blanket access, and a clean, reviewable trail of who can do what.

This chapter at a glance. The sections move from understanding the access model to the specific access tasks:

• Understand the model — how administrative access works and the access levels you will assign (Section 17.1).
• Manage accounts — create, modify, and remove user accounts in the web console or from the command line (Section 17.2).
• Run privileged tasks — elevate to administrative access and use sudo for command-line work (Section 17.3).
• Reach the host — use the web console for routine administration (Section 17.4) and the web terminal or SSH for advanced work (Section 17.5).
• Keep access clean — apply an access model, a handoff checklist, and the mistakes to avoid (Section 17.6).

17.1 Administrative Access Overview

Overview

SimpleVM uses host user accounts to control who can reach the host and the management interface. Signing in proves who you are; administering the host requires privilege beyond that. This separation lets an operator inspect host status without automatically being able to change storage, networking, the firewall, updates, or virtual machines. In normal operation, each administrator signs in with their own named account and elevates to administrative access only when a task requires it.

The default administrator account created during installation is svmadmin, and the root account is left disabled. This is the intended posture for a SimpleVM host: administer through named accounts and the web console rather than as root. Your environment may use a different administrator name chosen by whoever installed the host.

How administrative access works

Administrative privilege on a SimpleVM host follows the standard model for its operating system family. SimpleVM is built on Rocky Linux 10.1, and on RHEL-family systems users who are allowed to run privileged commands with sudo belong to the wheel group. In the management interface, a user who holds that privilege can elevate from the limited (read-only) view to administrative access when a task requires it, using the Administrative access control at the top right of the page.

Use this model for routine administration:

• Create a named account for each administrator.
• Grant administrative privilege only to users who need to manage the host.
• Use the management interface for routine tasks, and the command line only when a task requires it or when troubleshooting.
• Review account access on a schedule, and remove accounts and privileges that are no longer needed.

Access levels

Most deployments work with three broad levels of access. The table summarizes what each is for and what it can do.

17.2 User Accounts

Overview

User accounts identify the people and services that can reach the SimpleVM host. For most deployments, each administrator should have an individual named account. Avoid shared administrator accounts unless there is a documented operational reason and compensating controls are in place — shared accounts make it impossible to tell who made a change and hard to revoke access cleanly when someone leaves or a vendor engagement ends.

You can manage accounts in two ways: from Accounts in the management interface, which is the right choice for routine work, or from the command line, which is useful when the web console is unavailable, when you are at the local host console, or when support instructs you to do so. The two approaches manage the same underlying accounts.

Create a user account in the web console

Before you begin

• You can sign in to SimpleVM with an account that already has administrative privileges.
• You know the user name and the temporary password policy for the new user.
• You have decided whether this user needs administrative privilege or standard access only.

Procedure

• Open the management interface in a supported browser and sign in with an administrative account (Section 6.4, Access the Management Interface from a Browser).
• If the page is in the limited view, select Administrative access at the top right and authenticate to elevate.
• Open Accounts in the System navigation group.
• Select Create New Account (or Add user) to open the create-user dialog.
• Enter the full name, user name, and an initial password.
• If this user should administer the host, enable the administrator option (the administrative-group toggle that adds the user to wheel).
• Select Create (or Save) to create the account.

Figure placeholder. The Accounts page and the create-user dialog.

Verification

• The new account appears in the account list on the Accounts page.
• The user can sign in to the management interface with the new credentials.
• If administrative privilege was granted, the user can elevate to administrative access and complete an approved test action, such as opening a VM settings page or viewing update details.

Revert this change

If the account was created in error, remove it from Accounts. When you remove a user, decide whether to keep or remove the user's home directory based on your organization's data-retention policy — removing the home directory can permanently delete files stored there. See Modify or remove a user account, later in this section.

Create a user account from the command line

Use the command line when the web console is unavailable, when you are working from the local host console, or when support instructs you to create an account manually. Run these commands from the web terminal (Section 19.4, Web Terminal Overview) or an SSH session.

Procedure

Create a standard local user account, then set its password:

sudo useradd <username>

sudo passwd <username>

To grant administrative privilege, add the user to the administrative group:

sudo usermod --append -G wheel <username>

Verification

Confirm that the account exists and, if applicable, belongs to the wheel group:

id <username>

Revert this change

To remove administrative privilege from the user:

sudo gpasswd -d <username> wheel

To remove the account entirely, use one of the following. Use the -r form only when you intentionally want to delete the user's home directory and mail spool as well:

sudo userdel <username>

sudo userdel -r <username>

Modify or remove a user account

Modify an account when a user changes roles, no longer needs administrative access, or leaves the organization. Removing unneeded access is one of the simplest ways to reduce risk on a virtualization host, because a single stale or overprivileged account can put every VM, storage pool, and network on the host within reach.

Before you begin

• Confirm whether the account owns files, scripts, SSH keys, or VM-related resources that must be retained.
• Confirm whether the user is currently signed in or actively performing work.
• Confirm your organization's retention policy before deleting the user's home directory.
• Confirm that you can still administer the host from another account before removing administrative access from this one.

Procedure

• Open Accounts in the management interface and select the user account.
• Change the password, account type, group membership, expiration, or session state as needed.
• Select Save (or the equivalent action) to apply the change.
• To remove the user, select the remove or delete action and confirm whether the home directory should be retained.

Verification

• The account list reflects the change.
• A removed user can no longer sign in.
• A user whose administrative access was removed can still sign in only with the permissions that remain assigned.

Revert this change

If you removed the wrong privilege, add the user back to the correct group or account role (in the web console, or with sudo usermod --append -G wheel <username> for administrative access). If you deleted an account and also removed its home directory, recovery may require restoring from backup or recreating the account manually; see Chapter 20, Backup and Recovery.

17.3 Privileged Tasks

Overview

Privileged tasks are actions that can change the behavior, availability, or security of the SimpleVM host. They include modifying storage pools, changing virtual networks, applying updates (Chapter 18, Software Updates), changing firewall rules, managing user access, and running administrative commands. SimpleVM keeps these behind administrative access so that viewing the host and changing it are deliberately different acts.

Elevate to administrative access in the web console

When you are signed in with the limited view, privileged actions are unavailable or prompt for elevation. To complete a privileged task, an authorized user elevates to administrative access.

Procedure

• Sign in to the management interface with an account that has administrative privilege.
• If the page shows the limited view, select Administrative access at the top right.
• Enter your password when prompted.
• Continue with the administrative task.

Verification

• The access indicator reflects the elevated state rather than the limited view.
• Previously unavailable actions become available.
• The task completes without signing in as root.

Revert this change

To return to the limited view, select the access indicator and drop back to limited access, or sign out of the management interface (Section 6.7, Sign Out of the Management Interface). Elevating does not by itself change host configuration, so there is normally nothing else to revert.

Use sudo for command-line administrative tasks

Use sudo when a command requires administrator privilege. This keeps the action tied to your named account instead of a shared root session, which preserves accountability and the habit of confirming each privileged command. For example:

sudo systemctl status cockpit.socket

Use caution with long-lived root shells. A root shell can help during support or recovery, but it removes the safeguard of typing sudo before each command, so a mistake applies immediately and with full privilege.

Verification

If the command succeeds, the action is permitted for your account. If it fails with a permission or sudoers error, confirm that the account is intended to have administrative access before changing any privileges.

17.4 Web Console Access

Overview

The SimpleVM management interface — the web console — is the primary place for day-to-day host administration. It provides browser-based access to host status, virtual machines, storage, networking, firewall settings, updates, the file browser, and the web terminal. Signing in is covered in detail in Chapter 6, Accessing the SimpleVM Management Interface; this section summarizes access and focuses on controlling who can reach the console.

Access the management interface

Before you begin

• The SimpleVM host is powered on and connected to the management network.
• You know the host IP address or DNS name.
• Your workstation can reach the SimpleVM management network.
• You have a valid user account on the SimpleVM host.

Procedure

• Open a supported web browser.
• Go to https://<simplevm-hostname-or-ip>:9090.
• If the browser shows a certificate warning for a self-signed or privately issued certificate, confirm you are connecting to the correct host before continuing. the default certificate behavior and any policy for installing a trusted certificate.
• Enter your user name and password.
• Select Log in.

Verification

• The management interface opens to the host Overview page.
• The host name, resource usage, and navigation menu are visible.
• If your account has administrative privilege, you can elevate to administrative access when required (Section 17.3).

Control who can access the web console

Whether a person who can authenticate to the host can also sign in to the management interface depends on the final SimpleVM access policy. For production systems, limit access by account policy, network controls, and firewall rules together — no single layer is sufficient on its own.

Recommended controls:

• Use named accounts for administrators.
• Grant administrative privilege only to users who need it.
• Restrict management access at the network and firewall level (Chapter 16, Firewall and Security Settings).
• Use strong passwords and, where supported, centralized identity controls.
• Review access after staff changes, vendor engagements, or support events.

Troubleshooting web console access

17.5 Command-Line Access

Overview

Most routine SimpleVM tasks belong in the management interface. Command-line access remains important for troubleshooting, support, automation, and advanced administration. Use it carefully: command-line changes take effect immediately and often without a confirmation step. SimpleVM offers two command-line paths — the web terminal inside the console, and SSH from a remote workstation.

Use the web terminal

The web terminal provides command-line access from inside the management interface, which is useful when you need a shell but do not have a separate SSH session. It is reached from Terminal in the Tools navigation group (URL /system/terminal) and opens as the signed-in user — for the default administrator, the prompt is [svmadmin@tw-rnd1 /]$. It does not open a root shell; use sudo for privileged commands. The web terminal and the file browser are covered together in Chapter 19, Host Administration Tools.

Before you begin

• You are signed in to the management interface.
• Your account has permission to open the web terminal.
• You understand the command you are about to run and have confirmed it applies to the correct host.

Procedure

• Open Terminal in the Tools navigation group.
• Confirm the shell prompt and host name before running anything — the prompt names the signed-in user and host, for example [svmadmin@tw-rnd1 /]$.
• Run the required command, using sudo for privileged actions (Section 17.3).
• 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.

Revert this change

How you revert depends on the specific command that was run. Before running a command that changes configuration, record the original value or take an appropriate backup. If the effect of a command is unclear, stop and confirm the recovery path before continuing. For command references by area, see Chapter 26, Advanced Administration and Command-Line Reference.

Use SSH access

SSH provides remote command-line access to the SimpleVM host for advanced administration, support workflows, scripted operations, and troubleshooting when the web terminal is not practical.

Before you begin

• SSH access is enabled and allowed by firewall policy.4, Allowed Services).
• Your workstation can reach the SimpleVM host over the management network.
• You have a named account on the SimpleVM host.
• You have the user's password or an approved SSH key.

Procedure

Connect to the host with SSH, then run privileged commands with sudo when required:

ssh <username>@<simplevm-hostname-or-ip>

sudo <command>

Verification

• The SSH session opens under the expected user name.
• The command hostname returns the expected SimpleVM host name.
• Administrative commands succeed only for accounts intended to have administrative access.

Revert this change

To remove SSH access for a user, disable the account, remove the user from administrative groups, remove unauthorized SSH keys, or remove the account entirely (Section 17.2). If you changed the SSH service or firewall settings, revert those according to Chapter 16, Firewall and Security Settings and Chapter 15, Managing Host Networking.

17.6 Access Control Best Practices

Overview

Access control protects the SimpleVM host, the virtual machines it runs, and the storage and networks those VMs depend on. A single overprivileged or stale account can create unnecessary risk across the entire virtualization environment, so the goal is to keep access named, minimal, and current.

Recommended access model

• Use named administrator accounts instead of shared accounts.
• Avoid routine root login; use named accounts with administrative access instead, and keep the root account disabled.
• Grant administrative access only to users who need it.
• Remove access immediately when a user no longer needs it.
• Use strong passwords and approved SSH key practices.
• Restrict management interface and SSH access to trusted networks.
• Review local accounts, group membership, and SSH keys on a regular schedule.
• Document any emergency or support access, and remove it after the support event is complete.

Administrator handoff checklist

Use this checklist when adding, changing, or removing administrator access:

☐ The administrator has a named account.

☐ The account has only the privileges required for the role.

☐ The administrator knows how to reach the management interface.

☐ The administrator understands when to use the web console, the web terminal, and SSH.

☐ Emergency access is documented and protected.

☐ Old accounts, unused SSH keys, and temporary access have been removed.

☐ The change was verified from a separate session before the previous access path was removed.

Common mistakes to avoid

Chapter review

After completing this chapter, an administrator should understand how SimpleVM separates signing in from administering the host, how to create and manage local user accounts in the web console and from the command line, how to elevate for privileged tasks, and when to use the management interface, the web terminal, or SSH. Before publishing, confirm the exact Accounts page labels, the create-user, modify, and remove dialogs, the administrative-group toggle, and the limited-to-administrative elevation wording in SimpleVM 10.1, along with the host's SSH exposure policy, the management-interface access policy, and any centralized identity support.