Users & Roles

Manage users and their permissions in Mist.

System Roles

Mist has a hierarchical role-based access control system with three levels:

Owner

Highest privilege level - Complete system control

• Only ONE owner exists per Mist instance
• Created automatically during first-time setup
• Cannot be duplicated through UI or API
• Full access to all features and settings
• Can view and update system settings
• Can create and delete users (including admins)
• Can view all audit logs
• Can delete themselves (resets system to setup mode)

Admin

High-level administrative privileges - Second to owner

• Can create and manage projects
• Can create users (admin and user roles)
• Can delete users (except owners and other admins)
• Can view all audit logs
• Access to assigned projects only
• Cannot view or modify system settings
• Cannot delete owners or other admins
• Cannot create owner accounts

User

Standard role - Basic project access

• Can access assigned projects
• Can deploy applications
• Can manage applications in assigned projects
• Can view logs and metrics
• Cannot create projects
• Cannot create other users
• Cannot view system settings
• Cannot view audit logs

Role Comparison

Permission	Owner	Admin	User
View system settings	✅	❌	❌
Update system settings	✅	❌	❌
Create projects	✅	✅	❌
Create users	✅	✅	❌
Delete owners	✅	❌	❌
Delete admins	✅	❌	❌
Delete users	✅	✅	❌
View audit logs	✅	✅	❌
Access assigned projects	✅	✅	✅
Manage applications	✅	✅	✅

Managing Users

Creating Users

Required role: Owner or Admin

1. Navigate to Settings → Users
2. Click "Add User" or "New User"
3. Fill in user information:
   • Username
   • Email address
   • Password
4. Select role:
   • Admin: For administrative users
   • User: For standard users
5. Click "Create"

TIP

You cannot create additional owner accounts. Only one owner exists per Mist instance.

Viewing Users

Required role: Owner or Admin

View all users in the system:

• Username
• Email
• Role (displayed with color-coded badges)
• Account creation date

Role badge colors:

• Owner: Purple
• Admin: Blue
• User: Gray

Updating Users

Required role: Owner or Admin

Modify existing user details:

1. Click on the user you want to edit
2. Update information:
   • Username
   • Email
   • Password
   • Role (owner/admin only)
3. Click "Save"

All changes are logged in the audit system.

Deleting Users

Deletion permissions:

• Owner: Can delete any user (admins and users)
• Admin: Can only delete users (not owners or other admins)
• User: Cannot delete anyone

To delete a user:

1. Navigate to the Users page
2. Click the delete icon next to the user
3. Confirm the deletion

Deletion Restrictions

• Admins cannot delete owners or other admins
• Projects and applications created by the deleted user are preserved
• If the owner deletes themselves, the system resets to setup mode

Project Roles

Coming Soon

Project-level roles (Owner, Admin, Member) are not yet implemented. Currently, all project members have equal access to project resources.

See Projects documentation for more details on project membership.

Best Practices

Role Assignment

• Owner: Reserve for the primary system administrator
• Admin: For trusted team members who need to manage users and projects
• User: For team members who only need to work on specific projects

Security Recommendations

1. Limit Admins: Only assign admin role to users who need administrative privileges
2. Use Users: Most team members should have the user role
3. Protect Owner: The owner account should have a strong password and be well-protected
4. Regular Audits: Review user list regularly and remove inactive accounts
5. Audit Logs: Monitor audit logs for suspicious activity

Account Management

• Set strong password requirements for all users
• Remove users who no longer need access
• Review role assignments periodically
• Document who has owner and admin access

Related Documentation

• Authentication - Detailed authentication information
• Audit Logs - Track user actions
• Projects - Project membership management