# Unable to access system console, permission error in log

**URL:** <https://forum.mattermost.com/t/unable-to-access-system-console-permission-error-in-log/2911>\
**Category:** Troubleshooting\
**Created:** [February 14, 2017, 2:42pm UTC](https://forum.mattermost.com/t/unable-to-access-system-console-permission-error-in-log/2911 "2017-02-14T14:42:24Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 16\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![traxwriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@traxwriter](https://forum.mattermost.com/u/traxwriter)\
**Post date:** [February 14, 2017, 2:42pm UTC](https://forum.mattermost.com/t/unable-to-access-system-console-permission-error-in-log/2911/1 "2017-02-14T14:42:24Z")

</div>

Hi,

Not sure which update this happened with but I’ve noticed I can no longer access system console. The link is in the menu but only a blank page is displayed.

I notice a request is made to /api/v3/admin/config which is met with a 403 error and the following (which is also logged in the main log.):

`{"id":"api.context.permissions.app_error","message":"You do not have the appropriate permissions","detailed_error" :"","request_id":"tyf9a86ke3ys9qqkai3kfkwsnr","status_code":403}`

The url it is trying to access is: /admin\_console/system\_analytics

The user has the roles: “admin system\_admin”

Any ideas?

Adam

P.S. This was installed with gitlab omnibus.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![traxwriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@traxwriter](https://forum.mattermost.com/u/traxwriter)\
**Post date:** [February 27, 2017, 8:47am UTC](https://forum.mattermost.com/t/unable-to-access-system-console-permission-error-in-log/2911/2 "2017-02-27T08:47:52Z")

</div>

Anybody? … I’m not sure what to do next.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jasonblais](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/forum.mattermost.com/jasonblais/32/720_2.png) [@jasonblais](https://forum.mattermost.com/u/jasonblais)\
**Post date:** [February 27, 2017, 1:32pm UTC](https://forum.mattermost.com/t/unable-to-access-system-console-permission-error-in-log/2911/3 "2017-02-27T13:32:04Z")

</div>

Hey @traxwriter,

Wondering if something went wrong with permissions on the account.

Can you try to make another account System Admin and see if the issue reproduces? You can use the [platform roles system\_admin](https://docs.mattermost.com/administration/command-line-tools.html#platform-roles-system-admin) CLI command to promote somone to a System Admin.

You can also remove system admin privileges from a user first (using [platform roles member](https://docs.mattermost.com/administration/command-line-tools.html#platform-roles-member) CLI), then promote them back to a System Admin.

Let me know if the above doesn’t help resolve the issue.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![traxwriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@traxwriter](https://forum.mattermost.com/u/traxwriter)\
**Post date:** [March 27, 2017, 12:37pm UTC](https://forum.mattermost.com/t/unable-to-access-system-console-permission-error-in-log/2911/4 "2017-03-27T12:37:57Z")

</div>

Hi @jasonblais

Sorry for the delay, been really busy here.

I’ve tried switching roles around but I’m getting a panic which I can’t find a solution for.

When running `sudo -u mattermost /opt/gitlab/embedded/bin/mattermost roles system_admin traxwriter -c /var/opt/gitlab/mattermost/config.json`

I get  
`panic: runtime error: invalid memory address or nil pointer dereference`  
`[signal SIGSEGV: segmentation violation code=0x1 addr=0x0 pc=0x418d58]`

`goroutine 1 [running]: panic(0xc72560, 0xc4200100a0) /usr/local/go/src/runtime/panic.go:500 +0x1a1 main.getUserFromUserArg(0x7ffda1a88753, 0xb, 0x1) /home/ubuntu/workspace/msr/platform-release/src/github.com/mattermost/platform/cmd/platform/userargs.go:21 +0x28 main.getUsersFromUserArgs(0xc4201156e0, 0x1, 0x3, 0xc4210c3ba8, 0x9b41b6, 0xc30d60) /home/ubuntu/workspace/msr/platform-release/src/github.com/mattermost/platform/cmd/platform/userargs.go:13 +0xa2 main.makeSystemAdminCmdF(0x11466c0, 0xc4201156e0, 0x1, 0x3, 0x0, 0x0) /home/ubuntu/workspace/msr/platform-release/src/github.com/mattermost/platform/cmd/platform/roles.go:46 +0x75 github.com/mattermost/platform/vendor/github.com/spf13/cobra.(*Command).execute(0x11466c0, 0xc420115140, 0x3, 0x3, 0x11466c0, 0xc420115140) /home/ubuntu/workspace/msr/platform-release/src/github.com/mattermost/platform/vendor/github.com/spf13/cobra/command.go:643 +0x23e github.com/mattermost/platform/vendor/github.com/spf13/cobra.(*Command).ExecuteC(0xc42113e240, 0x0, 0x0, 0x0) /home/ubuntu/workspace/msr/platform-release/src/github.com/mattermost/platform/vendor/github.com/spf13/cobra/command.go:734 +0x367 github.com/mattermost/platform/vendor/github.com/spf13/cobra.(*Command).Execute(0xc42113e240, 0xc420106670, 0xb) /home/ubuntu/workspace/msr/platform-release/src/github.com/mattermost/platform/vendor/github.com/spf13/cobra/command.go:692 +0x2b main.main() /home/ubuntu/workspace/msr/platform-release/src/github.com/mattermost/platform/cmd/platform/mattermost.go:50 +0x49f`

If I run the help or version commands there is no error only when I ask it to actually do something…

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jasonblais](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/forum.mattermost.com/jasonblais/32/720_2.png) [@jasonblais](https://forum.mattermost.com/u/jasonblais)\
**Post date:** [March 27, 2017, 1:34pm UTC](https://forum.mattermost.com/t/unable-to-access-system-console-permission-error-in-log/2911/5 "2017-03-27T13:34:54Z")

</div>

Thanks @traxwriter for the response,

1. What database (and database version) are you using?
2. What version of Mattermost (and GitLab) are you on?
3. If you sign into your Mattermost instance with the account, do you see “System Console” as one of the Mattermost main menu options (from three-dotted menu)? To confirm the role was successfully switched.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![JeffSchering](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a9adbd/32.png) [@JeffSchering](https://forum.mattermost.com/u/JeffSchering)\
**Post date:** [March 29, 2017, 1:25am UTC](https://forum.mattermost.com/t/unable-to-access-system-console-permission-error-in-log/2911/6 "2017-03-29T01:25:52Z")

</div>

You must run the command from inside the `mattermost` directory. So for you the commands would be something like this:

```bash
cd /opt/gitlab/embedded/bin
sudo su mattermost ./mattermost roles system_admin traxwriter -c /var/opt/gitlab/mattermost/config.json

```

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![traxwriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@traxwriter](https://forum.mattermost.com/u/traxwriter)\
**Post date:** [April 4, 2017, 8:41am UTC](https://forum.mattermost.com/t/unable-to-access-system-console-permission-error-in-log/2911/7 "2017-04-04T08:41:43Z")

</div>

@jasonblais

PostgreSQL 9.6.1  
Mattermost Version: 3.7.0  
Mattermost Build Number: 3.7.2  
Gitlab Version: 9.0.2

The system console always shows for my user no matter which command is run, however it cannot be accessed.

Thanks @JeffSchering

If I run the command as root or with sudo I receive permission denied:

```
[root@git bin]# cd /opt/gitlab/embedded/bin
[root@git bin]# sudo su mattermost ./mattermost roles system_admin traxwriter -c /var/opt/gitlab/mattermost/config.json
./mattermost: /var/opt/gitlab/mattermost/config.json: Permission denied

```

if I first su to mattermost I get the following:

```
[root@git bin]# su mattermost
sh-4.2$ ./mattermost roles system_admin traxwriter -c /var/opt/gitlab/mattermost/config.json
panic: runtime error: invalid memory address or nil pointer dereference
[signal SIGSEGV: segmentation violation code=0x1 addr=0x0 pc=0x418d58]

goroutine 1 [running]:
panic(0xc72560, 0xc420012090)
	/usr/local/go/src/runtime/panic.go:500 +0x1a1
main.getUserFromUserArg(0x7ffdbdb946fd, 0xa, 0x1)
	/home/ubuntu/workspace/msr/platform-release/src/github.com/mattermost/platform/cmd/platform/userargs.go:21 +0x28
main.getUsersFromUserArgs(0xc420114fc0, 0x1, 0x3, 0xc420f1dba8, 0x9b41b6, 0xc30d60)
	/home/ubuntu/workspace/msr/platform-release/src/github.com/mattermost/platform/cmd/platform/userargs.go:13 +0xa2
main.makeSystemAdminCmdF(0x11466c0, 0xc420114fc0, 0x1, 0x3, 0x0, 0x0)
	/home/ubuntu/workspace/msr/platform-release/src/github.com/mattermost/platform/cmd/platform/roles.go:46 +0x75
github.com/mattermost/platform/vendor/github.com/spf13/cobra.(*Command).execute(0x11466c0, 0xc420114f30, 0x3, 0x3, 0x11466c0, 0xc420114f30)
	/home/ubuntu/workspace/msr/platform-release/src/github.com/mattermost/platform/vendor/github.com/spf13/cobra/command.go:643 +0x23e
github.com/mattermost/platform/vendor/github.com/spf13/cobra.(*Command).ExecuteC(0xc42008a240, 0x0, 0x0, 0x0)
	/home/ubuntu/workspace/msr/platform-release/src/github.com/mattermost/platform/vendor/github.com/spf13/cobra/command.go:734 +0x367
github.com/mattermost/platform/vendor/github.com/spf13/cobra.(*Command).Execute(0xc42008a240, 0xc42010e430, 0xb)
	/home/ubuntu/workspace/msr/platform-release/src/github.com/mattermost/platform/vendor/github.com/spf13/cobra/command.go:692 +0x2b
main.main()
	/home/ubuntu/workspace/msr/platform-release/src/github.com/mattermost/platform/cmd/platform/mattermost.go:50 +0x49f

```

Just paid more attention to the output, and the paths are weird, where does it get them from?

`/hone/ubuntu/` doesn’t exist, neither does `/usr/local/go/`

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![prixone](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/forum.mattermost.com/prixone/32/1184_2.png) [@prixone](https://forum.mattermost.com/u/prixone)\
**Post date:** [April 4, 2017, 8:49am UTC](https://forum.mattermost.com/t/unable-to-access-system-console-permission-error-in-log/2911/8 "2017-04-04T08:49:37Z")

</div>

> [@traxwriter](#):
>
> sudo su

small fix, should be `sudo -u`

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![traxwriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@traxwriter](https://forum.mattermost.com/u/traxwriter)\
**Post date:** [April 4, 2017, 8:52am UTC](https://forum.mattermost.com/t/unable-to-access-system-console-permission-error-in-log/2911/9 "2017-04-04T08:52:18Z")

</div>

Well spotted @prixone although it gives the same output as su to mattermost.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![prixone](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/forum.mattermost.com/prixone/32/1184_2.png) [@prixone](https://forum.mattermost.com/u/prixone)\
**Post date:** [April 4, 2017, 8:56am UTC](https://forum.mattermost.com/t/unable-to-access-system-console-permission-error-in-log/2911/10 "2017-04-04T08:56:05Z")

</div>

if that gives you permission denied running as root then you are probably missing something there…

Would also check your folders permissions and users with `ls -la`.

if that is a ubuntu I would go full root instead:

```auto
sudo -s
cd /opt/gitlab/embedded/bin
./mattermost roles system_admin traxwriter -c /var/opt/gitlab/mattermost/config.json

```

You also need to ensure that the mattermost folder and config.json folder are right.

Unhappily I don’t know how gitlab does its thing so I can’t advise further.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![traxwriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@traxwriter](https://forum.mattermost.com/u/traxwriter)\
**Post date:** [April 4, 2017, 9:05am UTC](https://forum.mattermost.com/t/unable-to-access-system-console-permission-error-in-log/2911/11 "2017-04-04T09:05:17Z")

</div>

@prixone It’s actually running on CentOS 7 hence why it’s a bit weird that it’s trying to use /home/ubuntu

The config file is correct and looks ok. However none of the paths in the panic exist.

Do we know where those paths are defined?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![prixone](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/forum.mattermost.com/prixone/32/1184_2.png) [@prixone](https://forum.mattermost.com/u/prixone)\
**Post date:** [April 4, 2017, 9:07am UTC](https://forum.mattermost.com/t/unable-to-access-system-console-permission-error-in-log/2911/12 "2017-04-04T09:07:37Z")

</div>

I think that is the dump for debugging which shows paths from where it was compiled at, that is if you’re running the compiled version and not compiling and running from the source.

The path to the bin/mattermost is right as well?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![traxwriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@traxwriter](https://forum.mattermost.com/u/traxwriter)\
**Post date:** [April 4, 2017, 9:10am UTC](https://forum.mattermost.com/t/unable-to-access-system-console-permission-error-in-log/2911/13 "2017-04-04T09:10:48Z")

</div>

Looks ok to me:

```
[root@git bin]# ls -la /opt/gitlab/embedded/bin/mattermost 
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 22296813 Mar 29 21:14 /opt/gitlab/embedded/bin/mattermost
```

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![prixone](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/forum.mattermost.com/prixone/32/1184_2.png) [@prixone](https://forum.mattermost.com/u/prixone)\
**Post date:** [April 4, 2017, 9:13am UTC](https://forum.mattermost.com/t/unable-to-access-system-console-permission-error-in-log/2911/14 "2017-04-04T09:13:57Z")

</div>

Are you doing it from source or what file u installed from the downloads?

Or better why don’t you come over at [https://pre-release.mattermost.com/](https://pre-release.mattermost.com/) and send me a DM we can talk better there

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![traxwriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@traxwriter](https://forum.mattermost.com/u/traxwriter)\
**Post date:** [April 4, 2017, 9:20am UTC](https://forum.mattermost.com/t/unable-to-access-system-console-permission-error-in-log/2911/15 "2017-04-04T09:20:22Z")

</div>

The install is via gitlab omnibus.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![JeffSchering](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a9adbd/32.png) [@JeffSchering](https://forum.mattermost.com/u/JeffSchering)\
**Post date:** [April 4, 2017, 10:28pm UTC](https://forum.mattermost.com/t/unable-to-access-system-console-permission-error-in-log/2911/16 "2017-04-04T22:28:17Z")

</div>

It turns out that you need to be in the `mattermost` directory only for non GitLab Omnibus installations.

For GitLab omnibus, the format of the command is as follows:

`sudo -u mattermost /opt/gitlab/embedded/bin/mattermost --config=/var/opt/gitlab/mattermost/config.json help`

It looks like the CLI command that you want to run must be at the end, after the --config option, not before.

Try this command from your home directory to see if it works:

```bash
sudo -u mattermost /opt/gitlab/embedded/bin/mattermost --config=/var/opt/gitlab/mattermost/config.json roles system_admin traxwriter

```