Connect to servers
Alpacon uses session-based access: to work on a server, you request a work session rather than connecting directly. Once the session is approved, you launch the tools you need—browser terminal, file transfer, code editor, command execution, and more.
Note: The first time you click Connect, a brief hint explains this flow: “Request a session to connect. Server access is available once approved.”
Connect to a server
- Go to the Servers page.
- Find the server you want to work on.
- Click Connect—on the server card, or on the server detail page.
- The session request form opens with that server already selected.
- Choose the features you need, add a purpose and duration, and submit. See Request a session.
After a user with the Superuser role approves the request, the session becomes Active and you can launch its features.
Note: You can also add several servers to one session. Start from any server’s Connect button, then add more servers in the request form.
Requirements
The Connect button is available only when:
- The server is commissioned and Online.
- You belong to a user group assigned to the server (or are a workspace administrator).
- You’re a workspace member.
If the server is offline or not commissioned, Connect is disabled and the card shows No connection instead of the server address.
Launch tools from the session
Once the session is active, open it and use the Available features card:
- Web terminal, File transfer, and Code editor open in the browser with a Launch button.
- Execute commands and Port forwarding are used from the Alpacon CLI after you attach to the session.
On Windows servers, the code editor and port forwarding are not available. Web terminal, file transfer, and command execution are supported. See Windows servers.
For the full walkthrough—launching, attaching from the CLI, extending, and ending a session—see Use a session.
Account selection
When you launch a feature, you work as a specific account on the remote server. On Linux servers you connect as your own IAM account and use sudo with MFA for privileged actions; on Windows and macOS servers you can also select a system account. See Account selection for details.
On Windows, the selected account is an audit label only: features run as SYSTEM regardless of the account shown. See Windows servers.
Who can connect as which account
Which account you can open a session as depends on your role on the server:
| Who you are | Account you can connect as |
|---|---|
| Member of a user group assigned to the server | Your own account only |
| Owner or manager of an assigned group, the server’s owner, or a user with the Staff or Superuser role | Any existing account on the server, except root |
Connecting as root additionally requires Allow direct root access to be enabled for the workspace. This setting is off by default; while it’s off, use sudo with MFA for root-level actions. In every case, the target account must already exist on the server with login enabled. The web connect dialog offers a system-account picker on Windows and macOS servers—see Account selection.
Note: Access with a personal API access token or a service token doesn’t go through the work session request flow. What those tokens can reach is controlled by each token’s Server ACL—the list of allowed servers configured on the token.
Troubleshooting
Connect button is disabled:
- Confirm the server is Online and commissioned.
- Confirm you’re assigned to a user group with access to the server.
Can’t launch a feature:
- The session must be Active (approved and within its time window).
- The file editor and port forwarding require those features to be enabled on the server. See Manage servers.
A tool won’t open in the browser:
- Disable your browser’s popup blocker, then retry.