How to operate the workspace platform

This checklist covers the admin pages that keep a LabPod host usable after installation.

Add a shared mount

Use shared mounts for datasets, model weights, course files, or a shared scratch area.

1. Create the host directory and set ownership/permissions outside LabPod.
2. Open /admin/shared-mounts.
3. Click New mount.
4. Set Name, Host path, and Container path.
5. Leave Read-only enabled for datasets and model weights.
6. Save.

The mount is offered to new workspaces. Running workspaces need a stop/start before changed mounts are applied.

To restrict which host paths admins can configure, set LABPOD_SHARED_MOUNT_ROOTS in /etc/labpod/labpod.env and restart labpod.service.

Pull, prune, and delete images

Use /admin/images for shared images used by global templates.

1. Open /admin/images.
2. Pull image refs before enabling templates that depend on them.
3. Watch pull/build logs from the same page.
4. Use Manage when you need active-container, reclaim, sharing, or untracked-container details. The image list stays responsive before those optional checks complete.
5. Prune unused layers when disk pressure grows.
6. Use Delete images when you need to remove a specific tagged image from the shared store or a user’s store.

User-built or user-pulled images remain in each user’s rootless storage. Shared pulls use the shared image store when it is configured.

Prune and delete are intentionally different operations. Prune removes dangling, untagged layers from an entire store. Delete images removes one named image. If a workspace still references that image, LabPod warns before allowing a forced delete; that workspace may fail on its next start until the image is pulled or rebuilt again.

Review compliance

Use /admin/compliance before enabling opt-in templates or registries.

1. Review pending template EULAs.
2. Review registry terms.
3. Accept only the items your lab is allowed to use.
4. Return to templates or images and continue the build/pull workflow.

Compliance acceptance is recorded in the audit log.

Tune runtime settings

Open /admin/runtime for settings that do not require a service restart:

• Server nickname for crash notifications.
• CPU/MEM cgroup enforcement for new starts.
• GPU sharing switch for HAMi/MIG modes.
• Idle indicator window.
• Idle nudge days.
• Usage sample and session retention.
• Audit-log retention. Audit history is indefinite by default; a positive setting permanently removes older records.

Running workspaces keep the flags they started with. Stop and start a workspace to apply changed runtime behavior.

Monitor usage and audit changes

Use /admin/resources for live host state: users, workspaces, GPUs, disk usage, image storage, and idle candidates.

Use /admin/usage for daily CPU/GPU rollups and CSV exports.

Use /admin/audit to answer “who changed what” questions. It records user creation, policy changes, template changes, image actions, workspace lifecycle actions, and failed logins.

Manage licensing

Open /admin/license to view the current trial or signed license (any authenticated user can view status). Only the root account can copy the activation request or install a .lic file.

Equivalent CLI commands are:

Ubuntu / Debian Rocky / RHEL / AlmaLinux / Fedora

sudo labpod admin license show
sudo labpod admin license request
sudo labpod admin license verify ./license.lic
sudo labpod admin license install ./license.lic

# Run these as root
labpod admin license show
labpod admin license request
labpod admin license verify ./license.lic
labpod admin license install ./license.lic