fix: mount docker socket for the docker discovery plugin; roll up sso v1.28.0 + theta-agent v1.3.1 (v1.41.0) (#167)

- docker-compose: mount /var/run/docker.sock into sso-manager so the seeded
  docker-local plugin can list containers (was ENOENT -> 'Last run: error')
- gitlinks: sso-manager-node 49100c9 (v1.28.0), theta-agent 51750d0 (v1.3.1)

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -8,6 +8,75 @@ orchestration code; see each submodule's own `CHANGELOG.md`
 [sso-manager-node](https://github.com/theta42/sso-manager-node/blob/master/CHANGELOG.md))
 for what changed inside the apps it composes.
 
+## [v1.41.0] - 2026-08-05
+
+### Fixed
+- **The Local Docker daemon discovery plugin no longer errors** — the sso-manager container had no access to the host docker socket, so the seeded `docker-local` plugin (socketPath `/var/run/docker.sock`) failed with `ENOENT` and showed "Last run: error". `docker-compose.yml` now mounts `/var/run/docker.sock` into the container. Recreate the container (`docker compose up -d sso-manager`) and hit "Run now" on the plugin.
+- **theta-agent ships the rebuilt binary with the heartbeat fix** (v1.3.1, gitlink `51750d0`) — the prebuilt `theta-agent-linux-amd64` predated the v1.3.0 `heartbeat_ack` fix, so the installed agent still logged "Unknown command type: heartbeat_ack". Now rebuilt + tested.
+
+## [v1.40.0] - 2026-08-05
+
+### Fixed
+- **No more spurious "Invalid Credentials, login failed" during LDAP enrollment** (ldap-client v1.25.0, gitlink `68fcdb5`) — `index.sh` self-registered the host in the Directory when `sso_token` was *declared but empty* (it checked `[[ -v ]]`), POSTing an empty Bearer token and getting a misleading `LDAPLoginFailed`. It now only registers with a real token; the stack host (already seeded by the bootstrap) skips registration.
+- **The `cn=ldapclient` service account now shows in the SSO Users UI** — it was created as a bare `organizationalRole` (invisible to the `posixAccount` user filter) and never joined `app_sso_service_account`, so it never appeared as a service account. The bootstrap now creates it as a `posixAccount` (uid 10001, above the regular-user reserved floor) and adds it to `app_sso_service_account`; for an existing account it best-effort adds the `posixAccount` shape (auxiliary, so it can't conflict with the structural `organizationalRole`) + the group membership.
+
+## [v1.39.0] - 2026-08-05
+
+### Fixed
+- **Plain LDAP (389) now reachable from the host** — `docker-compose.yml` published only LDAPS (636); plain LDAP (389) was deliberately not mapped, so the stack host's own enrollment (`setup.sh` → ldap-client, which configures sssd against `ldap://localhost:389` and `ldaps://localhost:636`) could not reach the directory over loopback. Both 389 and 636 are now published to the host (bind 0.0.0.0; `LDAP_BIND`/`LDAPS_BIND=127.0.0.1` to lock to the host only).
+
+## [v1.38.0] - 2026-08-04
+
+### Fixed
+- **LDAP enrollment no longer reaches for the public domain** — `setup.sh` generated `ldap.vars` with `ldap_host` defaulting to the public SSO host (`sso.<domain>`), which the NAT/firewall blocks on the LDAP ports (389/636). It now defaults to `localhost` (the LDAP server is co-located on the stack host; `ldap_tls_reqcert=never` makes this safe), overridable with `CFG_LDAPS_HOST` for an internal hostname/IP.
+- **SSH access groups match the SSO group model** (ldap-client v1.24.0) — the generated `sssd.conf` access filter and `ldap-ssh-key.sh` referenced the legacy names (`<location>_access`, `app_super_admin`); they now use `site_<location>_hosts_access` (all-hosts aggregate), `site_<location>_host_<hostname>_access`, and `god_admin`. GROUPS.md §8's example updated to match.
+
+## [v1.37.0] - 2026-08-04
+
+### Changed
+- **Group naming corrected to match docs/GROUPS.md** — per-resource groups are `{site}_{kind}_{name}_{level}` (kind always present; a host `host_theta-env` → `site_local_host_theta-env_access`, a service → `site_local_app_sso-manager_access`). The spec's §3 text was updated to state this explicitly.
+- **Roll up sso v1.27.0** — group names match the docs, a site carries only god + site-wide groups, duplicate group links removed, `/api/agent/*` no longer 404s, shared-secrets POST/GET fixed, Vault Apps tab lists minted tokens, discovery promote + plugin run logs fixed. See the [sso changelog](https://github.com/theta42/sso-manager-node/blob/master/CHANGELOG.md).
+
+## [v1.36.1] - 2026-08-04
+
+### Fixed
+- **`setup.sh` no longer aborts with `CFG_BASE_DN: unbound variable`** — the ldap-client `ldap.vars` generation read the CFG_* first-run vars, which `ensure_config` only derives once (it returns early on a re-run once `sso-secrets.js` exists). It now reads the real values from the operator-owned `./config/sso-secrets.js` when the CFG_* vars are unset, so LDAP enrollment works on re-runs too. The generated `ldap_access_groups` now references `god_admin` (the legacy `app_super_admin` is gone).
+- **Roll up sso v1.26.1** — drops the legacy `app_super_admin`: `SUPER_ADMIN_GROUP` is now `god_admin` (nested into every resource's `_admin` group), and `docker-entrypoint.sh` no longer seeds/nests `app_super_admin`. See the [sso changelog](https://github.com/theta42/sso-manager-node/blob/master/CHANGELOG.md).
+
+## [v1.36.0] - 2026-08-04
+
+### Added
+- **`god_admin` seeded + site groups auto-provisioned** (sso v1.26.0) — `god_admin` exists from first boot; every site gets `{site}_super_admin`, `{site}_hosts_*`/`{site}_apps_*` aggregates and `{site}_everyone`; per-resource groups (`{site}_{slug}_{level}`) nest into the site aggregates (the inheritance lattice now exists in LDAP, not just the resolver). See the sso changelog for the full group-model completeness + server-side naming enforcement + Directory god_admin management.
+- **Docker discovery plugin configured out of the box** — the bootstrap seeds a `docker-local` plugin instance pointed at `/var/run/docker.sock`, so a fresh stack discovers its own containers into the Directory immediately (idempotent; an operator-created instance is left alone).
+
+### Fixed
+- **ldap-client enrollment no longer fails** — `setup.sh` was calling `ldap-client/index.sh`, which refuses to run without a gitignored `ldap.vars` that nothing ever created (the "ldap.vars file not found!" + "enrollment failed" you saw). It now generates `ldap-client/ldap.vars` from the stack's own config (LDAPS host, base DN, `cn=ldapclient` bind + service password, SSO URL, site name) before enrolling; an operator-provided `ldap.vars` is always kept.
+- **theta-agent no longer logs `Unknown command type: heartbeat_ack`** every minute — the server's ack of the agent's own heartbeat is now silently ignored instead of falling through to the unknown-command handler (which also answered with a spurious error).
+
+### Changed
+- **Roll up sso v1.26.0 + theta-agent v1.3.0** — gitlinks point at the version-tagged commits for both submodules (sso-manager-node → 8a9de94, theta-agent → 52379c2). Full changelogs: [sso](https://github.com/theta42/sso-manager-node/blob/master/CHANGELOG.md), [theta-agent](https://github.com/theta42/theta-agent/blob/master/CHANGELOG.md).
+
+## [v1.35.18] - 2026-08-04
+
+### Changed
+- **Sync proxy + jump-host gitlinks to their version-tagged commits** — proxy v1.33.0 and jump-host v1.18.0 bumped their package.json to match their tags; this release picks up those corrected gitlinks so a fresh deploy reports the matching versions.
+
+## [v1.35.17] - 2026-08-04
+
+### Added
+- **Group & Permission Model spec** — canonical documentation of the hierarchical group schema (`god_admin`, `{site}_super_admin`, per-site/per-resource host+app `admin`/`access`/`<capability>` groups, meta `everyone`/`{site}_everyone`), the inheritance resolver, Directory-only group management, multi-site isolation, host-side SSSD GID mapping (groups are `groupOfNames`, no `gidNumber`), downstream-app consumption, and migration from the legacy `app_*` groups. See [GROUPS.md](GROUPS.html).
+- **sso v1.25.0** — the resolver + schema implemented in the SSO (see its changelog); the standalone Groups page removed.
+
+## [v1.35.16] - 2026-08-04
+
+### Added
+- **theta-proxy + theta-jump as first-class managed host resources** — the bootstrap now seeds them as managed `host`-kind resources in the Directory (in addition to the existing stack host and its service entries), so a fresh install shows them as hosts.
+
+## [v1.35.15] - 2026-08-04
+
+### Fixed
+- **theta-agent re-install failed with "Text file busy"** — setup.sh copied the prebuilt binary over a running agent service, which cp refuses. It now stops the service before copying.
+
 ## [v1.35.14] - 2026-08-04
 
 ### Fixed

README.md

@@ -129,12 +129,15 @@ see browser warnings.)
 
 Optional extra ports (only if you need them):
 - **4443** — alternate HTTPS listener (e.g. if 443 is taken by something else).
-- **636** (LDAPS) — for direct-LDAP clients on other machines (Linux hosts
-  via PAM/SSSD, LDAP-native apps). The proxy itself reaches LDAP over the
-  internal Docker network, so you do **not** need to expose 636 for the stack
-  to work.
-  **Do not forward 636 to the public internet.** If you need LAN clients to bind
-  LDAP, set `CFG_LDAPS_HOST=ldap.internal.example.com` (or `sso-manager` for
+- **389** (LDAP) + **636** (LDAPS) — direct-LDAP access. The stack host's **own**
+  enrollment (`setup.sh` → ldap-client) configures its sssd against
+  `ldap://localhost:389` / `ldaps://localhost:636`, so both ports are published
+  to the host by default (bind 0.0.0.0; set `LDAP_BIND`/`LDAPS_BIND=127.0.0.1` to
+  lock to the host). LAN clients (Linux hosts via PAM/SSSD, LDAP-native apps) can
+  bind over either; the proxy itself reaches LDAP over the internal Docker
+  network and doesn't need them.
+  **Do not forward 389/636 to the public internet.** If you need LAN clients to
+  bind LDAP, set `CFG_LDAPS_HOST=ldap.internal.example.com` (or `sso-manager` for
   same-host Docker clients) in `setup.env` and use an internal DNS record / cert
   SAN. The default shows the public SSO hostname, which implies a public route.
 

bootstrap/bootstrap.js

@@ -89,7 +89,13 @@ const CLIENT_NAME = 'theta-proxy';
 
 const ADMIN_DN  = `cn=${ADMIN_UID},ou=people,${BASE_DN}`;
 const SVC_DN    = `cn=ldapclient,ou=people,${BASE_DN}`;
-const ADMIN_GROUPS = ['app_sso_admin', 'app_sso_oauth_admin'];
+// god_admin is the global super group (docs/GROUPS.md §2); the bootstrapped
+// admin is its first member. app_sso_admin / app_sso_oauth_admin are the
+// per-console admin groups still used by the SSO UI. god_admin is nested into
+// the app_sso_* groups (and every resource's _admin group) by
+// docker-entrypoint.sh + api_directory_admin, so LDAP-level consumers (SSSD,
+// sudo) resolve it transitively.
+const ADMIN_GROUPS = ['god_admin', 'app_sso_admin', 'app_sso_oauth_admin'];
 
 const log  = (...a) => process.stderr.write('[bootstrap] ' + a.join(' ') + '\n');
 const out  = (k, v) => process.stdout.write(`${k}=${v}\n`);
@@ -172,31 +178,88 @@ function ldapModify(ldif) {
 }
 
 // ── 1. LDAP service account for the proxy ───────────────────────────────────
+// The proxy / ldap-client bind as cn=ldapclient. For it to SHOW in the SSO Users
+// UI as a service account it must (a) match the user filter (posixAccount) and
+// (b) be a member of app_sso_service_account (that membership is what the Users
+// page marks as a non-person/service account). Older bootstraps created it as a
+// bare organizationalRole (invisible to the Users list) and never joined the
+// group, so it never appeared. Both are fixed here; the existing-path shape add
+// is best-effort so a pre-existing account still binds even if the upgrade add
+// fails.
 function ensureServiceAccount() {
 	const pw = hashPasswordSSHA512(SVC_PASS);
+	const uidNum = '10001'; // distinct from the bootstrap admin's 10000; above uidGidReservedFloor so regular-user id allocation ignores it
 	if (entryExists(SVC_DN)) {
-		log(`Service account ${SVC_DN} exists — resetting password to ./config`);
-		const r = ldapModify([
+		log(`Service account ${SVC_DN} exists — ensuring service-account shape + password`);
+		// Add the auxiliary posixAccount objectClass + required attrs so the entry
+		// matches the Users list filter. inetOrgPerson is deliberately NOT added:
+		// it is structural and would conflict with the existing organizationalRole.
+		const shape = [
+			`dn: ${SVC_DN}`,
+			'changetype: modify',
+			'add: objectClass',
+			'objectClass: posixAccount',
+			'-',
+			'add: uid',
+			'uid: ldapclient',
+			'-',
+			'add: uidNumber',
+			`uidNumber: ${uidNum}`,
+			'-',
+			'add: gidNumber',
+			`gidNumber: ${uidNum}`,
+			'-',
+			'add: homeDirectory',
+			'homeDirectory: /nonexistent',
+			'-',
+			'add: description',
+			'description: LDAP bind service account (proxy / ldap-client)',
+			'',
+		].join('\n');
+		const rs = ldapModify(shape);
+		if (rs.code !== 0 && !/already exists|Type or value exists/i.test(rs.stderr)) {
+			log('  service-account shape warning (account still binds):', rs.stderr.trim());
+		}
+		const rp = ldapModify([
 			`dn: ${SVC_DN}`,
 			'changetype: modify',
 			'replace: userPassword',
 			`userPassword: ${pw}`,
 			'',
 		].join('\n'));
-		if (r.code !== 0) log('  password reset warning:', r.stderr.trim());
-		return;
+		if (rp.code !== 0) log('  password reset warning:', rp.stderr.trim());
+	} else {
+		log(`Creating service account ${SVC_DN}`);
+		const entry = [
+			`dn: ${SVC_DN}`,
+			'objectClass: inetOrgPerson',
+			'objectClass: posixAccount',
+			'objectClass: top',
+			'cn: ldapclient',
+			'sn: ldapclient',
+			'uid: ldapclient',
+			`uidNumber: ${uidNum}`,
+			`gidNumber: ${uidNum}`,
+			'homeDirectory: /nonexistent',
+			'description: LDAP bind service account (proxy / ldap-client)',
+			`userPassword: ${pw}`,
+			'',
+		].join('\n');
+		const r = ldapAdd(entry);
+		if (r.code !== 0) throw new Error(`ldapadd service account failed: ${r.stderr.trim()}`);
 	}
-	log(`Creating service account ${SVC_DN}`);
-	const r = ldapAdd([
-		`dn: ${SVC_DN}`,
-		'objectClass: organizationalRole',
-		'objectClass: simpleSecurityObject',
-		'objectClass: top',
-		'cn: ldapclient',
-		`userPassword: ${pw}`,
+	// Mark it as a service account (the Users UI's service-account signal).
+	const gdn = `cn=app_sso_service_account,ou=groups,${BASE_DN}`;
+	const rm = ldapModify([
+		`dn: ${gdn}`,
+		'changetype: modify',
+		'add: member',
+		`member: ${SVC_DN}`,
 		'',
 	].join('\n'));
-	if (r.code !== 0) throw new Error(`ldapadd service account failed: ${r.stderr.trim()}`);
+	if (rm.code === 0) log(`  marked ${SVC_DN} as a service account`);
+	else if (/already exists|Type or value exists/i.test(rm.stderr)) log(`  ${SVC_DN} already in app_sso_service_account`);
+	else log(`  app_sso_service_account membership warning:`, rm.stderr.trim());
 }
 
 // ── 2. First admin user ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────
@@ -430,6 +493,31 @@ async function seedDirectory(token, clientId, jumpClientId) {
 		sshPort: 22,
 		managed: true,
 	}, ['stack-host']);
+
+	// theta-proxy and theta-jump are first-class managed host resources (their
+	// names match the OAuth client identities the proxy/jump apps use). They
+	// appear as hosts in the Directory; the per-app services below still carry
+	// the OAuth-client + reachability detail.
+	const jumpHostAddr = process.env.CFG_JUMP_HOST || (DOMAIN ? `jump.${DOMAIN}` : '');
+	await ensure('host', 'theta-proxy', 'host_theta-proxy', site.id, {
+		subType: 'linux',
+		address: `https://${PROXY_HOST}`,
+		port: 3000,
+		gitRepo: 'https://github.com/theta42/proxy',
+		icon: 'mdi:server-network',
+		tagline: 'Reverse proxy and API gateway (node management UI).',
+		managed: true,
+	});
+	await ensure('host', 'theta-jump', 'host_theta-jump', site.id, {
+		subType: 'ssh',
+		address: jumpHostAddr ? `https://${jumpHostAddr}` : '',
+		port: 3002,
+		gitRepo: 'https://github.com/theta42/jump-host',
+		icon: 'mdi:ssh',
+		tagline: 'Secure SSH jump host.',
+		managed: true,
+	});
+
 	await ensure('service', 'SSO Manager', 'sso-manager', host.id, {
 		address: `https://${SSO_HOST}`,
 		port: 3001,
@@ -512,6 +600,59 @@ async function seedDirectory(token, clientId, jumpClientId) {
 	await linkOauthClient(jumpClientId, jumpSvc, 'jump-host');
 }
 
+// ── Plugin instances ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+// Seed a sensible default set of plugin instances so the stack is usable the
+// moment it boots, without the operator having to add them by hand. The setup
+// stack runs on Docker, so the single biggest win is a Docker discovery plugin
+// pointed at the local daemon socket: containers that make up the stack (and
+// any others on the host) get discovered into the Directory automatically.
+// Idempotent per slug: an instance an operator already created is left alone.
+async function seedPlugins(token) {
+	async function pluginGet(path) {
+		const res = await fetch(`${SSO_INTERNAL}/api/plugins/${path}`, {
+			headers: { 'auth-token': token },
+		});
+		if (!res.ok) throw new Error(`GET /api/plugins/${path} failed (${res.status})`);
+		return res.json();
+	}
+	async function pluginPost(body) {
+		const res = await fetch(`${SSO_INTERNAL}/api/plugins/`, {
+			method: 'POST',
+			headers: { 'auth-token': token, 'Content-Type': 'application/json' },
+			body: JSON.stringify(body),
+		});
+		if (!res.ok) {
+			const text = await res.text().catch(() => '');
+			throw new Error(`POST /api/plugins failed (${res.status}): ${text}`);
+		}
+		return res.json();
+	}
+
+	async function ensurePlugin({ pluginType, name, slug, config }) {
+		const existing = ((await pluginGet('')).results) || [];
+		if (existing.some((i) => i.slug === slug)) {
+			log(`  plugins: '${slug}' exists — keeping`);
+			return;
+		}
+		await pluginPost({ pluginType, name, slug, config });
+		log(`  plugins: created '${slug}' (${pluginType})`);
+	}
+
+	try {
+		// The Docker daemon the setup stack itself runs under. The socket must be
+		// mounted into the sso container for discovery to reach it; if it isn't,
+		// discovery simply errors non-fatally until it is.
+		await ensurePlugin({
+			pluginType: 'docker',
+			name: 'Local Docker daemon',
+			slug: 'docker-local',
+			config: { socketPath: '/var/run/docker.sock' },
+		});
+	} catch (e) {
+		log(`WARNING: plugin seed failed (${e.message || e}) — continuing`);
+	}
+}
+
 // Write the OAuth client creds back into /config/proxy-secrets.js so the proxy
 // (which reads that file) can use them. Only the clientId/clientSecret lines
 // are touched; the rest of the file (operator edits, comments) is preserved.
@@ -761,6 +902,15 @@ async function provisionJumpHost(token) {
 			log(`WARNING: directory seed failed (${e.message || e}) — continuing`);
 		}
 
+		// Seed default plugin instances (Docker discovery) — same warn-and-go
+		// policy; a stack without plugins is still usable.
+		try {
+			log('Seeding default plugins...');
+			await seedPlugins(token);
+		} catch (e) {
+			log(`WARNING: plugin seed failed (${e.message || e}) — continuing`);
+		}
+
 		log('Done.');
 		process.exit(0);
 	} catch (e) {

docker-compose.yml

@@ -52,12 +52,16 @@ services:
       # the UI is reachable on the LAN during setup). Set SSO_BIND=127.0.0.1 to
       # lock it to localhost once the proxy fronts it at https://<SSO_HOST>.
       - "${SSO_BIND:-0.0.0.0}:${SSO_PORT:-3001}:3001"
-      # LDAPS for EXTERNAL direct-LDAP clients (legacy apps). The proxy itself
-      # reaches LDAPS over theta-net (sso-manager:636) without this host mapping.
-      # Prefer an internal-only hostname (set CFG_LDAPS_HOST in setup.env / ldapsHost
-      # in sso-secrets.js) and do NOT forward 636 to the public internet.
-      - "${LDAPS_PORT:-636}:636"
-      # Plain LDAP (389) is NOT mapped — direct-LDAP clients should use LDAPS.
+      # LDAPS (636) + plain LDAP (389) for direct-LDAP clients AND for the stack
+      # host's OWN enrollment: setup.sh / ldap-client configure the host's sssd
+      # against ldap://localhost and ldaps://localhost, and the LDAP server is
+      # co-located on this host, so BOTH ports must be reachable from the host
+      # over loopback — not only over the docker network. Bind 0.0.0.0 (default)
+      # so LAN clients can use the host's local IP too; set LDAP_BIND and/or
+      # LDAPS_BIND=127.0.0.1 to lock either to the host only. Prefer an internal
+      # hostname (CFG_LDAPS_HOST) and do NOT forward 389/636 to the public internet.
+      - "${LDAP_BIND:-0.0.0.0}:${LDAP_PORT:-389}:389"
+      - "${LDAPS_BIND:-0.0.0.0}:${LDAPS_PORT:-636}:636"
     environment:
       # Config (LDAP, OAuth, SMTP, ...) is loaded by @simpleworkjs/conf from
       # ./config/sso-secrets.js (see volumes), then @simpleworkjs/bao-conf
@@ -77,6 +81,10 @@ services:
       - HTTPS_PROXY=${CFG_HTTPS_PROXY:-}
       - NO_PROXY=${CFG_NO_PROXY:-}
     volumes:
+      # The host docker socket so the bundled Docker discovery plugin (seeded as
+      # 'docker-local' with socketPath /var/run/docker.sock) can list containers.
+      # Without this the plugin errors with ENOENT and shows 'Last run: error'.
+      - /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock
       # Operator-edited SSO secrets (sso-secrets.js). Read-WRITE so the bootstrap
       # can write the generated OAuth client creds into proxy-secrets.js. The
       # entrypoint points CONF_SECRETS at /config/sso-secrets.js.

docs/GROUPS.md

@@ -0,0 +1,323 @@
+---
+layout: default
+title: Group & Permission Model
+nav_order: 3
+---
+
+# Theta42 Group & Permission Model
+
+This is the canonical reference for how **groups and permissions work** across the
+theta42 suite (SSO Manager, Proxy, Jump-Host) and how **downstream apps and Linux
+hosts** should read and use them. It is written to be implementable by both humans
+and LLM agents.
+
+Everything below assumes LDAP is the single source of truth for identity and group
+membership. Group membership is managed in the **SSO Manager Directory**, generated
+from adopted resources — there is **no standalone "Groups" page**.
+
+---
+
+## 1. Principles
+
+1. **Groups are a projection of the resource graph.** Every adopted host and app
+   in the Directory gets its own groups, auto-created from its identity. Group
+   membership is managed on the resource's modal.
+2. **Two orthogonal resource namespaces: `host` and `app`.** A host administers
+   hosts; an app administers apps. They do not inherit from each other.
+3. **Three levels per resource: `admin`, `access`, and opaque `capability`.**
+   `admin` implies `access`. Capabilities are explicit and never implied by
+   `admin`.
+4. **Multi-site by prefix.** Each site's groups are fully independent, scoped by
+   the site slug.
+5. **Hosts map, LDAP stays clean.** Directory groups are `groupOfNames` (RBAC)
+   with **no `gidNumber`**. A Linux host uses SSSD to import only the groups it
+   needs and generate their GIDs on the fly (see §8) — no mass import, no GID
+   bloat. Only the meta groups are never imported by hosts.
+6. **The directory is the only place groups are created.** `god_admin` is the sole
+   group that does not belong to a resource or site.
+
+---
+
+## 2. Group schema
+
+`S` = site slug (see §7 for normalization). `<host>`/`<app>` = the resource slug.
+`<capability>` = an opaque, app-defined capability token (see §4).
+
+| Group | Scope | Meaning |
+| :--- | :--- | :--- |
+| `god_admin` | global | **Everything, everywhere** (all sites, hosts, apps, consoles, all capabilities). The only non-site group. |
+| `S_super_admin` | site | Everything on site `S` (all hosts, apps, consoles, all capabilities at `S`). |
+| `S_hosts_admin` | site | Admin on **all hosts** at `S`. |
+| `S_hosts_access` | site | Access to **all hosts** at `S`. |
+| `S_hosts_<capability>` | site | Capability `<capability>` on **all hosts** at `S`. |
+| `S_host_<host>_admin` | host | Admin on host `<host>`. |
+| `S_host_<host>_access` | host | Access to host `<host>`. |
+| `S_host_<host>_<capability>` | host | Capability `<capability>` on host `<host>`. |
+| `S_apps_admin` | site | Admin on **all apps** at `S`. |
+| `S_apps_access` | site | Access to **all apps** at `S`. |
+| `S_apps_<capability>` | site | Capability `<capability>` on **all apps** at `S`. |
+| `S_app_<app>_admin` | app | Admin on app `<app>`. |
+| `S_app_<app>_access` | app | Access to app `<app>`. |
+| `S_app_<app>_<capability>` | app | Capability `<capability>` on app `<app>`. |
+
+### Meta groups (implicit membership — not POSIX, no gidNumber)
+
+| Group | Scope | Meaning |
+| :--- | :--- | :--- |
+| `everyone` | global | **All authenticated users**, any site. |
+| `S_everyone` | site | **All authenticated users** at site `S`. |
+
+These are resolved by the directory (any authenticated user passes), never
+enumerated as LDAP members, and cannot be used as Unix groups.
+
+---
+
+## 3. Naming, normalization & reserved rules
+
+- The **structural delimiter is `_`**. It appears only between the fixed segments
+  of a group name.
+- **The `S` site segment is the site resource's slug verbatim** (`site_local`),
+  NOT re-slugified (which would corrupt the delimiter: `site_local` → `site-local`).
+- **Per-resource groups are `{S}_{kind}_{name}_{level}`.** `kind` is `host` or
+  `app`; `name` is the resource's **name slug with the kind prefix stripped** — a
+  host resource `host_theta-env` has name `theta-env`, so its groups are
+  `site_local_host_theta-env_access` / `_admin`. A service (the group model's
+  `app`, docs §11) `sso-manager` gives `site_local_app_sso-manager_access`. The
+  kind segment is always present, which is what makes a resource's name
+  unambiguous even if a host and a service share a name.
+- **Within a segment, normalize to lowercase** — spaces and stray `_` → `-`; strip
+  other non-`[a-z0-9-]`. A host named `Web 01` and a site `Main Office` (resource
+  slugs `host_web-01` and `site_main-office`) yield groups `site_main-office_host_web-01_*`.
+- **Aggregate groups use the plural kind** (`hosts`, `apps`); per-resource groups
+  use the singular (`host`, `app`). This makes `S_hosts_admin` unambiguous even
+  if a host were named `admin` (that host would be `S_host_admin_admin`).
+- **The last segment is the level.** If it is `admin` or `access` it is a known
+  level; any other value is an **opaque capability** owned by a downstream app.
+- **Total length budget:** keep a group cn under ~120 chars; reject group
+  creation that would exceed it.
+- Groups are **`groupOfNames`** (RFC 2307bis) with **no `gidNumber`**. GIDs are
+  generated on the host by SSSD for only the groups that host imports (see §8).
+
+---
+
+## 4. Levels and opaque capabilities
+
+- **`admin`** — manage (create/update/delete/config) the resource.
+- **`access`** — use/read the resource.
+- **`<capability>`** — an arbitrary token the SSO does **not** interpret. The SSO
+  manages membership and exposes the group to the app; **the downstream app
+  defines and enforces what the capability means** (e.g. `emby_admin`,
+  `gitea_maintain`, `reboot`, `backup`).
+
+The directory recognizes `admin`, `access`, `super_admin`, and the meta groups.
+Everything else on a resource group is treated as an opaque capability group and
+passed through to consumers.
+
+---
+
+## 5. Permission resolution (inheritance)
+
+Define a user's **effective permission** on a resource by checking, from most
+specific to most general, whether they are a member of any applicable group. The
+rule: a higher group implies everything below it.
+
+### On host `H` at site `S`
+
+| Wanted | Granted if the user is a member of **any** of |
+| :--- | :--- |
+| **admin** on `H` | `god_admin` · `S_super_admin` · `S_hosts_admin` · `S_host_H_admin` |
+| **access** on `H` | (any admin rule above) · `S_hosts_access` · `S_host_H_access` |
+| **capability `C`** on `H` | `god_admin` · `S_super_admin` · `S_hosts_C` · `S_host_H_C` |
+
+### On app `A` at site `S`
+
+Identical, with `app`/`apps` substituted for `host`/`hosts`.
+
+### Management console (SSO / Proxy / Jump-Host)
+
+Each console is registered as an **app** on its site, so console admin is:
+
+`god_admin` · `S_super_admin` · `S_app_<console>_admin`
+
+### Pseudocode
+
+```
+def effective(resource, level_or_cap, site):
+    if user in "god_admin":                  return True
+    if user in f"{site}_super_admin":        return True
+    if level_or_cap in ("admin","access"):
+        agg = f"{site}_{resource.kind}s_{level_or_cap}"
+        if user in agg:                      return True
+    # resource.name is the resource's name slug (kind prefix stripped); the kind
+    # is its own segment. A host `host_theta-env` has name `theta-env`, kind `host`.
+    specific = f"{site}_{resource.kind}_{resource.name}_{level_or_cap}"
+    if user in specific:                     return True
+    if level_or_cap == "access":             return effective(resource, "admin", site)
+    if level_or_cap == "admin":              return False          # access does not imply admin
+    return False
+```
+
+`everyone` / `S_everyone` are a special grantee: if a resource grants a group to
+`everyone` (or `S_everyone`), any authenticated user (at that site) passes.
+
+---
+
+## 6. Where groups live — the Directory, generated from adopted resources
+
+- There is **no standalone Groups page.** Group creation/management happens on an
+  **adopted resource** in the Directory.
+- When a host or app is **adopted** (promoted from Discovered Inventory to
+  managed), the directory auto-creates its `_admin` and `_access` groups (and
+  site aggregates if configured). Capability groups are created on demand.
+- Membership (add/remove users) and capability grants are managed on that
+  resource's modal.
+- Deleting a resource removes its per-resource groups.
+- The `S_super_admin`, `S_hosts_*`, `S_apps_*`, `S_everyone` site groups and the
+  global `god_admin`/`everyone` are managed at the site level (not on a single
+  host/app resource).
+
+---
+
+## 7. Multi-site isolation
+
+One LDAP tree can serve many sites ("Main Office", "Branch Office", "co-lo",
+"Mikes Homelab", …). Each site `S` has its own fully independent set of `S_*`
+groups behind its prefix. A `main-office_super_admin` or `main-office_hosts_admin`
+touches nothing in `branch-office_*` or `steves-homelab_*`. Only `god_admin` and
+`everyone` cross site boundaries.
+
+---
+
+## 8. Unix/POSIX groups — mapped on the host, not in LDAP
+
+Directory groups are **`groupOfNames`** (RFC 2307bis) and carry **no `gidNumber`**.
+There are hundreds of them and only a handful matter on any given host, so we do
+**not** bloat LDAP with GIDs. Instead, each Linux host uses SSSD to import only the
+groups it cares about and map them to GIDs **on the fly** (algorithmic ID mapping).
+This keeps the directory clean and the per-host surface tiny.
+
+### SSSD — generate GIDs on the fly, import only what you need
+
+```ini
+[domain/example]
+id_provider = ldap
+auth_provider = ldap
+ldap_uri = ldaps://ldap.example
+ldap_search_base = dc=example,dc=com
+
+# groupOfNames (RFC 2307bis) schema
+ldap_schema = rfc2307bis
+ldap_group_object_class = groupOfNames
+ldap_group_member = member
+
+# Map GIDs mathematically from the LDAP UUID — no gidNumber in LDAP
+ldap_id_mapping = true
+ldap_group_uuid = entryUUID
+
+# Import ONLY the groups this host needs (e.g. a naming convention or an OU)
+ldap_group_search_filter = (&(objectClass=groupOfNames)(cn=linux-*))
+```
+
+Key ideas:
+- `ldap_id_mapping = true` + `ldap_group_uuid = entryUUID` make SSSD derive a
+  stable GID for any group it imports, so **no `gidNumber` attribute is required**
+  in LDAP.
+- `ldap_group_search_filter` is the gatekeeper: SSSD imports only groups that
+  match, discarding the other hundreds. After changing the filter, clear the
+  cache (`sss_cache -E`; `rm -f /var/lib/sss/db/*`; restart sssd) and verify with
+  `getent group <cn>`.
+
+### What filter to use — the naming convention is the answer
+
+A host should import its **own** resource groups (plus any explicitly granted
+ones). Because the schema is predictable, `ldap-client` can generate the per-host
+`ldap_group_search_filter` from the enrolled host's identity, e.g. a host `web01`
+at site `main-office` (site resource slug `site_main-office`) imports:
+
+```
+(&(objectClass=groupOfNames)(|(cn=site_main-office_host_web01_access)
+                               (cn=site_main-office_host_web01_admin)
+                               (cn=site_main-office_host_web01_sudo)))
+```
+
+So the operator (or ldap-client) selects a small allowlist of the host's `_access`
+/ `_admin` / capability groups to feed sudoers, SSH `AllowGroups`, and filesystem
+ACLs. **Only those groups are imported** — no GID bloat, no mass import.
+
+### Aliasing an LDAP group into a local group (e.g. `input`)
+
+SSSD cannot merge an LDAP group into a local group whose GID varies per host.
+Two host-side mechanisms cover it:
+
+- **pam_exec** — a script in the login stack adds the user to the local group for
+  the session:
+  ```sh
+  #!/bin/bash
+  if id -Gn "$PAM_USER" | grep -q "host_input"; then usermod -a -G input "$PAM_USER"; fi
+  ```
+  `session optional pam_exec.so /usr/local/bin/add_to_input.sh` in
+  `/etc/pam.d/common-session`.
+
+- **nss-groupmerge** — merge an LDAP group into a local group at NSS time
+  (`/etc/groupmerge.conf`: `input: host_input`, then `group: files sssd groupmerge`
+  in `/etc/nsswitch.conf`), so any service querying `input` sees the LDAP group's
+  members regardless of the local GID.
+
+### Meta groups
+
+`god_admin`, `everyone`, and `S_everyone` are NOT imported by hosts — they have
+implicit membership and are resolved by the directory only.
+
+---
+
+## 9. Downstream-app consumption guide
+
+A downstream app (Emby, Gitea, a custom service, a shell script) reads group
+membership from LDAP and interprets it as follows:
+
+1. **Discover the user's groups** — bind with the user's credentials (or use a
+   service account + `memberOf`). Groups are `groupOfNames` (member DN), so query
+   by the user's DN, e.g. `(&(objectClass=groupOfNames)(member=<user_dn>))`, or use
+   the `memberOf` reverse attribute on the user's entry.
+2. **Match each group to a scope:**
+   - `god_admin` → the user is a global administrator.
+   - `{site}_super_admin` → site administrator for that site.
+   - `{site}_hosts_*` / `{site}_app_*` (aggregate) → applies to all hosts/apps at the site.
+   - `{site}_host_<host>_*` / `{site}_app_<app>_*` → applies to that one resource.
+   - `everyone` / `{site}_everyone` → the user is implicitly a member.
+3. **Interpret the last segment:**
+   - `admin` → full control of that resource.
+   - `access` → read/use.
+   - anything else → a capability **you** define; act on it or ignore it.
+4. A user with `{site}_host_web01_access` can reach `web01`; a user with
+   `{site}_host_web01_reboot` (if you define `reboot`) may reboot it; a user with
+   `{site}_app_emby_emby_admin` administers Emby.
+
+The app must **never** treat an unknown last segment as `admin` or `access`.
+
+---
+
+## 10. Migration from the legacy `app_*` groups
+
+The current global groups (`app_sso_admin`, `app_super_admin`,
+`app_sso_directory_admin`, `app_jump_admin`) are replaced by the new model:
+
+| Legacy | New |
+| :--- | :--- |
+| `app_super_admin` | `god_admin` |
+| `app_sso_admin` | `S_app_sso_admin` (+ `S_super_admin` for site admins) |
+| `app_sso_directory_admin` | `S_app_sso_admin` |
+| `app_jump_admin` | `S_app_jump_admin` |
+
+During the transition the legacy groups may be kept as short-lived aliases that
+resolve to the same effective permission; once everything is moved, remove them.
+
+---
+
+## 11. The management consoles are apps
+
+The SSO, Proxy, and Jump-Host each register themselves as an app on their site and
+receive their auto-generated groups (`S_app_sso_admin`, `S_app_proxy_admin`,
+`S_app_jump_admin`, plus `_access`). Their admin UIs gate on
+`god_admin` · `S_super_admin` · `S_app_<console>_admin`. This keeps everything
+self-consistent: the SSO is "just another app."

docs/index.md

@@ -50,6 +50,10 @@ snapshots state before every rebuild.
 - **Proxy** — add the hosts you want to protect with OIDC login.
 - **LDAPS** for direct binds — Linux hosts (PAM/SSSD, sudo, SSH keys) and
   LDAP-native apps authenticate against the same directory.
+- **Hierarchical groups & permissions** — every adopted host and app gets its own
+  `admin`/`access`/`capability` groups, generated from the Directory; they double
+  as real POSIX groups for sudo/SSH. See
+  [Group & Permission Model](GROUPS.html).
 - **ldap-client** — enroll Linux hosts into the directory (PAM/SSSD login,
   sudo, SSH keys); the host inventory shows up in the SSO UI and drives
   jump-host routing.

setup.sh

@@ -292,6 +292,21 @@ dn_from_domain() {
 	echo "dc=$1" | sed 's/\./,dc=/g'
 }
 
+# Read a value from the (operator-owned) ./config/sso-secrets.js -- the source of
+# truth on re-runs, where the CFG_* first-run shell vars are not (re)derived
+# (ensure_config returns early once sso-secrets.js exists). Reads `stack.<key>`.
+# Prints empty on any failure. Usage: sso_secrets_get ldapBaseDn
+sso_secrets_get() {
+	node -e 'const c=require(process.argv[1]);const k=process.argv[2];console.log(c&&c.stack&&c.stack[k]!=null?c.stack[k]:"")' \
+		"$PWD/$CONFIG_DIR/sso-secrets.js" "$1" 2>/dev/null || true
+}
+
+# Read a top-level (non-stack) secret from sso-secrets.js, e.g. serviceAccountPass.
+sso_secrets_get_top() {
+	node -e 'const c=require(process.argv[1]);const k=process.argv[2];console.log(c&&c[k]!=null?c[k]:"")' \
+		"$PWD/$CONFIG_DIR/sso-secrets.js" "$1" 2>/dev/null || true
+}
+
 # Write ./config/sso-secrets.js from the CFG_* shell vars.
 write_sso_secrets() {
 	local dn="$CFG_BASE_DN" domain="$CFG_DOMAIN"
@@ -1213,6 +1228,9 @@ if [[ "$CFG_THETA_AGENT_ENABLE" == "1" ]]; then
 						sudo sed -i "s|https://sso.example.com|https://${SSO_HOST}|" /etc/theta42/agent.yml
 					fi
 				fi
+				# Stop a running agent before overwriting its binary (cp into a
+				# running executable fails with "Text file busy" on a re-install).
+				sudo systemctl stop theta-agent.service 2>/dev/null || true
 				sudo cp theta-agent-linux-amd64 /usr/local/bin/theta-agent
 				sudo chmod +x /usr/local/bin/theta-agent
 
@@ -1254,6 +1272,45 @@ if [[ "$CFG_THETA_AGENT_ENABLE" == "1" ]] && [[ -x /usr/local/bin/theta-agent ]]
 
 	if [[ "$CFG_THETA_AGENT_LDAP_AUTH" == "1" ]]; then
 		info "  Configuring LDAP authentication for this host..."
+
+		# ldap-client/index.sh refuses to run without ./ldap.vars, which is
+		# gitignored and never shipped in the checkout (it holds a real bind
+		# password). On the agent-enrollment path we generate it from the stack's
+		# own config so the host can actually enroll; an operator-provided
+		# ldap.vars (cp ldap.vars.template ldap.vars + edit) is always kept.
+		if [[ ! -f ldap-client/ldap.vars ]]; then
+			info "  Generating ldap-client/ldap.vars from the stack config..."
+			# CFG_* first-run vars may be unset on a re-run (ensure_config returns
+			# early once sso-secrets.js exists), so fall back to reading the real
+			# values from the operator-owned sso-secrets.js. All `:-` guarded so a
+			# missing value degrades to an empty ldap.vars field, not a set -u abort.
+			ldap_base_dn="${CFG_BASE_DN:-$(sso_secrets_get ldapBaseDn)}"
+			ldap_site="${CFG_SITE_NAME:-$(sso_secrets_get siteName)}"
+			ldap_bind_pass="${CFG_SVC_PASS:-$(sso_secrets_get_top serviceAccountPass)}"
+			sso_host="${CFG_SSO_HOST:-$(sso_secrets_get ssoHost)}"
+			# The LDAP server is co-located with the stack on THIS host, so the
+			# host must reach it over the loopback / a local address -- NEVER the
+			# public domain (sso.<domain>), which cannot route back to the 389/636
+			# ports through NAT. localhost is fine because the generated sssd.conf
+			# sets ldap_tls_reqcert=never (hostname verification is off). An
+			# operator may override with CFG_LDAPS_HOST (an internal hostname/IP).
+			ldaps_host="${CFG_LDAPS_HOST:-localhost}"
+			cat > ldap-client/ldap.vars <<LDAPVARS
+export ldap_host="${ldaps_host}"
+export ldap_base_dn="${ldap_base_dn}"
+export ldap_bind_dn="cn=ldapclient,ou=people,${ldap_base_dn}"
+export ldap_bind_password="${ldap_bind_pass}"
+export sso_url="https://${sso_host}"
+export sso_token=""
+export ldap_location="${ldap_site:-local}"
+# Groups that grant SSH/access on this host (docs/GROUPS.md §8): the site's
+# all-hosts aggregate, this host's own access group, and god_admin.
+ldap_access_groups=( "site_\${ldap_location}_hosts_access" "site_\${ldap_location}_host_\$(hostname)_access" "god_admin" )
+LDAPVARS
+		else
+			info "  ldap-client/ldap.vars exists -- keeping it"
+		fi
+
 		(
 			cd ldap-client || exit 0
 			if [[ -x "index.sh" ]]; then