Serve the web console

§ 1Purpose

Run vmlab-web and manage a lab from the browser instead of the CLI.

§ 2Prerequisites

• vmlab is installed with the web feature (the official container image includes it).
• For a non-loopback bind: a username and password (or argon2 hash) to protect the port.

§ 3Flowchart

§ 4Steps

$ cd my-lab/                      # the directory holding vmlab.wcl
$ vmlab-web --up                  # local-only on http://127.0.0.1:7878, lab boots in the background

$ vmlab-web --bind 0.0.0.0 --user admin \
    --password-hash "$VMLAB_WEB_PASSWORD_HASH"     # exposed on the network: login required

Start vmlab-web from the lab directory (flags); --up brings that lab up in the background while the server starts serving immediately. In the official container image this is the default command — the compose stack maps :7878 and feeds the auth env vars.

Browse to the printed URL and sign in if prompted. The topbar's lab switcher lists running and managed labs — pick one, or New lab… to scaffold a fresh managed lab, choosing an *empty* lab or a *starter* one (a lan segment plus an Alpine VM from the public registry) that boots as-is. Opening the working-directory lab shows its overview: machine cards, power controls, events, and launch cards for declared guest web pages.

Edit topology in the lab editor's Overview (designer canvas + inspector; edits autosave, no Save button), files in Files — where playbook.wcl opens in its own visual designer — and watch Logs. Machine pages give the live desktop (Console), an agent shell (Terminal), guest metrics and clipboard; the Templates page builds, checks and publishes templates with live build consoles; Playbook tabs run config-weave check/apply. The tour maps every tab.