m1k1o/neko · error

is not the admin

Error message

is not the admin

What it means

screenSet in server/internal/websocket/handler/screen.go rejects screen size changes when the sending session's profile lacks IsAdmin. Changing the remote display resolution is an administrative action in neko because it affects all viewers and can disrupt the shared desktop.

Source

Thrown at server/internal/websocket/handler/screen.go:13

package handler

import (
	"errors"

	"github.com/m1k1o/neko/server/pkg/types"
	"github.com/m1k1o/neko/server/pkg/types/event"
	"github.com/m1k1o/neko/server/pkg/types/message"
)

func (h *MessageHandlerCtx) screenSet(session types.Session, payload *message.ScreenSize) error {
	if !session.Profile().IsAdmin {
		return errors.New("is not the admin")
	}

	size, err := h.desktop.SetScreenSize(payload.ScreenSize)
	if err != nil {
		return err
	}

	h.sessions.Broadcast(event.SCREEN_UPDATED, message.ScreenSizeUpdate{
		ID:         session.ID(),
		ScreenSize: size,
	})
	return nil
}

View on GitHub (pinned to b0f01cedea)

Solutions

1. Log in / create the session with an admin profile (IsAdmin: true) if resolution control is required.
2. Use an admin account for screen configuration changes.
3. Disable or hide the screen settings UI for non-admin clients.
4. Verify the auth/membership provider actually returns the admin flag for the account.

Example fix

// before
profile := types.MemberProfile{ CanWatch: true, CanHost: true }
// after
profile := types.MemberProfile{ CanWatch: true, CanHost: true, IsAdmin: true }

// client-side, before sending screen size
if (!session.profile.isAdmin) {
  console.warn('screen configuration requires admin')
  return
}

function isAdmin(session) {
  return session?.profile?.isAdmin === true
}

try {
  socket.emit('screen/set', screenSize)
} catch (e) {
  if (e.message === 'is not the admin') promptAdminLogin()
}

When it happens

Trigger: Sending a screen size set message while session.Profile().IsAdmin is false — e.g. any non-admin member calling the screen configuration handler.

Common situations: A regular host tries to change resolution assuming host rights suffice (admin flag is separate); custom member profiles created without IsAdmin; self-hosted setups where users log in with default non-admin credentials and attempt resolution changes via the UI.

Understand the failure class

Background: "You do not have permission" / 403 Forbidden errors: authenticated but not allowed — causes and fixes across open-source libraries — this error's family across 31 libraries.

Related errors

• cannot access clipboard
• ErrIsNotAllowedToHost
• is not the host
• ErrIsNotTheHost
• ErrIsAlreadyTheHost

AI-assisted analysis of m1k1o/neko@b0f01cedea (2026-09-01). Data as JSON: /api/errors/9da25ed28f375508. Report an issue: GitHub.