title: Zettelstore Administrator Console
role: manual
tags: #configuration #manual #zettelstore
syntax: zmk

The administrator console is a service accessible only on the same computer on which Zettelstore is running.
It allows an experienced user to monitor and control some of the inner workings of Zettelstore.

You enable the administrator console by specifying a TCP port number greater than zero (better: greater than 1024) for it, either via the [[command-line parameter ''-a''|00001004051000#a]] or via the ''admin-port'' key of the [[startup configuration file|00001004010000#admin-port]].

After you enable the administrator console, you can use tools such as [[PuTTY|https://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/putty/]] or other telnet software to connect to the administrator console.
In fact, the administrator console is __not__ a full telnet service.
It is merely a simple line-oriented service where each input line is interpreted separately.
Therefore, you can also use tools like [[netcat|https://nc110.sourceforge.io/]], [[socat|http://www.dest-unreach.org/socat/]], etc.

After connecting to the administrator console, there is no further authentication.
It is not needed because you must be logged in on the same computer where Zettelstore is running.
You cannot connect to the administrator console if you are on a different computer.
Of course, on multi-user systems with encrusted users, you should not enable the administrator console.

* Enable via [[command line|00001004051000#a]]
* Enable via [[configuration file|00001004010000#admin-port]]
* [[List of supported commands|00001004101000]]