Permissions & Roles

Control access to your workspaces and repositories with Kernel's permission system.

Workspace Roles

Owner

Full control over the workspace:

• Manage all workspace settings

• Add and remove members

• Delete the workspace

• Access all repositories

Member

Standard workspace access:

• View workspace dashboard

• Access repositories based on repository permissions

• Create new repositories

• Invite others (if allowed by settings)

Repository Permissions

Repository permissions control who can access specific content:

Admin

Full repository control:

• View all content

• Create, edit, delete content

• Manage repository settings

• Share with others

• Delete the repository

Editor

Modify repository content:

• View all content

• Create new constructs, parts, files

• Edit existing content

• Delete content

• Cannot change settings or sharing

Viewer

Read-only access:

• View all content

• Cannot create or modify

• Can copy content to their own repositories

Permission Hierarchy

Permissions flow from workspace to repository:

Workspace Owner
    ↓
Repository Admin
    ↓
Repository Editor
    ↓
Repository Viewer

Workspace owners have admin access to all repositories by default.

Managing Permissions

Repository Level

1. Open the repository

2. Click Settings or Share

3. View current permissions

4. Add members:

   • Enter email or username

   • Select permission level

   • Click Add

5. Modify existing permissions:

   • Find the user

   • Change their permission level

   • Or remove access

Workspace Level

1. Go to Settings > Members

2. View all workspace members

3. Change roles as needed

4. Remove members if necessary

Public Repositories

Some repositories can be public:

• Accessible to all Kernel users

• Read-only by default

• Useful for sharing common resources

Public repositories include:

• Asimov Public parts

• Addgene plasmids

• UniProt sequences

Sharing Options

Share with Individual Users

Enter email addresses to grant access.

Share with Workspaces

Share entire repositories with other workspaces for collaboration.

Generate Share Link

Create a link that grants view access (if enabled).

Best Practices

Least Privilege

• Grant the minimum permissions needed

• Start with Viewer, upgrade as needed

• Review permissions periodically

Repository Organization

• Group related content in repositories

• Use consistent permission patterns

• Document access policies

Onboarding

• Create a shared parts repository for team resources

• Grant new members appropriate access

• Provide guidance on workspace organization

Troubleshooting

Can't Access Content

• Verify you have the correct workspace selected

• Check repository permissions with an admin

• Ensure your invitation was accepted

Can't Edit

• Confirm you have Editor or Admin permission

• Check if the content is locked

• Contact the repository admin

Missing Features

• Some features require Admin permissions

• Workspace owners can upgrade your access

Next Steps

• Creating a Workspace — Set up your team

• Collaboration — Work together

• Creating Repositories — Organize content