fix: handle legacy JSON array permissions and improve admin toggle UX

- Add migration to convert legacy JSON array permissions to decimal strings
- Add runtime fallback in stringToPermissions for legacy format
- Show all permission toggles as enabled (dimmed) when Administrator is on

packages/server/src/db/migrate.ts

@@ -154,6 +154,9 @@ export function runMigrations(db: Database.Database): void {
     );
   `);
 
+  // ─── Legacy permissions: convert JSON arrays to decimal strings ───────────
+  migrateLegacyPermissions(db);
+
   // ─── RBAC Migration: Ensure @everyone roles exist for all spaces ─────────
   migrateEveryoneRoles(db);
 
@@ -175,6 +178,36 @@ export function runMigrations(db: Database.Database): void {
   console.log('Migrations complete.');
 }
 
+/** Convert legacy JSON array permissions (e.g. '["VIEW_CHANNEL"]') to decimal strings */
+function migrateLegacyPermissions(db: Database.Database): void {
+  const roles = db.prepare('SELECT id, permissions FROM roles WHERE permissions IS NOT NULL').all() as { id: string; permissions: string }[];
+  const update = db.prepare('UPDATE roles SET permissions = ? WHERE id = ?');
+
+  for (const role of roles) {
+    // Skip if already a valid decimal string
+    try { BigInt(role.permissions); continue; } catch {}
+
+    // Try legacy JSON array
+    try {
+      const parsed = JSON.parse(role.permissions);
+      if (Array.isArray(parsed)) {
+        let result = 0n;
+        for (const key of parsed) {
+          const bit = PermissionBits[key as keyof typeof PermissionBits];
+          if (bit !== undefined) result |= bit;
+        }
+        update.run(result.toString(), role.id);
+        console.log(`Migrating: Converted legacy permissions for role ${role.id}`);
+        continue;
+      }
+    } catch { /* not JSON either */ }
+
+    // Unrecognized format — set to 0
+    update.run('0', role.id);
+    console.log(`Migrating: Reset unrecognized permissions for role ${role.id}`);
+  }
+}
+
 /** Ensure the single-row instance_settings row exists */
 function migrateInstanceSettings(db: Database.Database): void {
   const row = db.prepare('SELECT id FROM instance_settings WHERE id = 1').get();

packages/shared/src/permissions.ts

@@ -63,6 +63,18 @@ export function stringToPermissions(str: string | undefined | null): bigint {
   try {
     return BigInt(str);
   } catch {
+    // Fallback: legacy JSON array format (e.g. '["VIEW_CHANNEL","SEND_MESSAGES"]')
+    try {
+      const parsed = JSON.parse(str);
+      if (Array.isArray(parsed)) {
+        let result = 0n;
+        for (const key of parsed) {
+          const bit = PermissionBits[key as keyof typeof PermissionBits];
+          if (bit !== undefined) result |= bit;
+        }
+        return result;
+      }
+    } catch { /* not JSON either */ }
     return 0n;
   }
 }

packages/web/src/components/modals/spaceSettingsPanels/RolesPanel.tsx

@@ -330,24 +330,28 @@ function RoleEditView({ role, spaceId, onBack, onDeleted }: RoleEditViewProps) {
           <div className="rounded-lg bg-white/[0.02] p-3.5">
             <div className="space-y-1">
               {group.perms.map((perm) => {
-                const isOn = (draftPermissions & perm.bit) !== 0n;
+                const isAdminBit = perm.bit === PermissionBits.ADMINISTRATOR;
-                const isAdmin = perm.bit === PermissionBits.ADMINISTRATOR;
+                const hasAdmin = (draftPermissions & PermissionBits.ADMINISTRATOR) !== 0n;
+                const isOn = isAdminBit ? hasAdmin : hasAdmin || (draftPermissions & perm.bit) !== 0n;
+                const isInherited = !isAdminBit && hasAdmin;
                 return (
                   <label
                     key={perm.label}
-                    className="flex items-center justify-between py-1.5 px-2 rounded hover:bg-interactive-hover cursor-pointer group/perm"
+                    className={`flex items-center justify-between py-1.5 px-2 rounded cursor-pointer group/perm ${
+                      isInherited ? 'opacity-50 cursor-default' : 'hover:bg-interactive-hover'
+                    }`}
                   >
-                    <span className={`text-sm ${isAdmin ? 'text-txt-danger font-medium' : 'text-txt-primary'}`}>
+                    <span className={`text-sm ${isAdminBit ? 'text-txt-danger font-medium' : 'text-txt-primary'}`}>
                       {perm.label}
                     </span>
                     <div
                       onClick={(e) => {
                         e.preventDefault();
-                        togglePermission(perm.bit);
+                        if (!isInherited) togglePermission(perm.bit);
                       }}
-                      className={`relative w-9 h-5 rounded-full transition-colors cursor-pointer ${
+                      className={`relative w-9 h-5 rounded-full transition-colors ${
-                        isOn ? 'bg-accent-primary' : 'bg-interactive-muted'
+                        isInherited ? 'cursor-default' : 'cursor-pointer'
-                      }`}
+                      } ${isOn ? 'bg-accent-primary' : 'bg-interactive-muted'}`}
                     >
                       <div
                         className={`absolute top-0.5 w-4 h-4 rounded-full bg-white shadow-sm transition-transform ${