Linux Cockpit Notes

Table of Contents

1. What is Cockpit?
2. Install Cockpit
3. Install Native Cockpit Applications
4. Install 3rd Party Cockpit Applications
5. Install Cockpit MFA Support

1. What is `Cockpit`?

Cockpit is a web-based graphical interface for servers, intended for everyone, especially those who are:
* new to Linux
* familiar with Linux
* expert admins

Cockpit makes Linux discoverable. You don’t have to remember commands at a command-line.

See your server in a web browser and perform system tasks with a mouse. It’s easy to start containers, administer storage, configure networks, and inspect logs. Basically, you can think of Cockpit like a graphical “desktop interface”, but for individual servers.

— https://cockpit-project.org/

2. Install `Cockpit`

Install

Ubuntu

sudo apt update && sudo apt install -y cockpit

Fedora

sudo dnf -y install cockpit

Enable

sudo systemctl enable --now cockpit.socket

3. Install Native `Cockpit` Applications

Launch Cockpit via https://hostname:9090
Enable Administrative access by clicking the Limited access button followed by authenticating with your password.
Click the Applications menu item
Install the following appplications and click the Install button to install them.
1. Files
2. Machines
3. Podman
4. SELinux

4. Install 3rd Party `Cockpit` Applications

4.1. File Sharing

4.1.1. Ubuntu

Run

curl -sSL https://repo.45drives.com/setup | sudo bash

sudo apt update && sudo apt intall -y cockpit-file-sharing

4.2. Podman

cd into your home folder
```
cd
```

Download git repo

git clone https://github.com/cockpit-project/cockpit-podman

cd into folder
```
cd cockpit-podman
```
Build the plugin
```
make
```
Install system-wide
```
sudo make install
```
- The module will be installed to /usr/share/cockpit/

4.3. ZFS

4.4. ZFS (old installation)

As of Mar 10, 2026 this repo is no longer supported but as of this writing, the replacement repo doesn’t work as well.

cd into your home folder
```
cd
```

Download git repo

git clone --recurse-submodules https://github.com/45Drives/cockpit-zfs.git

cd into folder
```
cd cockpit-zfs
```
Build the plugin
```
make
```
This will take some time.
Install system-wide
```
sudo make install
```
This will take some time too.

Fix fonts

Create script

vi fixCockpitfonts.sh

Expand for the Script

#!/bin/bash
mkdir -p /usr/share/cockpit/base1/fonts/
wget -O /usr/share/cockpit/base1/fonts/fontawesome.woff https://github.com/h5p/font-awesome/raw/master/fontawesome-webfont.woff
wget -O /usr/share/cockpit/base1/fonts/glyphicons.woff https://github.com/twbs/bootstrap-sass/raw/master/assets/fonts/bootstrap/glyphicons-halflings-regular.woff
wget -O /usr/share/cockpit/base1/fonts/patternfly.woff https://github.com/patternfly/patternfly-sass/raw/master/assets/fonts/patternfly/PatternFlyIcons-webfont.woff
wget -P /usr/share/cockpit/static/fonts https://github.com/braintree/braintree_slim_example/raw/main/static/fonts/open-sans/OpenSans-Semibold-webfont.woff
mkdir -p /usr/share/cockpit/zfs/assets/fonts/RedHatDisplay/
cp -v /usr/share/cockpit/static/fonts/*Display*.woff2 /usr/share/cockpit/zfs/assets/fonts/RedHatDisplay/
for f in /usr/share/cockpit/zfs/assets/fonts/RedHatDisplay/*; do sudo mv -v -- "$f" "${f%.woff2}.woff"; done
mkdir -p /usr/share/cockpit/zfs/assets/fonts/RedHatText/
cp -v /usr/share/cockpit/static/fonts/*Text*.woff2 /usr/share/cockpit/zfs/assets/fonts/RedHatText/
for f in /usr/share/cockpit/zfs/assets/fonts/RedHatText/*; do sudo mv -v -- "$f" "${f%.woff2}.woff"; done
systemctl restart cockpit

Change the permissions
```
sudo chmod 744  ./fixCockpitfonts.sh
```
Execute the script
```
sudo  ./fixCockpitfonts.sh
```

Restart Cockpit
```
sudo systemctl restart cockpit.socket
```
- The module will be installed to /usr/share/cockpit/zfs/

5. Install `Cockpit` MFA Support

Copilot with GPT-4 generated the install steps.

Install Packages