How to Install Cockpit on CentOS 7: [7 Easy Steps]

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Introduction

In this tutorial, we will learn about how to install Cockpit on CenOS 7 using 7 easy steps. Cockpit is one of the server monitoring tool provided by Red Hat. Server monitoring tools in Linux are utilities designed to monitor the performance, health and availability of Linux servers. There are severe open source monitoring tools option available. few of them are:

  • Nagios
  • Zabbix
  • Performance Co Pilot
  • Cockpit (Red hat)
  • Landscape (Ubuntu)

 

How to Install Cockpit on CentOS 7: [7 Easy Steps]

What is Cockpit?

Cockpit is an open source, web based server management tool that provides an easy-to-use interface for monitoring and managing Linux servers. It offers a range of features that make it a powerfull tool for both beginners and experienced Linux administrator. Some key features of Cockpit are:

Real-time System Metrics: It displays real time system metrics like CPU usage, memory usage, disk activity and network activity.
System Logs:   It provides access to system logs, making it easy to troubleshoot issues.
Service Management:   It allows us to start, stop, enable and disable system services directly from Cockpit.
Software Update:   It allows us to manage software updates and packages. We can view available updates, apply them and check for security updates.
Storage Management:    It allows us to manage storage devices, partitions and file systems through Cockpit.

How to Install Cockpit on CentOS 7: [7 Easy Steps]

Also read: 10+ Important Linux Commands with Examples

Prerequisite

  • Linux CentOS Distro installed
  • Yum repository Enabled
  • Must have root Privilege

Step-1: Check Linux Distro

In this step, we will check which Linux distro our system has. Make sure it is using CentOS distro as other Linux distros have different repositories from where Linux packages can be install so yum repo may bot work for other distros.

[root@linuxnasa-server ~]# cat /etc/os-release
NAME="CentOS Linux"
VERSION="7 (Core)"
ID="centos"
ID_LIKE="rhel fedora"
VERSION_ID="7"
PRETTY_NAME="CentOS Linux 7 (Core)"
ANSI_COLOR="0;31"
CPE_NAME="cpe:/o:centos:centos:7"
HOME_URL="https://www.centos.org/"
BUG_REPORT_URL="https://bugs.centos.org/"

CENTOS_MANTISBT_PROJECT="CentOS-7"
CENTOS_MANTISBT_PROJECT_VERSION="7"
REDHAT_SUPPORT_PRODUCT="centos"
REDHAT_SUPPORT_PRODUCT_VERSION="7"

 

Step-2: Search Cockpit in the repository

In this step, we will search for the cockpit package in the yum repository as shown below.

[root@linuxnasa-server ~]# yum search cockpit
Loaded plugins: fastestmirror
Repodata is over 2 weeks old. Install yum-cron? Or run: yum makecache fast
Determining fastest mirrors
* base: centos.mirror.far.fi
* centos-qemu-ev: centos.mirror.far.fi
* epel: mirror.cspacehostings.com
* extras: centos.mirror.far.fi
* updates: centos.mirror.far.fi
================================================================ N/S matched: cockpit ================================================================
cockpit-bridge.x86_64 : Cockpit bridge server-side component
cockpit-composer.noarch : Composer GUI for use with Cockpit
cockpit-dashboard.x86_64 : Cockpit remote servers and dashboard
cockpit-doc.x86_64 : Cockpit deployment and developer guide
cockpit-docker.x86_64 : Cockpit user interface for Docker containers
cockpit-kubernetes.x86_64 : Cockpit user interface for Kubernetes cluster
cockpit-machines.x86_64 : Cockpit user interface for virtual machines
cockpit-machines.noarch : Cockpit user interface for virtual machines
cockpit-machines-ovirt.noarch : Cockpit user interface for oVirt virtual machines
cockpit-packagekit.x86_64 : Cockpit user interface for package updates
cockpit-packagekit.noarch : Cockpit user interface for packages
cockpit-pcp.x86_64 : Cockpit PCP integration
cockpit-storaged.noarch : Cockpit user interface for storage, using udisks
cockpit-subscriptions.noarch : Cockpit subscription user interface package
cockpit-system.noarch : Cockpit admin interface package for configuring and troubleshooting a system
cockpit-tests.x86_64 : Tests for Cockpit
cockpit-ws.x86_64 : Cockpit Web Service
cockpit-ws.i686 : Cockpit Web Service
subscription-manager-cockpit.noarch : Subscription Manager Cockpit UI
cockpit.x86_64 : Web Console for Linux servers

Name and summary matches only, use "search all" for everything.

 

Step-3: Install Cockpit Package

In this step, we will install couple of cockpit packages available in the yum repository using below command.

[root@linuxnasa-server ~]# yum install cockpit cockpit-system cockpit-storaged cockpit-pcp
Loaded plugins: fastestmirror, product-id, search-disabled-repos, subscription-manager

This system is not registered with an entitlement server. You can use subscription-manager to register.

Loading mirror speeds from cached hostfile
epel/x86_64/metalink | 30 kB 00:00:00
* base: ftp.funet.fi
* centos-qemu-ev: ftp.funet.fi
* epel: www.nic.funet.fi
* extras: ftp.funet.fi
* updates: ftp.funet.fi
base | 3.6 kB 00:00:00
centos-ceph-luminous | 3.0 kB 00:00:00
centos-openstack-rocky | 3.0 kB 00:00:00
centos-qemu-ev | 3.0 kB 00:00:00
docker-ce-stable | 3.5 kB 00:00:00
epel | 4.7 kB 00:00:00
extras | 2.9 kB 00:00:00
updates | 2.9 kB 00:00:00
(1/5): extras/7/x86_64/primary_db | 250 kB 00:00:00
(2/5): docker-ce-stable/7/x86_64/primary_db | 114 kB 00:00:00
(3/5): epel/x86_64/updateinfo | 1.0 MB 00:00:00
(4/5): epel/x86_64/primary_db | 7.0 MB 00:00:00
(5/5): updates/7/x86_64/primary_db | 22 MB 00:00:00
Resolving Dependencies
--> Running transaction check
---> Package cockpit.x86_64 0:195.12-1.el7.centos will be installed
--> Processing Dependency: cockpit-ws for package: cockpit-195.12-1.el7.centos.x86_64
--> Processing Dependency: cockpit-bridge for package: cockpit-195.12-1.el7.centos.x86_64
---> Package cockpit-pcp.x86_64 0:195.12-1.el7.centos will be installed
..........................
..........................
..........................
---> Package systemd-sysv.x86_64 0:219-73.el7.1 will be updated
---> Package systemd-sysv.x86_64 0:219-78.el7_9.7 will be an update
--> Finished Dependency Resolution

Dependencies Resolved

=====================================================================================================================================================
Package Arch Version Repository Size
=====================================================================================================================================================
Installing:
cockpit x86_64 195.12-1.el7.centos extras 51 k
cockpit-pcp x86_64 195.12-1.el7.centos extras 96 k
...............................................................................

...............................................................................

systemd-libs x86_64 219-78.el7_9.7 updates 419 k
systemd-sysv x86_64 219-78.el7_9.7 updates 97 k

Transaction Summary
=====================================================================================================================================================
Install 4 Packages (+39 Dependent packages)
Upgrade ( 4 Dependent packages)

Total download size: 16 M
Is this ok [y/d/N]: y
Downloading packages:
Delta RPMs disabled because /usr/bin/applydeltarpm not installed.
(1/47): cockpit-195.12-1.el7.centos.x86_64.rpm | 51 kB 00:00:00
(2/47): cockpit-bridge-195.12-1.el7.centos.x86_64.rpm | 555 kB 00:00:00
(3/47): cockpit-pcp-195.12-1.el7.centos.x86_64.rpm | 96 kB 00:00:00
..................................
..................................
..................................
(46/47): udisks2-lvm2-2.8.4-1.el7.x86_64.rpm | 62 kB 00:00:00
(47/47): volume_key-libs-0.3.9-9.el7.x86_64.rpm | 141 kB 00:00:00
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Installed:
cockpit.x86_64 0:195.12-1.el7.centos cockpit-pcp.x86_64 0:195.12-1.el7.centos cockpit-storaged.noarch 0:195.12-1.el7.centos
cockpit-system.noarch 0:195.12-1.el7.centos

Dependency Installed:
cockpit-bridge.x86_64 0:195.12-1.el7.centos cockpit-ws.x86_64 0:195.12-1.el7.centos
device-mapper-multipath.x86_64 0:0.4.9-136.el7_9 device-mapper-multipath-libs.x86_64 0:0.4.9-136.el7_9
..............................................................................................

................................................................................................

Dependency Updated:
kpartx.x86_64 0:0.4.9-136.el7_9 systemd.x86_64 0:219-78.el7_9.7 systemd-libs.x86_64 0:219-78.el7_9.7 systemd-sysv.x86_64 0:219-78.el7_9.7

Complete!

 

Step-4: Run Cockpit

In this step,  once the cockpit is installed successfully, run the cockpit using below command. By default, cockpit does not come with service instead it comes with socket which means that it is going to listen on the cockpit boards and once the activity is detected on that board, it will open.

[root@linuxnasa-server ~]# systemctl enable --now cockpit.socket
Created symlink from /etc/systemd/system/sockets.target.wants/cockpit.socket to /usr/lib/systemd/system/cockpit.socket.

 

Step-5 : Configure Firewall

In this step, we will configure the firewall for Cockpit using below command.

[root@linuxnasa-server ~]# firewall-cmd --permanent --add-service cockpit
success

 

Step-6: Restart the Firewall 

In this step, we will restart the firewall using below command.

[root@linuxnasa-server ~]# firewall-cmd --reload
success

 

Step-7: Access Cockpit in Browser

In this step, we will access the cockpit in a browser. The default port on which cockpit  is accessible is  9090. First execute ip addr command and get the eth0 IP as shown below.

[root@linuxnasa-server ~]# ip addr
1: lo: <LOOPBACK,UP,LOWER_UP> mtu 65536 qdisc noqueue state UNKNOWN group default qlen 1000
link/loopback 00:00:00:00:00:00 brd 00:00:00:00:00:00
inet 127.0.0.1/8 scope host lo
valid_lft forever preferred_lft forever
inet6 ::1/128 scope host
valid_lft forever preferred_lft forever
2: eth0: <BROADCAST,MULTICAST,UP,LOWER_UP> mtu 1500 qdisc pfifo_fast state UP group default qlen 1000
link/ether ea:12:1e:fe:3c:5e brd ff:ff:ff:ff:ff:ff
inet 10.29.151.130/27 brd 10.29.151.130 scope global noprefixroute dynamic eth0
valid_lft 67103sec preferred_lft 67103sec

Next, open the browser and type http://<system-eth0-ip>:<cockpit-port-number> to access the cockpit GUI interface.

 

 

Hit the url and you will see the Cockpit interface will appear as shown below. Login to the GUI using your system credential .

 

You will be able to see the cockpit GUI page where we see a nice overview of everything that is happening on the system.

 

Summary

We learnt about how to install Cockpit on Linux CenOS distrol. Similarly we can install this monitoring tool on any other Linux distros. You can refer to Cockpit Install Guide for installing on any distros.

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