What's installed on your Cockpit server?
- Cockpit, from Ubuntu 24.04's packages
- cockpit-pcp, cockpit-packagekit and cockpit-storaged for usage history, software updates and disks
- HTTPS through Caddy on an sslip.io address based on your IP, so a domain is optional
- A yonetici user with sudo rights, which you sign in with
- Firewall with only 22, 80 and 443 open, while Cockpit itself listens locally on 9090
- Fail2ban and automatic security updates
What size do you need for Cockpit?
Cockpit doesn't publish a RAM figure. Its site says it doesn't run in the background when you're not using it and starts on demand. Our real-server test passed with 1 GB, 1 CPU and 10 GB. What you run on the server matters more than Cockpit. As a rule of thumb, use 1 GB for management and a small service, 2 GB for a web app and 4 GB once a database joins in. You can scale up from your Seturack panel.
| Use | Size | Price | Choose |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | 1 GB RAM · 1 vCore · 25 GB NVMe | $2.58/mo | |
| Medium | 2 GB RAM · 1 vCore · 40 GB NVMe | $4.01/mo | |
| Powerful | 4 GB RAM · 2 vCore · 60 GB NVMe | $6.89/mo |
Who is it for?
- Anyone who wants to watch and manage a server from a browser
- People learning Linux who like seeing services and logs laid out on screen
- Those running a hand-built app who want a screen for keeping an eye on the server
- Anyone who needs a terminal from a phone or a borrowed computer
What happens after you order?
- Set the size and complete your payment.
- Your server starts and Cockpit installs itself. This took about 8 minutes in our real-server tests.
- Open your server from My servers. The Overview tab shows the panel address, username and password.
- Open the address and sign in as yonetici.
- Click Limited access at the top and type the same password. Now you can start and stop services.
- Watch your server on the Services, Logs, Terminal and Metrics and history pages.
With every server
- Daily backups included in the price
- Unlimited traffic
- Full root access
- Scale RAM and CPU up or down later, and grow the disk
- Location: Istanbul · IST-1.
Good to know
- Cockpit isn't a hosting panel. It has no screens for creating sites, domains or mailboxes. For those, see the servers with HestiaCP or CloudPanel.
- Signing in as root is blocked in Cockpit. Use the yonetici user and sudo, and your SSH access works separately.
- Disk and software update screens come installed. The network screen does not: the cockpit-networkmanager package needs NetworkManager, which interferes with the server's network setup.
- Container management needs the separate cockpit-podman package, and the install adds neither Docker nor Podman.
- If a certificate can't be issued, the address opens over http on your IP.
- Security updates install by themselves. Other package upgrades are your responsibility.
Cockpit questions and answers
What is Cockpit used for?
Cockpit is a browser-based tool for running a Linux server. You can inspect services, browse logs, watch CPU, memory and disk use and open a terminal. It doesn't create websites or mailboxes.
How much RAM does Cockpit need?
Cockpit doesn't publish a figure, and its site says it doesn't run in the background when you're not using it. We tested this install with 1 GB of RAM and 10 GB of disk. What you run on the server decides what you need.
Why can't I log in to Cockpit as root?
New Cockpit installs block root through the /etc/cockpit/disallowed-users file. Sign in as yonetici, click Limited access at the top and enter the same password to get admin rights.
Does Cockpit have a terminal?
Yes. The Terminal page opens a command line on your server inside your browser, which is handy from a computer with no SSH client.
Is Cockpit free?
Yes. Cockpit is open source under the GNU LGPL, with no license fee. You only pay for the server.
Can Cockpit manage Docker?
This install doesn't add Docker. Cockpit's own container app is the cockpit-podman package for Podman, and third-party add-ons exist for Docker. If Docker is what you're after, look at the server with Docker pre-installed.