Cockpit is a server manager that makes it easy to administer GNU/Linux servers via a web browser. On a FreedomBox, controls are available for many advanced functions that are not usually required. A web based terminal for console operations is also available.
It can be accessed by any user on your FreedomBox belonging to the admin group.
![]() | Use cockpit only if you are an administrator of GNU/Linux systems with advanced skills. FreedomBox tries to coexist with changes to system by system administrators and system administration tools like Cockpit. However, improper changes to the system might causes failures in FreedomBox functions. |
Install Cockpit like any other application on FreedomBox. Make sure that Cockpit is enabled after that.
Ensure that the user account on FreedomBox that will used for Cockpit is part of the administrators group.
Launch the Cockpit web interface. Login using the configured user account.
Start using cockpit.
Cockpit is usable on mobile interfaces too.
The following features of Cockpit may be useful for advanced FreedomBox users.
Cockpit has a system dashboard that
Shows detailed hardware information
Shows basic performance metrics of a system
Allows changing system time and timezone
Allows changing hostname. Please use FreedomBox UI to do this
Shows SSH server fingerprints
Cockpit allows following advanced storage functions:
View full disk information
Editing disk partitions
RAID management
Cockpit and FreedomBox both rely on NetworkManager to configure the network. However, Cockpit offers some advanced configuration not available on FreedomBox:
Route configuration
Configure Bonds, Bridges, VLANs
Cockpit offers a web based terminal that can be used perform manual system administration tasks.