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  • Linux VPS
  • Ubuntu 24.04

Cockpit: manage your Linux VPS in the browser

Cockpit runs well on a GhostRDP Linux VPS Basic plan with 2 vCPU and 6 GB RAM in Germany or the Netherlands, from €5.99/mo.

Cockpit is a web interface for Linux servers from the Cockpit project: CPU, memory and disk graphs, logs, services, updates, users and a terminal in the browser. It installs from Ubuntu's own packages.

Order Basic · €5.99/moInstall steps

  • Live resource graphs

    CPU, memory, disk and network at a glance.

  • Terminal in the browser

    A shell without an SSH client.

  • Updates and services

    Install updates and restart services with a click.

Plans for Cockpit

Cockpit uses almost nothing; pick the plan for what else the server runs.

  • Linux VPS Basic

    Recommended

    €5.99/mo

    €5.09/mo billed yearly, save €10/year

    • 2 vCPU
    • 6 GB ECC RAM
    • 40 GB NVMe
    • 1 Gbps port
    Order Basic

  • Linux VPS Standard

    €12.99/mo

    €11.04/mo billed yearly, save €23/year

    • 4 vCPU
    • 8 GB ECC RAM
    • 70 GB NVMe
    • 1 Gbps port
    Order Standard

  • Linux VPS Pro

    €25.99/mo

    €22.09/mo billed yearly, save €46/year

    • 6 vCPU
    • 12 GB ECC RAM
    • 90 GB NVMe
    • 1 Gbps port
    Order Pro

What you need

  • Operating system
    Linux VPS with Ubuntu 24.04
  • Minimum resources
    Any plan
  • A sudo user
    You sign in with a normal user that has sudo rights (created in step 4)

Official site: cockpit-project.org

How to install Cockpit

Written for Ubuntu 24.04 from the official instructions. Run the commands as root and replace YOUR_SERVER_IP with your server's address.

  1. 1

    Connect to your server over SSH

    Use the IP address and root password from your welcome email (the server page has a Copy SSH command button). Windows 10 and 11, macOS and Linux all include an SSH client in the terminal.

    Shell
    ssh root@YOUR_SERVER_IP
  2. 2

    Update the system

    Install the latest security updates before you add anything else.

    Shell
    apt update && apt -y upgrade
  3. 3

    Install Cockpit

    The Cockpit project recommends the version from Ubuntu's backports.

    Shell
    . /etc/os-release
apt install -y -t ${VERSION_CODENAME}-backports cockpit
  4. 4

    Create a user to sign in with

    Sign in to Cockpit with a normal user that has sudo rights, rather than root.

    Shell
    adduser admin
usermod -aG sudo admin
  5. 5

    Open Cockpit

    Go to https://YOUR_SERVER_IP:9090, accept the self-signed certificate warning and sign in with that user. Turn on administrative access in the top bar when you need it.

After installing

  • Port
    9090. Consider allowing it only from your own IP with a firewall, since it gives full control of the server.
  • Add-ons
    Extra Cockpit modules are packages too, for example cockpit-podman for containers (apt search cockpit).
  • Certificate
    Cockpit uses a self-signed certificate by default; you can replace it with your own for a domain.

Cockpit questions

Which plan do I need for Cockpit?

Any plan. Cockpit itself uses very little; size the server for your other software.

Can I sign in as root?

Use a sudo user, as in this guide. It is safer, and some systems block root sign-in to Cockpit.

Is Cockpit free?

Yes, Cockpit is free and open source.

Does Cockpit replace your client area?

No. Restarts, reinstalls and the VNC console stay in the GhostRDP client area; Cockpit manages the OS inside the server.

Stuck on a step? Our team answers on live chat and in tickets.

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