How to use Linux Cockpit to manage system performance

Cockpit is a web-based graphical management tool for Linux machines on your computer. Having Cockpit on your server allows you to manage events on the user interface of a browser. Our typical admin tasks include setting up your firewall, changing your network settings, managing storage, creating accounts, installing containers, updating software, and more. In the same vein, you can also look at CPU load, memory statement, network requests, and disk responsiveness. Besides being a good taste of Linux, Cockpit is the best option for graphically managing servers, in case that you are familiar with Linux. Cockpit may provide you with a one-window access to your servers even if you are a proficient system administrator.

Steps to install Cockpit on linux:

Step 1: Enter the following command to install the cockpit.

sudo apt -y install cockpit

Step 2: After successful installation of the cockpit, Enable the cockpit service by entering the following command.

systemctl start cockpit

When you run the command systemctl start cockpit, you are telling systemd to start the Cockpit service. This will enable the Cockpit web interface, which can be accessed by visiting http://localhost:9090 in a web browser.

systemctl enable cockpit.socket

By enabling the cockpit.socket service, you are telling systemd to start the Cockpit service automatically when a connection is made to the Cockpit socket. This allows Cockpit to be started on demand, rather than running continuously in the background.

Step 3: After this, the next action is to browse through the interface at port 9090.

If you are in the physical access with the server, just go to the localhost just like this in the browser.

125.0.0.1:9090

Step 4: Enter your username and password which you use to login the linux system.

After successful login your interface will look somewhat like this.

Exploring Cockpit:

On first login, you’ll be taken to the system overview page under the localhost settings.

In the Overview section, you can see an option Metrics and history which will show you the system performance.

Storage:

In the storage, you can get a concise overview of all your storage stats and they are categorized as:

• Filesystems
• NFS Mounts
• Storage Logs
• RAID Devices
• Drives
• Other Devices

Networking:

Here you can view all information related to your network interfaces:

• Interfaces
• Networking Logs

Those network logs, i. e. network traffic logs or network activity logs, are the lists of records of all the network-related activities that happen within a single computer or on a network. These records reflect the traffic flow between devices which are on the network where the source and the destination of the traffic, protocols used, and the data exchanged in the process as well.

System Logs:

The system logs, which are sometimes also called the system event logs or the system audit logs, are a record of all the events and activities which happen on a computer system. The content of these logs is of the system operation, with system-errors including crashes, warnings, and other vital events.

Can you explain Cockpit and why it should be utilized?

Cockpit is a WEB-based graphical system for Linux machines where users can administrate their servers interactively in a WEB-browser. Its advantage is the ability to control firewall, networks, storage options, users, and the software to be used as well as able to view the system performance and logs.

Can you tell me how to use the Cockpit web interface?

To access the Cockpit web interface, open a web browser and navigate to http:for example localhost:9090 if you log in from the physical terminal, or http://your-server-ip:9090 if you are accessing remotely. The Linux system has a username and password that a user inputs to gain access to the Linux system.

What is the difference between the system logs and the network logs? Which information can be found in them?

The system logs are also referred to as system event logs or system audit logs and contain details of all the activities that take place on a particular computer system, including system functions, faults, messages, and other crucial incidences. Network logs commonly being referred to as network traffic logs or network activity logs, contains detailed record of network operations and flow, protocols used in the network and information communicated by devices in the network.

Are there multiple servers that I can manage through the cockpit?

Yes, Cockpit provides administrative interface to the systems and allows you to manage multiple servers through a single interface. To sum up, you can add more than one server to your Cockpit instance and work with each of them at the same time so it is suitable for system administrators managing several Linux servers.

Is Cockpit safe for use and what implications should a user be prepared to face concerning security while using the tool?

First, Cockpit is secure product that used HTTPS to encrypt the client-server connection. That said, the use of the Cockpit web-based tool does present certain concerns, including password administration, restricted access to the web portal, the application of the latest security patches to the Cockpit system and the connected groundwork.

Cockpit is an easy to use web interface intended for Linux servers and designed to help the system administrator perform their duties and manage multiple servers efficiently. Integrated features of Cockpit include system and network logs, storage management, and user account management, among others, making the tool crucial for system administrators in charge of Linux servers in search of effectiveness in their workflow and their servers’ enhanced security and performance. It should be noted that Cockpit is quite easy to install and configure on a Linux server as described in this article, and using this tool will offer a range of features to manage servers.