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Cockpit (Web Console)

Red Hat Link

link

Description

Cockpit/Web Console is a web application that we can use to manage not only the host but the guest virtual machines that run on QEMU/KVM hypervisors

Cockpit runs in the user space and leverages a plugin to use libvirt to access the underlying hypervisor. Because of this, Cockpit doesn't have to know how to "talk to" the hypervisor, it only has to communicate with libvirt via the libvirtd service

From the Cockpit Project website:

"The easy-to-use, integrated, glanceable, and open web-based interface for your servers."

Installation

link

Install cockpit and the cockpit-machines plugin

  1. Check to see if Cockpit or virt are already installed

    • sudo dnf list installed | egrep -i "cockpit|virt"

  2. Install required packages

    • sudo dnf -y install libvirt cockpit cockpit-machines

  3. Check for any updates

    • sudo dnf -y update

  4. List the current firewall config - ensure cockpit service is allowed (http/9090) - see link to setup

    • sudo firewall-cmd --list-all

Configuration

  1. Add a <user> to the libvirt group - this allows non-root users to administer Virtual Environment

    • sudo usermod -a -G libvirt 'id -un'
    • sudo usermod -a -G libvirtdbus 'id -un'
    • sudo usermod -a -G libvirt libvirtdbus
    • sudo usermod -a -G libvirt qemu

  2. Change the Default Location for Virtual Disk File Location

    • Default location is /var/lib/libvirt/images

  3. Create a new location for the Virtual Hard Disk(s)

    • sudo mkdir /home/Virtual_Machines

  4. Set the Ownership (qemu) and Group Ownership (libvirt) on the folder

    • sudo chown -R qemu:libvirt /home/Virtual_Machines

  5. Set the Permissions on the folder

    • sudo chmod 0770 /home/Virtual_Machines

  6. Check changes

    • sudo ls -la /home

Validation

  1. Ensure the cockpit service is running (e.g. enabled and active)

    • sudo systemctl status cockpit

      To Enable

      • sudo systemctl enable cockpit.socket --now

  2. Ensure the libvirtd service is running (e.g. enabled and active)

    • sudo systemctl status libvirtd

      To Enable

      • sudo systemctl enable libvirtd --now

Connect to the Cockpit Web Console

  1. Point a browser at http://<hostname> or <ip-address>:9090

  2. Login with the <user> setup above (that has permissions to manage the virtual environment)

Take a Tour of Cockpit - Virtual Machines

link

  1. Note the Storage Pools and Networks

Create a new Virtual Machine

  1. Download an ISO

    • Browse or curl
    • Place .iso file in /tmp

  2. Ensure the .iso file exists

    • ls -la /tmp

  3. Login to Cockpit

    • http://<hostname> or <ip-address>:9090

  4. Setup a Storage Pool for the /home/Virtual_Machines folder created earlier (to store the Virtual Disk File Location)

    • Connection = QEMU/KVM
    • Name = Virtual_Machines
    • Type = Filesystem Directory
    • Target Path = /home/Virtual_Machines
    • Startup on boot = true

  5. Create New Virtual Machine

    • Connection = QEMU/KVM
    • Name = my-new-vm
    • Installation Source Type = Local Install Media
    • Installation Source = path-to-iso-file (e.g. /tmp/myiso.iso)
    • Storage = NO STORAGE - we want to setup Storage in a non-default location (/home/Virtual_Machines)
    • Memory = 2GB
    • OS Vender = choose from list
    • Operating System = choose from list
    • Immediately Start VM = NO / FALSE - No Storage yet so wont boot!
    • Create

  6. Add a new Virtual Disk and attach it to the VM

    • From the Cockpit Web
    • Locate the Virtual Machine
    • Locate Disk
    • Click Add Disk
    • Choose Pool (e.g. Virtual_Machines)
    • Name the Volume
    • Enter size
    • Format = qcow2
    • Persistence = Always attach = TRUE

  7. Install the OS

    • From the console - Click install
    • Follow standard OS Installation

  8. Start the VM

    • Following OS Installation, click Start

  9. Patch

    • sudo dnf -y update

  10. Shutdown / Power Off

    • sudo systemctl poweroff

Manage Virtual Machine

link

  1. Add CPU Cores / Memory

    • Locate the VM in Cockpit
    • Ensure the VM is Powered Off
    • Click Edit next to CPU / Memory
    • Change value as desired
    • Start VM
    • Validate Memory change
      • grep MemTotal /proc/meminfo
    • Validate the CPU change
      • grep -i processor /proc/cpuinfo

  2. Add Disk

    • Review our current Disk setup
      • sudo fdisk -l
    • Review our current Virtual Devices
      • ls -la /dev/vd*
    • Locate the VM and Click Add disk
      • Choose Pool (e.g. Virtual_Machines)
      • Name the Volume
      • Enter size
      • Format = qcow2
      • Persistence = Always attach = TRUE
    • Validate the New Volume
      • ls -la /dev/vd*
    • Validate the New Disk
      • sudo fdisk -l