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Cockpit – Integrated, glanceable, web-based interface for servers

cockpit-project.org

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Re: Cockpit – Integrated, glanceable, web-based interface for servers

#41

Post by StillBored »

luplex wrote: post #35

Is there a reason why successfully running software on a server is so much harder than running software on your phone? I don't think it needs to be this way. Someone needs to figure out server software for consumers. Just like PCs became more accessible, so should servers! Edit: Brainstorming here: specifically, I'd like a more accessible UI, automatic updates, sensible defaults on all apps, an easier way to get star…

Well... I think the common consensus is that servers and automatic updates don't go together. For the most part you don't want your server deciding to upgrade its database/etc at random times.

Similarly for the "accessible UI" bits, particularly if your managing more than a single server and you want to say upgrade a few thousand of them at the same time.

In both cases its pretty "easy" to configure a more server mgmt related tool to do those operations (hence cockpit! or anisible GUIs/etc). If you looking for a more android level of software mgmt then its pretty easy to install the desktop tooling on something like fedora server that comes with fedora workstation. With that you get nice app stores layered on top of both the traditional dnf/rpm package mgmt as well as flatpak and various other container technologies. For a single home/etc server, just install something like fedora server, and group install one of the desktop/etc profiles during setup (or later if it suits you).

Re: Cockpit – Integrated, glanceable, web-based interface for servers

#42

Post by kbenson »

luplex wrote: post #35

Is there a reason why successfully running software on a server is so much harder than running software on your phone? I don't think it needs to be this way. Someone needs to figure out server software for consumers. Just like PCs became more accessible, so should servers! Edit: Brainstorming here: specifically, I'd like a more accessible UI, automatic updates, sensible defaults on all apps, an easier way to get star…

Because managing the correct way to handle downtime and how to respond to problems is vastly different when serving one person that will generally be actively using the device less than half the time of the day or far less, and serving thousands or millions of people using it such that at any one moment multiple people might be actively using it.

> Edit: Brainstorming here: specifically, I'd like a more accessible UI, automatic updates, sensible defaults on all apps, an easier way to get started and so on.

To some degree, that's sort of like saying "I can drive a car, and cards are simple, why isn't driving an 18-wheeler truck as simple, or a cargo ship, or a cargo plane? I don't see why it has to be more complicated than a car."

Re: Cockpit – Integrated, glanceable, web-based interface for servers

#43

Post by gramakri »

luplex wrote: post #35

Is there a reason why successfully running software on a server is so much harder than running software on your phone? I don't think it needs to be this way. Someone needs to figure out server software for consumers. Just like PCs became more accessible, so should servers! Edit: Brainstorming here: specifically, I'd like a more accessible UI, automatic updates, sensible defaults on all apps, an easier way to get star…

This is exactly what we do :) check out our demo at https://cloudron.io. Another user commented there is no market for this, but this is not true since we exist and are doing well. Its a niche but this is expected since this is a developing market.

Re: Cockpit – Integrated, glanceable, web-based interface for servers

#45

Post by enobrev »

luplex wrote: post #35

Is there a reason why successfully running software on a server is so much harder than running software on your phone? I don't think it needs to be this way. Someone needs to figure out server software for consumers. Just like PCs became more accessible, so should servers! Edit: Brainstorming here: specifically, I'd like a more accessible UI, automatic updates, sensible defaults on all apps, an easier way to get star…

The affected user base is considerably different.

When I update an app on my phone, if it fails or changes considerably, it only affects me. When I update anything on a server(s), it's going to affect hundreds, thousands, or even millions of other people and getting back to the state it was in before the update can cost hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars, not to mention potential money lost from the affected users.

Re: Cockpit – Integrated, glanceable, web-based interface for servers

#46

Post by Iwan-Zotow »

luplex wrote: post #35

Is there a reason why successfully running software on a server is so much harder than running software on your phone? I don't think it needs to be this way. Someone needs to figure out server software for consumers. Just like PCs became more accessible, so should servers! Edit: Brainstorming here: specifically, I'd like a more accessible UI, automatic updates, sensible defaults on all apps, an easier way to get star…

> Is there a reason why successfully running software on a server is so much harder than running software on your phone?

Sure (exaggerating)

phone - reboot is your FIRST option

server - reboot is your LAST option

Re: Cockpit – Integrated, glanceable, web-based interface for servers

#47

Post by nic-waller »

gramakri wrote: post #43
luplex wrote: post #35

Is there a reason why successfully running software on a server is so much harder than running software on your phone? I don't think it needs to be this way. Someone needs to figure out server software for consumers. Just like PCs became more accessible, so should servers! Edit: Brainstorming here: specifically, I'd like a more accessible UI, automatic updates, sensible defaults on all apps, an easier way to get star…

This is exactly what we do :) check out our demo at https://cloudron.io . Another user commented there is no market for this, but this is not true since we exist and are doing well. Its a niche but this is expected since this is a developing market.

I started using Cloudron recently and I really like it! I came to this thread to mention it, but I see you're already here.

Re: Cockpit – Integrated, glanceable, web-based interface for servers

#49

Post by dddw »

candiddevmike wrote: post #4

Friends don't let friends configure linux from a web UI. It's messy, built off of assumptions, and is ripe for exploitation. Plus, if all you ever use is a web UI, how are you supposed to troubleshoot or fix the machine when said web UI stops working? If you're looking for pretty, single host, read-only monitoring dashboards though, checkout Netdata: https://www.netdata.cloud/

Can vouch for netdata

Re: Cockpit – Integrated, glanceable, web-based interface for servers

#50

Post by numpad0 »

luplex wrote: post #35

Is there a reason why successfully running software on a server is so much harder than running software on your phone? I don't think it needs to be this way. Someone needs to figure out server software for consumers. Just like PCs became more accessible, so should servers! Edit: Brainstorming here: specifically, I'd like a more accessible UI, automatic updates, sensible defaults on all apps, an easier way to get star…

Because you don’t run your own apps on your phone, it’s some developer’s app on a phone paid by you
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