Installing Cockpit on Windows 11

Cockpit is a simple and easy-to-use web-based interface that allows you to manage your Linux servers. In this tutorial, we will be installing Cockpit on a Windows 11 machine.

Prerequisites

Before we begin, make sure that your Windows 11 machine meets the following requirements:

• 64-bit Windows
• Windows 10 build 14393 or later
• At least 2GB of RAM

Step 1: Install WSL

Cockpit requires the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) to be installed on your machine. Follow the steps below to enable WSL:

1. Open the Start menu and search for Turn Windows features on or off.
2. In the Windows Features window, scroll down and find Windows Subsystem for Linux.
3. Click the checkbox next to Windows Subsystem for Linux and click OK.
4. Restart your machine when prompted.

Step 2: Install Ubuntu

Cockpit is designed to work with Ubuntu Linux. We will be installing Ubuntu from the Microsoft Store. Follow the steps below to install Ubuntu on your machine:

1. Open the Start menu and search for Microsoft Store.
2. In the Microsoft Store, search for Ubuntu and select Ubuntu.
3. Click the Get button and wait for the installation to complete.

Step 3: Install Cockpit

Now that we have WSL and Ubuntu installed, we can install Cockpit. Follow the steps below:

1. Open Ubuntu from the Start menu.
2. Update your Ubuntu package lists by running the following command:

sudo apt update

3. Install the cockpit package by running the following command:

sudo apt install cockpit

4. Once the installation is complete, start the Cockpit service by running the following command:

sudo systemctl start cockpit

5. Enable the Cockpit service to start on boot by running the following command:

sudo systemctl enable cockpit

Step 4: Access Cockpit

Now that Cockpit is installed and running, you can access it using a web browser. To access Cockpit, follow these steps:

1. Open a web browser on your Windows machine.
2. In the address bar, type the following:

localhost:9090

3. You will see the Cockpit login page. Enter your Ubuntu username and password to log in.

Congratulations! You have successfully installed Cockpit on your Windows 11 machine. You can now use the Cockpit web interface to manage your Ubuntu server.

If you want to self-host in an easy, hands free way, need an external IP address, or simply want your data in your own hands, give IPv6.rs a try!

Alternatively, for the best virtual desktop, try Shells!