SEC.01

The playbook

The run starts read-only: the recon probes decide what happens next. The steps that follow are adapted to the distribution and state found — a real machine is rarely clean.

  1. 01reconCockpit already installed + version
  2. 02reconsocket already active → verify, do not reinstall
  3. 03reconport free? (empty) — otherwise who holds it (Prometheus also uses 9090)
  4. 04reconexisting socket override / Cockpit config: do not overwrite them
  5. 05recondistro → apt or dnf
  6. 06reconfirewall active (ufw/firewalld)? SELinux enforcing (non-standard port)?
  7. 07actInstall Cockpitverify
  8. 08actRestrict listening (127.0.0.1:${port} unless public)verify
  9. 09actEnable the socketverify
  10. 10actHTTPS health checkverify
  11. 11actOpen the port (only if public = true and a firewall is active)verify

SEC.02

What it verifies

Each step ships its own check. The run only moves on when the check passes, so what the recipe reports as done is what is actually on the server.

  1. 01Install CockpitVerified bysystemctl cat cockpit.socket >/dev/null 2>&1 && echo ok
  2. 02Restrict listening (127.0.0.1:${port} unless public)Verified bysystemctl cat cockpit.socket | grep ListenStream
  3. 03Enable the socketVerified bysystemctl is-active cockpit.socket
  4. 04HTTPS health checkVerified bycurl -sk -o /dev/null -w '%{http_code}' https://127.0.0.1:${port}/
  5. 05Open the port (only if public = true and a firewall is active)Verified byufw status 2>/dev/null | grep -c "${port}" || firewall-cmd --list-ports

SEC.03

Guardrails

Non-negotiable instructions the run must respect, whatever it finds on the server.

Cockpit gives root access to the server: listen on 127.0.0.1 by default (access via SSH tunnel), open the firewall only if public = true. Port already taken (Prometheus) → report it and suggest another port, do not break what exists. Do not edit /etc/cockpit/disallowed-users (root stays forbidden).

SEC.04

Variables

What you choose before launching — the recipe fills in the rest.

NameMeaning
${port}Port
${public}Reachable from outside

SEC.05

How a recipe runs in Servor

Servor is zero-knowledge: the platform cannot execute anything on its own. When you launch this recipe, a run reads the reconnaissance, plans the steps and asks for your approval. Each approved command is signed by your browser — with a key the server never sees — then relayed verbatim to the agent, which verifies the signature locally before executing.

recipe — fail2ban_setup150+ in catalogue
security4 steps · low risk · idempotentrun
reconsshd present? ufw active? existing jails?✓
actinstall fail2ban · write default jails✓
actenable service · restart sshd (safe)✓
verifytest ban 60s · jails active · sshd alive✓

search by intent — type “firewall”, get ufw

  • 01Read-only reconnaissance before any change
  • 02Every command signed by your browser, approved by you
  • 03Each step verified before the run moves on, every run kept in the history

SEC.06

Deploy on Servor button

Maintain Cockpit or a project that needs it? Put this button in your README or on your site: one click and your users install it on their own server.

Deploy on ServorDark background
Deploy on ServorLight background
[![Deploy on Servor](https://servor.app/badges/deploy-on-servor.svg)](https://servor.app/deploy/install-cockpit)

SEC.07

Verified recipe

Run this recipe on your server

Connect a server, launch the recipe, and approve each step as Servor executes and verifies it. Free plan, no card required.