---
name: "cockpit-desktop"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "cockpit"
version: "370-1"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/cockpit-desktop"
---

# cockpit-desktop(1)

Cockpit Desktop integration

## NAME

cockpit-desktop - Cockpit Desktop integration

## SYNOPSIS

**cockpit-desktop** *URLPATH* \[*SSH\_HOST*\]

## DESCRIPTION

The **cockpit-desktop** program provides secure access to Cockpit pages in an already running desktop session. It starts a web server (**cockpit-ws**) and a web browser in an isolated network namespace, and a [**cockpit-bridge**(1)](/cockpit-bridge/1.md) in the running user session.

This avoids having to log into Cockpit, and having to enable **cockpit.socket** system-wide. The network isolation ensures that no other user, and not even other processes in the user’s session, can access this local web server.

**URLPATH** is the Cockpit page to open, i. e. the path component of Cockpit URLs. It is highly recommended to only open a *particular page frame* \<https://docs.cockpit-project.org/cockpit-guide/latest/guide/embedding.html\>, not the entire Cockpit navigation and menu. For example, the path `/cockpit/@localhost/storage/index.html` will open the Storage page. It is also possible to give abbreviated forms of urls, such as “/storage” or “/network/firewall”.

*SSH\_HOST* is an optional SSH remote host specification (*hostname* or *username@hostname*). If given, **cockpit-bridge** will be started on the remote host through **[ssh(1)](/ssh/1.md)** instead, i. e. the Cockpit web browser will show that remote host. Note that this is more of an experimental/demo feature.

## ENVIRONMENT

The **BROWSER** environment variable specifies the browser command (and possibly options) that will be used to open the requested Cockpit page. If not set, **cockpit-desktop** attempts to use an internal minimalistic WebKit browser, and failing that, will attempt to detect some reasonable alternatives.

## BUGS

Please send bug reports to either the distribution bug tracker or the *upstream bug tracker* \<https://github.com/cockpit-project/cockpit/issues/new\>.

## AUTHOR

Cockpit has been written by many *contributors* \<https://github.com/cockpit-project/cockpit\>.

## SEE ALSO

[**cockpit-ws**(8)](/cockpit-ws/8.md), [**cockpit-bridge**(1)](/cockpit-bridge/1.md)