Capabilities

Cockpit OpenShift is a local install surface for one KVM/libvirt host. It is not a generic multi-provider installer and it does not try to hide that boundary.

What It Does Well

• drives OpenShift bring-up from a Cockpit plugin instead of an SSH session
• supports both SNO and compact cluster intent in the UI
• owns the local installer runtime and downloaded binaries
• shows generated installer inputs and plans before the destructive deployment step
• keeps cluster inventory and cluster-specific actions in the same plugin
• exposes reprovision and destroy actions without making the operator reconstruct the original shell steps

Supported Path

Dimension	Current path
Architecture	x86_64
Host	one KVM/libvirt host
Topologies	SNO and compact
Node networking	static
Storage pools	directory-backed and logical pools
User-provided inputs	pull secret, SSH public key, DNS, VIPs, node IPs

important

Treat static networking as the supported path. DHCP appears in the UI for parity, not because it is already validated end to end.

What The Backend Owns

The backend owns the local workflow:

• installer assets under /var/lib/cockpit-openshift/
• generated install artifacts
• libvirt storage and domain creation
• handoff to openshift-install, oc, virsh, and virt-install

This matters because the plugin is strongest when the host remains the source of execution.

Where The Boundary Stops

Do not treat the plugin as proof that these are solved:

• remote hypervisor orchestration beyond the local host
• cloud-provider integrations
• day-two host expansion automation
• generic DHCP-driven bring-up
• external GitOps or cluster-fleet lifecycle management

The plugin is about local install execution and local cluster inventory, not a full OpenShift platform control plane.

Where This Shape Pays Off

This project is useful when the operator wants:

• fewer shell-driven install steps
• a readable install review step before deployment
• one place to return to after the cluster exists
• a local KVM workflow that still feels deliberate instead of improvised

If the real requirement is hosted Assisted Installer, large-scale fleet management, or provider-backed automation, use a different product path.