F42 Change Proposal: Replace cockpit-navigator with cockpit-files (self-contained)

Project Discussion Change Proposals
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Replace cockpit-navigator with cockpit-files

This is a proposed Change for Fedora Linux.
This document represents a proposed Change. As part of the Changes process, proposals are publicly announced in order to receive community feedback. This proposal will only be implemented if approved by the Fedora Engineering Steering Committee.

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Announced

:link: Summary

Obsolete cockpit-navigator for cockpit-files due to the availability of a modern, maintained file system browser for Cockpit.

:link: Owner

:link: Detailed Description

Last year the Cockpit project released a new officially supported Cockpit Files plugin intended to provide a modern alternative to the existing Cockpit navigator plugin. The latest release (14) supports everything which Cockpit navigator did except the creation of symlinks which is planned to be implemented.

:link: Feedback

:link: Benefit to Fedora

Cockpit navigator users will be upgraded to Cockpit files which is actively developed, automated tested and maintained by the Cockpit team.

:link: Scope

  • Proposal owners: Add “Obsoletes: cockpit-navigator” to cockpit-files and retire cockpit-navigator.

  • Other developers: N/A

  • Release engineering: N/A

  • Policies and guidelines: N/A (not needed for this Change)

  • Trademark approval: N/A (not needed for this Change)

  • Alignment with the Fedora Strategy:

:link: Upgrade/compatibility impact

When upgrading to Fedora 42, systems with cockpit-navigator installed will be switched to cockpit-files.

:link: How To Test

cockpit-files is available in Fedora 40 and higher.

:link: User Experience

Replacing cockpit-navigator with cockpit-files leads to a visual change within Cockpit the Navigator menu entry will be replaced with a new File browser menu entry under Tools.

The UI of cockpit-files is different from cockpit-navigator but offers the same functionality with the exception symlink creation. cockpit-files like Cockpit uses PatternFly as UI toolkit making the user experience more consistent.

:link: Dependencies

:link: Contingency Plan

  • Contingency mechanism: (What to do? Who will do it?) N/A (not a System Wide Change)
  • Contingency deadline: N/A (not a System Wide Change)
  • Blocks release? N/A (not a System Wide Change), Yes/No

:link: Documentation

N/A (not a System Wide Change)

:link: Release Notes

Last edited by @amoloney 2025-01-15T23:44:29Z

Last edited by @amoloney 2025-01-15T23:44:29Z

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How do you feel about the proposal as written?

  • Strongly in favor
  • In favor, with reservations
  • Neutral
  • Opposed, but could be convinced
  • Strongly opposed
0 voters

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Speaking as the maintainer of Cockpit Navigator: Let’s do this!

(Also, if you want to list me as a co-owner of this Change, I’m happy to get involved here.)

1 Like
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This change proposal has now been submitted to FESCo with ticket #3348 for voting.

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