# Start up

Cockpit's `cockpit-ws` component is what the browser connects to and it typically starts on demand via `systemd` socket activation.

The actual `cockpit.service` and `cockpit-ws` process will start on demand when a browser accesses the `cockpit.socket`, usually on port 9090. Once a user logs in then a `cockpit-bridge` process will be started in a Linux user login session.

Only systems that you connect to with your browser need to have the `cockpit.socket` enabled. For systems that you add to the dashboard of another Cockpit instance, the bridge is started via SSH on demand.

## Process exit

The `cockpit-bridge` process will exit when the user logs out. In addition, after 10 minutes of inactivity, the `cockpit-ws` process will exit on its own. The browser will automatically disconnect if it fails to hear from the `cockpit-ws` process for 30 seconds.

## Boot start up

To make Cockpit available by default after system boot the `cockpit.socket` needs to be enabled:

    $ sudo systemctl enable cockpit.socket

If you wish to not have Cockpit available by default via a browser, then the `cockpit.socket` should be disabled:

    $ sudo systemctl disable cockpit.socket