Cobbler vs Foreman
Cobbler
cobbler.github.io
Foreman
theforeman.orgSide by side
| Figure | Cobbler | Foreman |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | — | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 1 |
| Spec score · Bare Metal Provisioning Software | 8.1 (#7) | 8.7 (#5) |
| Spec score · Bare Metal as a Service (BMaaS) Software | 8.2 (#3) | 8.8 (#2) |
| Spec score · OS Deployment Software | 8.0 (#8) | 8.6 (#5) |
| Spec score · OS Imaging & Deployment Software | 8.0 (#7) | 8.6 (#5) |
| Spec score · IT Automation Software | 8.0 (#26) | 8.8 (#10) |
| Spec score · Data Center Automation | 8.0 (#8) | 8.6 (#6) |
| Automation | Cobbler can help manage DNS, DHCP, package updates, power management and configuration management orchestration. | Foreman helps system administrators automate repetitive tasks, deploy applications, and manage servers on-premise or in the cloud. |
| Intended users | The project describes Cobbler as suitable for small and large installations and says it is used by companies, universities and government organizations. | Foreman is aimed at system administrators, and the project says getting started requires a degree of Linux system administration knowledge. |
| Provisioning | It supports PXE deployments, virtualization with Xen, QEMU/KVM or VMware, and reinstallation of existing Linux systems. | Foreman provisions bare-metal systems and instances across virtualization environments and public or private clouds. |
| Purpose | Cobbler is a Linux installation server for setting up and automating network installation environments. | Foreman is an open-source tool for managing servers through provisioning, configuration, orchestration, and monitoring. |
| Support | The project directs users to its mailing list, GitHub issues and community chat for help. | Community support is available through the Discourse support board and a public Matrix room; the project says its support room is not an official support channel. |
Plans
In their own words
Cobbler
Cobbler is free, self-hosted Linux server software for creating and automating network installation environments. It supports PXE deployments, virtualization with Xen, QEMU/KVM, or VMware, and reinstallation of existing Linux systems. Administrators can coordinate DNS, DHCP, package updates, power management, and configuration-management orchestration. Interfaces include a command line, WebUI, and Python and XML-RPC APIs. Automated installation formats include AutoYaST for SUSE and openSUSE, Kickstart, and Preseed for Debian and Ubuntu. Templates and reusable snippets generate installation files and manage services such as DNS and DHCP. Cobbler integrates with cfengine3, Puppet, bcfg2, and Chef, or its internal lightweight system. It can be installed from distribution packages or source; pip installation is documented but not recommended. Python 3 is required, and server setup needs Apache, certificate, and administration knowledge. Security guidance notes broad network control and no SELinux or AppArmor profile. The project describes use in small and large installations.
Foreman
Foreman is a free, open-source lifecycle management tool for physical and virtual servers. System administrators can use it to automate repetitive tasks, deploy applications, and manage on-premise or cloud systems. It provisions bare-metal machines and resources from providers including Amazon EC2, Google Compute Engine, OpenStack, Libvirt, oVirt, and VMware. Configuration integrations include Puppet, Ansible, Chef, and Salt; Foreman also collects Ansible reports and facts. Administrators can work through a web frontend, REST API, or Linux CLI, including Hammer CLI access to API calls. Role-based access control and integrations such as LDAP, FreeIPA, and Microsoft Active Directory support access management. Host groups, bulk management, health reports, and audits help organize systems and review changes. A typical deployment has a Foreman server, Smart Proxy servers, and managed hosts. The quickstart lists Enterprise Linux 9, Debian 12 and 13, and Ubuntu 22.04 and 24.04, and requires 4 GB of memory. Installation configures multiple system components, and setup requires Linux system administration knowledge.