Cobbler vs Metal³
Cobbler
cobbler.github.ioMetal³
metal3.ioSide by side
| Figure | Cobbler | Metal³ |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | — |
| Free plan | Yes | — |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 0 |
| Spec score · Bare Metal Provisioning Software | 8.1 (#7) | 7.4 (#19) |
| Spec score · Bare Metal as a Service (BMaaS) Software | 8.2 (#3) | 7.6 (#6) |
| Spec score · OS Deployment Software | 8.0 (#8) | 7.3 (#18) |
| Provisioning | It supports PXE deployments, virtualization with Xen, QEMU/KVM or VMware, and reinstallation of existing Linux systems. | Metal³ can discover hardware, configure BIOS and RAID, clean disks, install operating system images, deploy Kubernetes, and perform rolling upgrades. |
| Purpose | Cobbler is a Linux installation server for setting up and automating network installation environments. | Metal³ is an open-source project that provides tools for managing bare-metal infrastructure using Kubernetes. |
| Security | The security policy says Cobbler has no SELinux or AppArmor profile and advises protecting it because it manages DHCP and TFTP and has broad network control. | The project directs suspected vulnerability reports to its security mailing list and documents severity assessment, fixes, and disclosure handling. |
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.