First, I should recall if there are any official or popular GUI tools for managing Ceph. The main ones that come to mind are Ceph Dashboard and maybe some third-party tools like CephGUI or Ceph Web Interface. Wait, the Ceph Dashboard is part of recent Ceph versions, so maybe they can use that without needing an extra app.
But MX Linux uses Debian-based packages, so I should check if those tools are available in repositories. The user might not have enabled the necessary repos for Ceph components. Maybe they need to install ceph-mgr modules or the dashboard specifically.
Alternatively, there's a GUI called "Ceph Dashboard" which is part of Ceph since version 14 (Nautilus). Let me confirm that. Yes, starting from Nautilus, the dashboard is integrated into Ceph. So if their installation includes mgr modules, they might just need to enable it.
Wait, but MX23 uses Debian Bookworm, so maybe their Ceph packages are recent enough? The user probably installed via repositories or from a specific source. Assuming that, steps would involve enabling the mgr/dashboard service and accessing it through a web browser.
Alternatively, if they want something more graphical on the desktop itself, there might be other options. But most Ceph management is done via CLI commands or the dashboard. So maybe focusing on setting up the dashboard first makes sense.
I should outline the steps to enable the dashboard: installing necessary packages like ceph-mgr-modules-dashboard, enabling it in Ceph config, restarting mgr modules, then accessing via HTTPS on port 8443. Also, generating an admin user if needed with ceph authtool.
Wait, but security is important here. The dashboard might use self-signed certs by default, so the user should be aware to accept those or set up proper SSL. Maybe mention that briefly.
Another thought: MX23 uses Iceweasel as a browser, which is Firefox-based, so accessing the dashboard through that should work once configured.
Alternatively, if they prefer a desktop app, maybe there's something else? Let me think... CephGUI was an older project but might not be maintained. Maybe suggest using the dashboard first since it's more supported and integrated.
Also, the user mentioned they don't know how to use Ceph at all, so after setting up the GUI (dashboard), a brief tutorial on basic operations via the dashboard would help. Like monitoring clusters, managing OSDs, pools, etc.
Wait, but maybe I should structure this as steps: 1) Ensure Ceph is installed and running. 2) Install dashboard components. 3) Configure and enable it. 4) Access via browser. 5) Basic usage examples through the GUI.
Also, check dependencies. For example, installing python-pygments might be needed for the dashboard's markdown rendering? I think that was a past issue, but maybe in newer versions?
Additionally, if there are errors during setup, common troubleshooting steps: checking Ceph health with ceph status, verifying mgr is active, ensuring ports aren't blocked by firewall.
Putting it all together into a step-by-step tutorial. Also mention alternatives if the dashboard isn't sufficient, like using the CLI commands alongside for learning purposes.
To use your existing CEPH installation on MX 23 Linux with a GUI, you can leverage Ceph Dashboard, an official web-based interface included in modern Ceph versions. Below is a step-by-step tutorial to set it up and use it:
First, confirm that your Ceph cluster is running properly:
sudo ceph status
If you see output like health: HEALTH_OK, proceed. If not, fix any issues first.
Install missing dependencies for the dashboard (if needed):
sudo apt update
sudo apt install python3-pygments # Required for markdown rendering in the dashboard
Enable the dashboard module on your Ceph Manager (mgr):
sudo ceph mgr module enable dashboard
Set a default username and password for accessing the dashboard:
# Generate an admin user (replace 'admin' with your desired username)
sudo ceph dashboard create-user admin -i
# Enter a password when prompted.
If you don’t set this, the dashboard will use a random token accessible via ceph mgr services.
The Ceph Dashboard uses HTTPS by default. To avoid browser warnings:
Generate SSL certificates (optional but recommended):
sudo ceph dashboard setup-https --enable
This creates self-signed certs in /etc/ceph/ceph-dashboard/.
Alternatively, use a self-signed certificate temporarily:
The dashboard will work without this, but you’ll see security warnings.
Open your browser (e.g., Firefox/Iceweasel) and navigate to:
https://<Ceph-MGR-Node-IP>:8443
Replace <Ceph-MGR-Node-IP> with the IP of the node where Ceph Manager is running.
Accept the self-signed certificate (if you didn’t generate custom certs).
Log in using:
admin (or the user you created earlier).Once logged in, here’s what you can do:
Dashboard not accessible?
dashboard module is enabled:
sudo ceph mgr module ls | grep dashboard
8443 isn’t blocked by your firewall.
sudo ufw allow 8443/tcp
Login Credentials Forgotten?
Reset the admin password:
sudo ceph dashboard ac-user-password-reset admin
If you prefer a desktop app, consider these unofficial tools:
sudo ceph osd df # Show OSD usage
sudo ceph df # Display cluster space
This setup provides a user-friendly way to manage Ceph while learning its core concepts. Let me know if you hit any snags!