In this tutorial, we will guide you through the process to install cPanel on Ubuntu server. We will also cover cPanel features. Read till the end to understand the entire process.
cPanel is one of the world’s most popular control panels for Linux servers. Although it is not the cheapest option available out there, its user-friendly UI along with the huge variety of plugins and tools that come with cPanel/WHM, make it the best control panel software IT admins and webmasters prefer in 2023.
Although cPanel and WHM are two different portals, there is only one installation process that will deploy them both. Let’s see the main features of cPanel and WHM before proceeding to the rest of this tutorial.
cPanel Features
cPanel is a popular web hosting control panel that provides a user-friendly interface and a range of features to manage websites and server administration tasks. Here are some key features of cPanel:
- File Management: cPanel allows you to upload, organize, and manage your website files using a built-in File Manager. You can create directories, upload files, edit files directly, and set file permissions.
- Domain and DNS Management: You can easily manage your domains and DNS settings through cPanel. You can add new domains, create subdomains, set up domain redirects, manage DNS zones, and configure email routing.
- Email Accounts: cPanel provides tools to create and manage email accounts associated with your domains. You can create email addresses, set up forwarders and autoresponders, manage spam filters, and access webmail interfaces.
- Database Management: cPanel supports popular database systems like MySQL and PostgreSQL. You can create and manage databases, set up database users and permissions, and use tools like phpMyAdmin to manage your databases.
- Website Metrics: cPanel provides various tools to monitor and analyze your website’s performance. You can view visitor statistics, access error logs, set up cron jobs, and analyze bandwidth usage.
- Security: cPanel offers security features to protect your website and server. You can manage SSL certificates, set up password-protected directories, enable hotlink protection, and configure IP blocking.
- Backup and Restoration: cPanel allows you to create backups of your website files, databases, and email accounts. You can schedule automatic backups, restore specific files or databases, and configure backup destinations.
- Software Installation: cPanel includes a built-in software installer called Softaculous. It allows you to install popular web applications, such as content management systems (CMS) like WordPress, e-commerce platforms, forums, and more, with just a few clicks.
- Server Configuration: cPanel provides access to various server configuration options. You can manage PHP settings, configure Apache web server options, set up FTP accounts, manage SSH access, and more.
- Additional Features: cPanel offers additional features like FTP management, domain redirects, SSL/TLS management, subdomain management, cron job scheduler, and DNS zone editor.
Let us now have a look at the steps to install cPanel on Ubuntu server.
Steps to Install cPanel on Ubuntu Server
Let’s see how to install cPanel on Ubuntu server in simple steps.
Step 1 – Disable Firewall and Update System
Before you install cPanel on Ubuntu server, make sure your firewall is disabled. You may re-enable it once the installation is finished. Use the command below:
root@ubuntu22.04:~$ iptables-save > ~/firewall.rules
root@ubuntu22.04:~$ systemctl stop firewalld.service
root@ubuntu22.04:~$ systemctl disable firewalld.service
Then, use the following command to update the packages on the server:
root@ubuntu22.04:~$ apt update && apt upgrade
Step 2 — Set Hostname (FQDN)
To install cPanel on Ubuntu Server, the server must be linked to a fully qualified domain name (fqdn).
Let’s assume your preferred hostname is cpanel.leasepacket.com.cy, and you want to point that sub-domain to your server’s IP address. Run the following command:
root@ubuntu22.04:~$ vi /etc/hostname
Delete any entries when the hostname file opens and enter your hostname cpanel.leasepacket.com.cy. Save the file and close it.
192.168.1.1 cpanel.leasepacket.com.cy cpanel
When finished, save and close the file.
Step 3 — Install cPanel/WHM
After completing the steps mentioned above, you can download and run the official script to install.
root@ubuntu22.04:~$ cd /home && curl -o latest -L
https://securedownloads.cpanel.net/latest && sh latest
The setup procedure should take a few minutes to complete if no problems arise.
Step 4 — Access WHM/cPanel GUI
You can now enter your WHM GUI’s hostname or IP address into your browser and access it in one of several ways:
https://[server-ip]:2087
https://fqdn-hostname/whm
https://[server-ip]/whm
https;//fgdn-hostname:2087
Activate License If Required
In order for a cPanel license to be activated once it is installed on a server, the customer must provide the server’s IP address when placing the transaction.
The following command must be run on the server if a valid license has been purchased yet the “Purchase a License” or “Continue with Trial” message remains. With this command, the license activation will be updated automatically via the internet.
root@ubuntu22.04:~$ /usr/local/cpanel/cpkeyclt
And that’s it. You have successfully completed the process to install cPanel on Ubuntu server.
Stuck somewhere in the process to install cPanel on Ubuntu server? Contact our 24×7 server support team, we are always happy to help.
