How to Install cPanel: A Detailed, Professional Guide

Installing cPanel: A Comprehensive Guide

Installing cPanel on your server is a straightforward process, but it requires careful execution of each step to ensure a smooth setup. Follow this detailed guide to install cPanel effectively and efficiently.

cPanel System Requirements

Before starting, ensure your server meets the following requirements:

1. Operating System

   • CentOS: 7.x or 8.x
   • CloudLinux: 7.x or 8.x
   • AlmaLinux: 8.x
   • Rocky Linux: 8.x
   • Note: cPanel does not support other operating systems such as Ubuntu or Debian.

2. Hardware Requirements

   • CPU: Minimum of 1 GHz processor (2 GHz or higher recommended for optimal performance)
   • RAM: Minimum of 2 GB (4 GB or more recommended, depending on the number of accounts and services)
   • Disk Space: Minimum of 20 GB of free disk space (more may be required based on the number of accounts and services)

3. Network Requirements

   • Static IP Address: At least one static IP address is required. Additional IP addresses may be needed for additional services or to handle more accounts.
   • Hostname: A fully qualified domain name (FQDN) should be set up and resolvable via DNS.

4. Software Requirements

   • Perl: Perl 5.10 or higher is required.
   • Python: Python 2.7 or higher is recommended for some cPanel features.
   • Apache: Apache 2.4 is recommended, though cPanel will install and configure its own version.
   • MySQL/MariaDB: Version 10.6 or higher for MariaDB or version 8.0 or higher for MySQL, depending on your configuration settings.

5. Additional Considerations

   • Firewall Configuration: Ensure that the firewall allows traffic on ports required by cPanel (e.g., ports 2083, 2087, 80, 443).
   • SELinux: Should be set to permissive mode during installation.

Pre-Installation Checks

1. Update the System: Ensure your server's operating system and packages are up to date.
2. Clean Installation: It’s recommended to start with a clean installation of your chosen operating system.
3. Disable Other Web Servers: If you have other web servers installed (e.g., Nginx), they should be stopped and disabled.

Prerequisites

Before starting, ensure you have:

• A fresh installation of CentOS, CloudLinux, or AlmaLinux.
• Root access to the server.
• A registered domain name with proper DNS setup.

Installation Steps

Step 1: Change the Hostname

The hostname should be configured before installing cPanel. Use the following commands to set your desired hostname:

hostnamectl set-hostname sub.domain.tld
hostname sub.domain.tld

Replace sub.domain.tld with your actual hostname.

Step 2: Enable Custom SQL Server Installation

cPanel allows you to specify the version of the SQL server. Follow these steps to configure it:

1. Create a configuration directory:

mkdir /root/cpanel_profile

echo "mysql-version=10.6" > /root/cpanel_profile/cpanel.config

systemctl disable network
systemctl stop network

systemctl status network

cd /home && curl -o latest -L https://securedownloads.cpanel.net/latest && sh latest

systemctl enable network
systemctl start network

systemctl status network