Installing a Control Panel (Plesk, cPanel, DirectAdmin) on a VPS or Dedicated Server

Installing a control panel makes it much easier to manage your server, hosting accounts, domains, emails, and databases. Below you will find installation guides for the three most popular control panels: Plesk, cPanel, and DirectAdmin.

---

Requirements

• You must have SSH access as root.
• Your server should have a clean Linux installation (no other control panels installed).
• It is highly recommended to take a snapshot or full backup before starting the installation.

---

Installing Plesk

Plesk offers a “one-click installer” that automatically downloads and installs the latest stable version.

Step 1: Connect to your server

Connect to your VPS or dedicated server via SSH as root:

ssh root@your-server-ip

Step 2: Run the one-click installer

Run the following command to start the installation:

sh <(curl https://autoinstall.plesk.com/one-click-installer || wget -O - https://autoinstall.plesk.com/one-click-installer)

The installer will automatically download and configure Plesk with all default components and updates.

Step 3: First login

After the installation completes, open your browser and go to:

https://your-server-ip:8443

Default login credentials:

• Username: root or the Plesk admin user created during setup
• Password: set during the first login

Follow the on-screen wizard to complete the initial configuration (hostname, password, license key, etc.).

---

Installing cPanel & WHM

cPanel is one of the most widely used web hosting control panels. The installation script automatically installs all necessary services (Apache, PHP, Exim, Dovecot, BIND, and more).

Step 1: Preparation

• Use a clean installation of CentOS, AlmaLinux, or CloudLinux.
• Make sure no other control panel is installed.
• Your server’s IP must be public and static.

Step 2: Installation

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

The installation usually takes 20–30 minutes, depending on your server’s performance.

Step 3: First access to WHM

Once installation is complete, log in to WHM via:

https://your-server-ip:2087

Log in with your root credentials and complete the Initial Setup Wizard.

To manage or restart the cPanel service, you can use:

systemctl status cpanel systemctl restart cpanel

Note: There is no official uninstaller for cPanel. Reinstallation requires a clean OS reinstall.

---

Installing DirectAdmin

DirectAdmin is a lightweight and stable web hosting control panel, ideal for servers with limited resources.

Step 1: Run the setup script

sh <(curl -fsSL https://download.directadmin.com/setup.sh)

You can also include your license key directly:

sh <(curl -fsSL https://download.directadmin.com/setup.sh) 'license_key_here'

Step 2: Complete installation

After installation, you will receive access details and the login URL:

http://your-server-ip:2222

Login credentials are stored in:

/usr/local/directadmin/conf/setup.txt

Step 3: Post-install configuration

• Log in as admin and complete the basic setup (hostname, nameservers, DNS, email).
• Run system updates from “System Info & Updates”.

---

Useful Tips

• Always take a full backup or snapshot before installation.
• Use a static IP address for stability and licensing.
• Update the OS before installing: dnf -y update
• Change all default passwords and enable SSL after installation.
• Enable a firewall (e.g., CSF or Fail2ban) for additional protection.

---

Installing the right control panel simplifies server management. Choose the panel that best fits your needs and follow the steps above for a secure and reliable setup.