Installing and Configuring a Control Panel on Your VPS

Installing and Configuring a Control Panel on Your VPS

A control panel simplifies managing your VPS by offering a user-friendly interface for handling website hosting, databases, emails, and more. This guide will walk you through installing and setting up a popular control panel on your VPS.

Step 1: Log in to Your VPS via SSH

• Follow our guide on How to Access Your VPS via SSH to log in to your VPS.
• Once connected, proceed to install your chosen control panel.

Step 2: Choose a Control Panel

Some popular control panels for VPS hosting include:

• cPanel: A paid, full-featured control panel widely used in the hosting industry.
• Webmin: A free and open-source option suitable for Linux servers.
• VestaCP: Another free choice, known for its simplicity and essential features.

Note: Make sure to check system requirements for your selected control panel as some may need specific operating systems or resources.

Step 3: Update Your Server

Before installing the control panel, update your VPS to ensure compatibility and security.

• For Ubuntu/Debian:
  apt update && apt upgrade -y
• For CentOS:
  yum update -y

Step 4: Install Your Chosen Control Panel

Option A: Installing cPanel

cPanel requires a license but offers a 15-day free trial for new users.

• Run the following command to install cPanel (for CentOS only):
  cd /home && curl -o latest -L https://securedownloads.cpanel.net/latest && sh latest
• Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation.

Option B: Installing Webmin

• Add the Webmin repository and install:
  • For Ubuntu/Debian:
    wget -q -O- http://www.webmin.com/jcameron-key.asc | sudo apt-key add - sudo add-apt-repository "deb http://download.webmin.com/download/repository sarge contrib" sudo apt update sudo apt install webmin -y
  • For CentOS:
    wget http://www.webmin.com/download/rpm/webmin-current.rpm rpm -U webmin-current.rpm
• Once installed, Webmin will be accessible through your VPS IP address on port 10000 (e.g., https://your-ip:10000).

Option C: Installing VestaCP

• Run the following command to install VestaCP (for both CentOS and Ubuntu):
  curl -O http://vestacp.com/pub/vst-install.sh bash vst-install.sh
• Follow the on-screen prompts to complete the setup.

Step 5: Access Your Control Panel

• After installation, open a web browser and enter your VPS IP address followed by the control panel's port.
  • cPanel: https://your-ip:2087
  • Webmin: https://your-ip:10000
  • VestaCP: https://your-ip:8083
• Log in using the default credentials provided during installation or those set during configuration.

Step 6: Configure Your Control Panel

• Upon logging in, the control panel will guide you through the initial setup steps.
• Configure essential settings like:
  • Hostname: Choose a unique, fully qualified domain name for your server.
  • Nameservers: Set up DNS settings to direct your domain traffic to the VPS.
  • Admin Email: Set an email to receive important server notifications.

Step 7: Secure Your Control Panel

• Change the Default Password: Update your admin password to something secure.
• Enable SSL: Most control panels support free SSL certificates from providers like Let’s Encrypt to secure your login and services.
• Configure the Firewall: Limit access to the control panel by IP if possible and block unused ports.

Step 8: Start Managing Your VPS with Your Control Panel

You’re now ready to use your control panel to manage your VPS! You can add domains, create databases, set up email accounts, and more—all from an intuitive interface.