How to install cPanel?

Category: Advanced (Command Line)  •  Est. reading time: 4 minutes

Installing cPanel gives a fresh server the familiar control panel you use to manage hosting. This is a server-admin task for a dedicated or self-managed machine, not something you do on shared hosting. It runs from the command line, so you will need root SSH access and a supported operating system.

Before You Start

  • A clean, supported Linux server (such as AlmaLinux, Rocky Linux, or CloudLinux) with root access.
  • A valid cPanel license, which you can add during or after install.
  • A hostname set as a fully qualified domain name.

The Steps

  1. Connect to your server over SSH as root.
  2. Make sure your system is current, then move into a working directory such as /home.
  3. Download the installer from cPanel’s official source and run it. cPanel provides the current one-line command in their documentation, and it is best to copy it from there so you always get the latest.
  4. Let the installer run. It takes a while, often an hour or more, as it builds the full stack. Do not interrupt it.
  5. When it finishes, log in to WHM at your-server-ip:2087 to complete the initial setup and add your license.

This is a big, one-shot operation. A failed or interrupted cPanel install usually means starting over with a fresh server. If you are standing up a new dedicated server, this is exactly the kind of thing we set up for our clients.

Spinning up a dedicated server? Let us build it for you, correctly and securely. Reach us at support@allydrez.com or 1-321-209-2004.