How to install cPanel on your VPS

cPanel provides a control panel for managing websites, email accounts and server resources on your VPS. Installing it requires root access and basic command line knowledge.

You will connect to your VPS via SSH, download the cPanel installation script and run it. Once complete, you can access WHM to configure hosting packages and manage users.

Connect to your VPS

You need to establish an SSH connection to your VPS before running the installation script. This gives you command line access with root privileges.

1. Open PuTTY.
   Launch the PuTTY application on your computer.
2. Enter your VPS details.
   In the Host Name (or IP address) field, enter your VPS IP address or domain name. Confirm that Connection type is set to SSH and the Port is set to 22.
3. Connect to the server.
   Click Open to start the connection. If this is your first time connecting, PuTTY will display a security alert about the server’s host key. Click Accept to continue.

4. Log in with your credentials.
   When prompted, enter your VPS username (typically root) and press Enter. Type or paste your password when requested. The password will not appear on screen as you type.

You are now connected to your VPS with root access. The command prompt confirms you can run administrative commands.

Download and run the cPanel installer

The cPanel installation script downloads all required files and configures your server automatically. This process takes 30 to 60 minutes depending on your server specifications.

1. Navigate to the home directory.
   Type cd /home and press Enter. This moves you to the directory where the installer will run.
2. Download the installation script.
   Copy and paste this command into PuTTY, then press Enter:

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

This command uses cURL to download the latest cPanel installer and runs it immediately. You will see installation progress messages appear in the terminal.

3. Wait for installation to complete.
   The installer configures Apache, MySQL, PHP and other required services. Do not close PuTTY or interrupt the process. When finished, you will see a completion message with your WHM login URL.

cPanel is now installed on your VPS. You can access the WHM interface to complete initial configuration.

Access WHM

WHM (Web Host Manager) is the administrative interface for cPanel. You use it to create hosting accounts, set resource limits and manage server settings.

1. Open your browser.
   Navigate to your VPS IP address or domain name followed by :2087. For example: https://192.0.2.1:2087 or https://yourdomain.co.uk:2087
2. Accept the security warning.
   Your browser will display a certificate warning because cPanel uses a self-signed SSL certificate by default. Click Advanced and then Proceed to continue.
3. Log in to WHM.
   Enter root as the username and your VPS root password. Click Log in to access the WHM dashboard.

You are now in WHM where you can complete the initial setup wizard and start creating hosting accounts.

Wrapping up

You have installed cPanel on your VPS and accessed the WHM interface. You connected via SSH, ran the installation script and logged into the control panel. Your server is now ready for hosting configuration.

Complete the WHM setup wizard to configure nameservers, email settings and security options. You can then create hosting packages and user accounts. If you prefer a managed solution, our web hosting services include cPanel without requiring manual installation.