Step 1: Important Facts about Installation

Details for:

cPanel & WHM 11.38

cPanel DNSONLY

Before you install cPanel & WHM or cPanel DNSONLY, you should know that:

Because cPanel is designed for commercial hosting, we only license publicly visible,
static IP addresses. We do not license dynamic, sticky, or internal IPs.

You should not use NAT when configuring your network settings. Your server should
have its own public IP address.

At this time, we do not provide an uninstaller. Once you have installed cPanel
software, you must reformat the server to remove it.

You should only install cPanel & WHM on a freshly installed operating system.

The cPanel & WHM installer will install all of the services it needs. If you install
services before cPanel & WHM, you will encounter compatibility problems. When you
install your operating system, make sure to deselect software package groups such as a
Gnome, KDE, and any other GUI desktop environments.

You will need a working package handler such as yum or up2date (included in default
installations of CentOS and Red Hat Enterprise Linux).

Step 2: System Requirements for cPanel &

WHM 11.38 Installation

How to choose a server

Hardware requirements

Compatible software

How long will cPanel & WHM support my operating system?

How long will this release of cPanel & WHM receive support?

How to choose a server

When you choose a server, you should consider these factors:

How many sites you plan to host. For example, if your server will host many websites,
each with its own set of email addresses and databases, the server will require more
processing power, disk space, and RAM.

What kind of web hosting you plan to do. While cPanel & WHM will run on the
minimum requirements below, the server will need more processing power, disk space,
and RAM if you plan to host videos, music, or high-volume applications like forums.

We offer support for new installations on the operating systems and architectures mentioned
below. (Please also read our Important facts to understand before installing document.)
Note: A 64-bit operating system will use more memory than a 32-bit system. This should be
considered when you choose a server.

Hardware requirements
Component
Minimum Requirement
Processor
266 MHz
Memory
512 MB RAM (1 GB recommended when hosting many accounts)
Disk Space
10 GB hard disk
Note: The above requirements are the minimum requirements. A server that meets only these
requirements may not function properly. This may especially take place if the server runs various
demanding functions. Some known issues are unsuccessful mail deliveries and websites not
serving when called.

Compatible software
Supported Virtual Environments [1]
KVM
Linux-VServer
Microsoft Server 2008 Hyper-V [2]
OpenVZ (stable releases only) [3]
Oracle VM VirtualBox, VirtualBox OSE
Virtuozzo [3]

VMware Server, VMware ESX Server

Xen, XenEnterprise, XenExpress, XenServer
Supported Operating Systems
(i386 and x86-64 only)
CentOS versions 5.x and 6.x
Red Hat Enterprise Linux versions 5.x and 6.x
CloudLinux 5.x [3]
Virtual Environments Detected and Reported as Functional
SmartOS

[4]

[1]

cPanel does not support 32-bit Virtual Environments that run on a 64-bit host kernel.
cPanel supports the drivers and configurations provided by Microsoft.
[3]
CloudLinux is not compatible with OpenVZ or Virtuozzo. cPanel does not support using Xen
PV (paravirtualization) with CloudLinux.
[4]
For SmartOS to be detected, you must use cPanel & WHM version 11.36.1 or higher.
[2]

Step 3: Choose an Operating System

Details for:

cPanel & WHM 11.38

cPanel DNSONLY 11.38

Introduction

About CentOS and Red Hat Enterprise Linux

About CloudLinux

About FreeBSD

Introduction
Our system requirements document lists these operating systems as compatible with cPanel &
WHM 11.38:

CentOS (version 5.x or 6.x)

Red Hat Enterprise Linux (version 5.x or 6.x)

CloudLinux (version 5.x)

CloudLinux (version 6.x)

Next, let's examine the basic differences between these operating systems.

About CentOS and Red Hat Enterprise Linux

CentOS is a free operating system based on Red Hat Enterprise Linux.
CentOS
Free
Community-supplied updates
Community-supplied support
CentOS vs. Red Hat Operating Systems

RedHat Enterprise Linux

Paid
Updates from Red Hat
Support from Red Hat

About CloudLinux
CloudLinux is an operating system based on CentOS.
Unlike CentOS, CloudLinux modifies the kernel to contain spikes in usage. This modification
enhances your server's reliability.
Note: CloudLinux is compatible with virtual environments that allow you to select a kernel. It
is not compatible with OpenVZ or Virtuozzo.
Additional resources:

http://www.cpanel.net/cloudlinux.htm

http://www.cloudlinux.com

http://www.cloudlinux.com/docs/whmplugin.php

http://www.cloudlinux.com/docs/cpanel-enduser-plugin.php

http://www.cloudlinux.com/docs/cpanel-webserver.php

About FreeBSD
We no longer support FreeBSD as of cPanel & WHM 11.30. We recommend that you do not
create new FreeBSD servers for use with cPanel & WHM. For more information, please read our
End of Life Policy.

Step 4: Install Your Operating System

Details for:

cPanel & WHM 11.38

cPanel DNSONLY

Overview

How to install CentOS

How to install CloudLinux

o How to install CloudLinux from an ISO
o How to convert CentOS 5.x or 6.x to CloudLinux (without cPanel & WHM
installed)
o How to convert CentOS 5.x or CentOS 6.x to CloudLinux (with cPanel & WHM
installed)

How to install Red Hat Enterprise Linux

Overview
After you place the operating system (OS) installation discs into your server, you will receive a
prompt to test the discs before you start the installation process. We strongly recommend that
you test the discs. This may save time later if a disc is unreadable.
As part of the installation process, you will need to:

Configure your Ethernet device with a static IP address and a fully qualified
hostname This will minimize the work needed after the installation of OS and cPanel
software.

Register your fully qualified hostname This hostname cannot be the same as any
domain used on your server.

Define the IP address, subnet address, and default gateway IP for your server
Your service provider will be able to provide you with this information.

Important: cPanel & WHM only supports CentOS, Red Hat Enterprise Linux, and
CloudLinux operating systems. No other operating systems are compatible.

How to install CentOS

To install CentOS packaged with cPanel & WHM:
1. Download a free CentOS DVD ISO from our website.
2. Burn the ISO to CD or DVD, and install it on your server.
3. Upon its first reboot, the ISO will install cPanel & WHM in the background.
Warning: If you choose to download CentOS from another site, and you plan to use cPanel
DNSONLY on your server, do not install the CentOS ISO that is labeled minimal. If you
download this ISO, the cPanel installation will fail. Instead, install the generic (or netinstall)
CentOS ISO, then choose the "minimal" version during the installation process.

How to install CloudLinux

If you have purchased an IP address-based CloudLinux license, the cPanel install process
will automatically install CloudLinux.
If you wish to install CloudLinux before you are ready to start the cPanel install process, you can
either use an ISO or download the installation script from the CloudLinux repository.
Important: You must obtain a CloudLinux license before you initiate the installation process.
This license enables you to run CloudLinux, as well as receive patches and updates. You can get
the license from your provider, or from the cPanel Store. If you purchase the license from the
cPanel Store, you will automatically get an IP address-based license. This license is granted
based on the static IP address where you have installed the operating system.
Warning: There is a known incompatibility when cPanel runs on CloudLinux under Centos
5.X. After you run the backup process for the first time, the backup partition will become stuck
with an active lock. To resolve this issue, you will need to manually remount and unmount the
backup partition.

How to install CloudLinux from an ISO

To install CloudLinux from an ISO:
1. Navigate to the CloudLinux Downloads page. Click on the link that matches the chip
architecture of your server.
2. Download and install the ISO.

3. Boot from the ISO and follow the on-screen instructions.

4. From the command line, run these commands:
o /usr/sbin/clnreg_ks
o yum update
Note: For information about how to remove CloudLinux from your system, visit the
CloudLinux website.

How to convert CentOS 5.x or 6.x to CloudLinux (without cPanel & WHM
installed)
To convert from CentOS 5.x or CentOS 6.x to CloudLinux, if you do not have cPanel & WHM
installed:
1. Purchase a CloudLinux license from your provider, or from the cPanel Store.
2. Connect to your server via SSH as root, and run the command
wget http://repo.cloudlinux.com/cloudlinux/sources/cln/cldeploy

3. If you own:
o an IP address-based CloudLinux license, run the command sh cldeploy -i
o a CloudLinux license key, run the command sh cldeploy -k $key

Replace $key with your license key.

How to convert CentOS 5.x or CentOS 6.x to CloudLinux (with cPanel & WHM
installed)
To convert from CentOS 5.x or Centos 6.x to CloudLinux with cPanel & WHM already installed,
and you own an IP address-based CloudLinux license, run the following commands:
1. wget http://repo.cloudlinux.com/cloudlinux/sources/cln/cldeploy
2. sh cldeploy -i
3. reboot

How to install Red Hat Enterprise Linux

To install Red Hat Enterprise Linux:

1. Download the Red Hat Enterprise Linux ISO from The Red Hat Website.
2. Burn the ISO to CD or DVD, and install it on your server.
3. Register the server with the Red Hat network (run the command rhn_register).
Warning: If you do not register the server before you install cPanel & WHM, the installation
will fail.

Previous Step 3: Choose an operating system.

Step 5: Configure Your Operating System

Details for:

cPanel & WHM 11.38

cPanel DNSONLY

Introduction

Configuring CloudLinux
o Recommended partitions

Configure Red Hat Enterprise Linux

o Recommended file system
o Recommended partitions
o Configure Red Hat Enterprise Linux v.6

Subscribe to the RHEL 6 Server - Optional (RPMs) channel

Configure CentOS
o Recommended file system
o Recommended partitions

Configuring network connections

Removing YUM groups

Disabling SELinux security features

Deactivating default firewall and checking for updates

Verify permissions for the /tmp directory

Introduction
You will be asked to configure a number of features when installing your operating system.

Configuring CloudLinux
Recommended partitions
Partition Name
Size
/boot
99 MB
/
Grow to fill disk (40 GB recommended, 20 GB minimum)
Note: Allotting more disk space allows you to host more accounts.
swap
2x the server's RAM

Configure Red Hat Enterprise Linux

Recommended file system
When you install Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL), we recommend that you use an ext
filesystem (ext2, ext3, or ext4).
Warning: If you use Red Hat 5.x with the ext4 filesystem, you will need to download and
install the package mentioned in the Red Hat documentation.

Recommended partitions
Partition Name
/
swap

Size
Grow to fill disk (We recommend at least 40 GB.))
Note: Allotting more disk space allows you to host more accounts.
2x the server's RAM

Additional partitions, especially for servers with high email volume, may be beneficial for your
server. The number of files that the operating system can access per partition is limited.
Note: Advanced partitioning information is available in our Advanced Options: PreInstallation documentation.

Configure Red Hat Enterprise Linux v.6

Before you install cPanel & WHM on a Red Hat Enterprise Linux v.6 server, you must subscribe
the server to the Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 Server - Optional (RPMs) channel. If you do not
subscribe the server to this channel, which installs the rhel-6-server-optional-rpms
repository, then the cPanel & WHM installation will fail.
Subscribe to the RHEL 6 Server - Optional (RPMs) channel
To subscribe to the RHEL Server - Optional (RPMs) channel, run the following command:
subscription-manager repos --enable rhel-6-server-optional-rpms

Note: You may need to subscribe to additional channels in order to maintain all of the
packages that cPanel & WHM requires.

Configure CentOS
Recommended file system
When you install CentOS, we recommend using an ext filesystem (ext2, ext3, or ext4).
Warning: If you are using CentOS 5.x with the ext4 filesystem, you will need to download
and install the package mentioned in the Red Hat documentation.

Recommended partitions
Partition Name
/
swap

Size
Grow to fill disk (40 GB recommended, 20 GB minimum)
Note: Allotting more disk space allows you to host more accounts.
2x the server's RAM

For some servers, having additional partitions is beneficial (especially servers with high email
volume). The number of files that the operating system can access per partition is limited.
Note: Advanced partitioning information is available in our Advanced Options: PreInstallation documentation.

Configuring network connections

On Red Hat Enterprise Linux, CentOS, and CloudLinux operating systems, you can run the
command setup to configure your server's network connections.
If you did not set up a static IP address for your server during installation, use the setup utility
to define the IP address, subnet address, and default gateway IP. Your data center will be able to
provide you with this information.
Remember: When you configure your network settings, do not use NAT. Your server should
have its own public IP address.
For instructions on how you can obtain an IP address, visit:

http://www.arin.net for the US, Canada and parts of the Caribbean

http://www.lacnic.net for Mexico, Caribbean Islands and South America

http://www.afrinic.net for Africa

http://www.ripe.net for Europe, Middle East and Central Asia

http://www.apnic.net for Asia and the Pacific Region

Removing YUM groups

To obtain a list of yum groups, run the command:
yum grouplist

You should make sure these yum groups are not installed:

FTP Server

GNOME Desktop Environment

KDE (K Desktop Environment)

Mail Server or E-mail Server

Mono

Web Server

X Window System

To remove a yum group, run the command yum groupremove. For example, if you wish to
remove Mono and Mail Server, enter:
yum groupremove "Mono" "Mail Server"

Note: You can specify more than one group per command line. Simply place quotation marks
("") around each group you wish to remove.

Disabling SELinux security features

You should disable SELinux after installing Red Hat Enterprise Linux, CentOS, or CloudLinux.
To disable SELinux, you can either:

Use the graphical interface while configuring your operating system, or

Edit /etc/selinux/config from the command line and set the SELINUX parameter to
disabled using a text editor, such as nano or vi.

If you disable SELinux from the command line, the contents of /etc/selinux/config should
resemble:
# This file controls the state of SELinux on the system.
# SELINUX= can take one of these three values:
# enforcing - SELinux security policy is enforced.
# permissive - SELinux prints warnings instead of enforcing.
# disabled - No SELinux policy is loaded.
SELINUX=disabled
# SELINUXTYPE= can take one of these two values:
# targeted - Only targeted network daemons are protected.
# strict - Full SELinux protection.
SELINUXTYPE=targeted

Important: For cPanel & WHM to run on your server, SELinux must remain disabled. You
should make sure that the pound sign (#) does not precede SELINUX=disabled. If # precedes
this configuration option, the line will be ignored.
Warning: Do not transfer the SELinux configuration file between computers. Doing so may
destroy the file's integrity.

Deactivating default firewall and checking for updates

If you are installing a CentOS, Red Hat Enterprise Linux, CloudLinux operating system, you
should deactivate the default firewall and check for updates.

To deactivate the firewall, run the commands:

chkconfig iptables off
service iptables stop

To check for updates, run the command:

yum update

Verify permissions for the /tmp directory

The /tmp directory permissions must be set to 1777 before you install cPanel & WHM.
Note: Your operating system should have these permissions set by default.
To verify that the /tmp directory is set to the correct permissions, run the following command:
stat /tmp

If the permissions are set correctly, the output will contain a line that resembles the following:
Access: (1777/drwxrwxrwt)

Uid: (

0/

root)

Gid: (

0/

root)

To change the permissions of the /tmp directory, run the following command as root:
# chmod 1777 /tmp

Important: If the permissions are not set correctly, cPanel & WHM will not install correctly.

Previous Step 4: Install your operating system.

Step 6: Install cPanel & WHM (or cPanel DNSONLY)

Details for:

cPanel & WHM version 11.38

cPanel DNSONLY

Preparing to install cPanel & WHM or cPanel DNSONLY

Connecting to your server remotely via SSH

o

Connecting to your server from a Windows PC via PuTTy

Obtaining a cPanel & WHM license

Installing cPanel & WHM

Installing cPanel DNSONLY

Getting started in WHM

Important: Once cPanel & WHM is installed on a server, you must reformat the server in
order to remove it. At this time, we do not provide an uninstaller.
Preparing to install cPanel & WHM or cPanel DNSONLY

After successfully installing your operating system, you are ready to install cPanel & WHM or
cPanel DNSONLY.
To install this software, you must first:
1. Access your server. If you do not have physical access, you can connect to
your server remotely via SSH.
2. Check your operating system's configuration.
3. Obtain a cPanel license.
4. Run the installation commands.
Connecting to your server remotely via SSH

To connect to your server remotely via SSH:

1. Open the command line interface (using a terminal application).
2. Run the command ssh root@$IP (where $IP represents your target server's IP
address).
3. Enter your server's root password.
Connecting to your server from a Windows PC via PuTTy

To connect to your server from a Windows PC via PuTTy:

1. Download the client from the PuTTy site and install.
2. Open the client.
3. In the Sessions menu, enter your server's IP address.

You should make sure the SSH button is selected.

4. Click Open.
5. Enter your server's root password.

Visit the PuTTy site for more details.

Remember: Once you are logged on to your server, you must run POSIX-standardized
commands to manipulate files, regardless of whether you are connecting via PuTTy or another
SSH client.
Obtaining a cPanel & WHM license

If you do not already own a license for cPanel & WHM, you should obtain one for your IP
address before attempting installation. To obtain a cPanel & WHM license, visit the cPanel Store.
Note: The cPanel Store offers 15-day test licenses at no cost.
Installing cPanel & WHM

Note: You must have Perl installed on your server before you can run the installation script for
cPanel & WHM. You can install Perl using either yum or up2date.

yum users should run the following command: yum install perl

up2date users should run the following command: up2date -i perl

To install cPanel & WHM, run these commands:

1. cd /home Opens the /home directory.
2. wget -N http://httpupdate.cpanel.net/latest Fetches the latest
installation files from cPanel's servers.
3. sh latest Opens and executes the installation files.

If licensing fails (due to a strict firewall or modified IP), run the command
/usr/local/cpanel/cpkeyclt to activate your cPanel & WHM license.
Note: During the cPanel & WHM installation process, Apache 2.2 and PHP 5.4 are installed
by default. After this installation process is complete, you can customize your server's Apache
and PHP configuration with WHM's EasyApache feature.
Installing cPanel DNSONLY

To install cPanel DNSONLY, run these commands:

1. cd /home Opens the /home directory.
2. wget -N http://httpupdate.cpanel.net/latest-dnsonly Fetches the latest
installation files from cPanel's servers.
3. sh latest-dnsonly Opens and executes the installation files.
Getting started in WHM

To access the WHM interface:

1. Enter https://$IP:2087 into your preferred web browser.
o

$IP represents your server's IP address.

2. Enter root into the Name field.

3. Enter your root password into the Password field.
4. Click Log In.

For more information on getting started in WHM, see our WHM Initial Setup Wizard
documentation.
If you are looking to set up cPanel user accounts, navigate to WHM's Create a New Account
feature. cPanel user accounts allows users to create email and FTP accounts, as well as perform
other website management tasks.

Previous Step 5: Configure your operating system.

Return to the Installation Guide