Introduction

cPanel & WHM is a leading web hosting control panel that provides a graphical interface and automation tools to simplify web hosting management. It is widely used in the hosting industry for its user-friendly interface and powerful features. This guide will walk you through the step-by-step installation of cPanel & WHM on CentOS, CloudLinux, AlmaLinux, and RHEL.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure your server meets the following requirements:

✅ A fresh installation of one of the following supported Linux distributions:

• CentOS 7 or 8
• CloudLinux 7 or 8
• AlmaLinux 8
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) 7 or 8 ✅ Root access to the server. ✅ A valid cPanel license (purchase from the cPanel website). ✅ A fully qualified domain name (FQDN) set as the hostname. ✅ Minimum 1 GB RAM (2 GB recommended). ✅ At least 20 GB of available disk space.

⚠️ Important Notes:

• cPanel & WHM must be installed on a freshly installed operating system.
• The installation process will automatically install services such as Apache, PHP, and MySQL.
• Uninstalling cPanel is not possible without reformatting the server.

Step-by-Step cPanel Installation

Step 1: Update Your System

Before installing cPanel, update your system’s package list:

sudo yum update -y

Step 2: Set the Hostname

Set a fully qualified domain name (FQDN) as your server’s hostname.

sudo hostnamectl set-hostname server.example.com

Verify the hostname:

hostname -f

Step 3: Disable SELinux

cPanel requires SELinux to be disabled for proper operation.

Check the current SELinux status:

sestatus

Temporarily disable SELinux:

sudo setenforce 0

Permanently disable SELinux:

sudo nano /etc/selinux/config

Find the line:

SELINUX=enforcing

Change it to:

SELINUX=disabled

Save and exit the file (CTRL + X, then Y, then ENTER).

Step 4: Install Perl

cPanel relies on Perl for installation.

sudo yum install perl -y

Step 5: Install cURL

cURL is required to download the cPanel installation script.

sudo yum install curl -y

Step 6: Disable Firewall (Optional)

To avoid connectivity issues during installation, temporarily disable the firewall:

sudo systemctl stop firewalld
sudo systemctl disable firewalld

After installation, re-enable the firewall and configure it properly.

Step 7: Download and Run the cPanel Installation Script

Navigate to the home directory:

cd /home

Download the latest cPanel installation script:

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

Run the installation script:

sudo sh latest

📌 Note: The installation process can take 30 minutes to a few hours depending on your server’s specifications.

Step 8: Access WHM (WebHost Manager)

Once installation is complete, access WHM (WebHost Manager) through your web browser:

https://your_server_ip:2087

You might see a security warning due to a self-signed SSL certificate. Simply proceed by adding an exception.

Step 9: Log in to WHM

Use the root user and root password to log in.

Step 10: Complete WHM Initial Setup

After logging into WHM, follow the setup wizard:

1. License Agreement – Accept the terms and conditions.
2. Contact Information – Enter your email address and optional SMS contact.
3. Hostname Configuration – Confirm the server hostname.
4. Resolvers Configuration – Set up DNS resolver IPs (default is fine).
5. Network Configuration – Select the main network device (auto-detected).
6. Set Up IP Addresses – Add extra IP addresses if needed.
7. Nameservers – Choose a nameserver software (BIND or PowerDNS) and configure nameservers.
8. Services Configuration – Configure FTP and mail services.
9. Set Up Quotas – Enable disk quotas if necessary.

Step 11: Secure Your cPanel Server

After installation, securing your server is essential:

✅ Re-enable the firewall

sudo systemctl start firewalld
sudo systemctl enable firewalld

✅ Allow Required Ports

Configure your firewall to allow the following cPanel & WHM ports:

✅ Install CSF (ConfigServer Security & Firewall)

CSF is a popular firewall plugin for cPanel security:

sudo yum install csf -y

✅ Regularly Update Your Server

sudo yum update -y

✅ Use Strong Passwords

Ensure all root and user passwords are strong and unique.

Conclusion

🎉 You have successfully installed cPanel & WHM on your Linux server! You can now manage your web hosting environment, create cPanel accounts, configure services, and host websites.

🔹 Need further customization? Explore WHM settings to optimize server performance. 🔹 Stay secure by monitoring server logs and keeping software updated.

For more advanced configurations, visit the official cPanel documentation: https://docs.cpanel.net/. 🚀