How to Install and Configure CyberPanel on Your VPS Server

CyberPanel VPS Setup Overview and System Requirements

CyberPanel is an open-source web hosting control panel powered by OpenLiteSpeed (or LiteSpeed Enterprise). Designed for high-performance WordPress hosting, PHP application management, and containerized web environments, CyberPanel integrates web server management, DNS (PowerDNS), email (Postfix/Dovecot), FTP (Pure-FTPd), database services (MariaDB), and automated Let’s Encrypt SSL certificates into a single web interface. Deploying CyberPanel on a high-performance KVM Linux VPS hosting plan provides isolated compute resources and full root access for optimized web hosting.

Before beginning installation, ensure your VPS meets CyberPanel’s official technical prerequisites. Installing on a clean, minimal Linux distribution prevents software conflicts with pre-installed Apache, Nginx, or existing database servers.

What to Check Before Installing CyberPanel

Verify these core server prerequisites before running the automated installation script:

Prepare Your VPS for CyberPanel Installation

Log in to your VPS via SSH as the root user. Replace 192.0.2.10 with your server’s public IP address:

ssh root@192.0.2.10

Update your system packages to ensure all security patches and dependencies are current. Run the update command corresponding to your operating system:

For Ubuntu 20.04 / 22.04 LTS:

apt update && apt upgrade -y

For AlmaLinux 8 / 9 or Rocky Linux:

dnf update -y

Set a valid Fully Qualified Domain Name (FQDN) hostname for your server (e.g., host.yourdomain.com). CyberPanel uses the system hostname during SSL setup and mail service configuration:

hostnamectl set-hostname host.yourdomain.com

If kernel updates were installed, reboot the server to initialize the updated kernel, then reconnect via SSH:

reboot

Installing CyberPanel on Your VPS

Execute the official CyberPanel installation script. This automated script inspects your operating system, downloads required repositories, configures Python dependencies, installs OpenLiteSpeed, MariaDB, PowerDNS, Pure-FTPd, and sets up control panel services:

sh <(curl https://cyberpanel.net/install.sh || wget -O - https://cyberpanel.net/install.sh)

Follow the interactive on-screen prompts during installation:

1. Select Operation: Enter 1 to choose “Install CyberPanel”.
2. Choose Web Server Edition: Select 1 for “CyberPanel with OpenLiteSpeed” (100% free and open-source). Select 2 if you hold a commercial LiteSpeed Enterprise license.
3. Full Installation Components: Enter Y to install full CyberPanel components, including PowerDNS, Postfix mail server, and Pure-FTPd.
4. Remote Database Setup: Enter N to use local MariaDB database server installed directly on your VPS.
5. Set Admin Password: Choose r for a random secure password, d for the default password (1234567), or s to enter a custom secure password.
6. Install Extensions: Enter Y when prompted to install Memcached and Redis object caching extensions and WatchDog service monitoring.

Once the installer completes (typically 5 to 15 minutes), the terminal will display your administrator login credentials, panel URL (https://SERVER_IP:8090), and admin password. Copy and securely store these credentials. When prompted, enter y to reboot the server.

Accessing CyberPanel and Opening Required Firewall Ports

After your VPS reboots, open a web browser and navigate to the CyberPanel administration interface at https://192.0.2.10:8090 (replace with your server IP).

Note on Initial Browser Warning: On your first login via IP address, your browser will show a security warning because CyberPanel uses an initial self-signed SSL certificate. Click “Advanced” and proceed to the site. This warning will be resolved once you configure a valid panel hostname with Let’s Encrypt TLS.

To ensure CyberPanel services function properly, open the required network ports in your Linux firewall (UFW for Ubuntu or firewalld for AlmaLinux) and any external cloud provider firewall rules:

UFW Commands (Ubuntu):

ufw allow 8090/tcp
ufw allow 80/tcp
ufw allow 443/tcp
ufw allow 443/udp
ufw allow 21/tcp
ufw allow 40000:50000/tcp
ufw reload

Firewalld Commands (AlmaLinux / RHEL):

firewall-cmd --permanent --add-port=8090/tcp
firewall-cmd --permanent --add-port=80/tcp
firewall-cmd --permanent --add-port=443/tcp
firewall-cmd --permanent --add-port=443/udp
firewall-cmd --permanent --add-port=21/tcp
firewall-cmd --permanent --add-port=40000-50000/tcp
firewall-cmd --reload

Comparative Feature Analysis: OpenLiteSpeed vs. LiteSpeed Enterprise

CyberPanel supports both OpenLiteSpeed and LiteSpeed Enterprise web server engines. Evaluate their architectural differences to choose the edition best suited for your hosting requirements:

Creating Your First Website and Enabling SSL

Once logged in to CyberPanel at https://SERVER_IP:8090, follow these initial steps to set up your domain and issue a free SSL certificate:

1. Configure DNS Records: At your domain registrar or DNS provider, add an A record pointing yourdomain.com and www.yourdomain.com to your server’s public IP address. Allow DNS propagation to complete before issuing SSL.
2. Create a Website: Navigate to Websites > Create Website in CyberPanel. Select your package (Default), owner (admin), enter your domain name, administrative email address, and select your target PHP version (e.g., PHP 8.1 or 8.2).
3. Select Features: Check the boxes for SSL, DKIM Support, and OpenLiteSpeed, then click Create Website.
4. Issue Let’s Encrypt SSL: If SSL was not issued automatically, go to SSL > Manage SSL, select your domain from the dropdown, and click Issue SSL. CyberPanel will verify DNS resolution and install a free Let’s Encrypt TLS certificate.

Securing CyberPanel After Installation

Hardening your CyberPanel installation protects hosting workloads against unauthorized access and brute-force intrusion:

• Change Default Admin Password: Navigate to Users > Modify User, select admin, and update to a strong, unique password.
• Enforce SSH Key Authentication: Add your public SSH key to /root/.ssh/authorized_keys and disable password-based SSH logins in /etc/ssh/sshd_config (set PasswordAuthentication no).
• Enable Firewall & CSF: CyberPanel integrates with ConfigServer Security & Firewall (CSF) and Firewalld to automatically block IP addresses attempting brute-force panel or SSH logins.
• Secure Hostname SSL: Go to SSL > Hostname SSL, select your FQDN hostname (e.g., host.yourdomain.com), and issue a valid SSL certificate for secure panel access on port 8090 without browser warnings.
• Apply System & CyberPanel Updates: Periodically check and apply CyberPanel and Linux security updates.

Sizing Your VPS for CyberPanel Workloads

Allocate appropriate hardware compute based on site volume, active databases, and caching extensions:

• 1 GB RAM / 1 vCPU: Suitable for CyberPanel core services and 1-2 low-traffic blogs using OpenLiteSpeed with LSCache enabled.
• 2 GB – 4 GB RAM / 2 vCPUs: Recommended for 5-10 active WordPress sites, Redis object caching, and small e-commerce stores.
• 8 GB+ RAM / 4+ vCPUs: Required for multi-tenant agency hosting, high-traffic WooCommerce applications, and intensive MariaDB database operations.

Pre-Production Deployment Checklist

Before deploying production websites to CyberPanel, verify these 12 checklist items:

1. Clean OS Verified: Fresh installation of Ubuntu 20.04/22.04 LTS or AlmaLinux 8/9 completed.
2. Installation Script Completed: CyberPanel script executed cleanly without terminal build errors.
3. Admin Credentials Changed: Default administrator password updated to a secure string.
4. Hostname Configured: System hostname set to a valid FQDN and resolved in DNS.
5. Firewall Ports Allowed: Ports 8090, 80, 443, 21, and 40000-50000 open in UFW/firewalld.
6. Panel SSL Installed: Hostname SSL certificate applied to port 8090 interface.
7. DNS A-Records Pointed: Domain A-records successfully resolving to server public IP.
8. Website Created: Website record and document root created in CyberPanel UI.
9. Let’s Encrypt SSL Verified: HTTPS certificate issued and domain redirection active.
10. PHP & Database Tested: Target PHP version and MariaDB database connections verified.
11. Automated Backups Scheduled: Local or remote backup schedules configured in CyberPanel.
12. SSH Hardening Applied: Root password logins restricted and SSH key access configured.

CyberPanel Backups, Maintenance, and Troubleshooting

Maintain your CyberPanel deployment with regular backups and updates:

Configuring Backups:

CyberPanel provides built-in backup tools under Backup > Create Backup. To protect against hardware failure, configure off-site automated backups to remote SFTP servers, AWS S3, or Google Drive under Backup > Remote Backups.

Updating CyberPanel:

Upgrade CyberPanel to the latest version by running the official upgrade script via SSH as root:

sh <(curl https://raw.githubusercontent.com/usmannasir/cyberpanel/stable/cyberpanel_upgrade.sh || wget -O - https://raw.githubusercontent.com/usmannasir/cyberpanel/stable/cyberpanel_upgrade.sh)

Troubleshooting Common Issues:

• Cannot Access Port 8090: Verify that port 8090/tcp is allowed in UFW/firewalld and cloud provider security groups. Restart the CyberPanel service: systemctl restart lscpd.
• SSL Issuance Fails: Ensure your domain’s DNS A-record points directly to the VPS IP and port 80 is not blocked by a firewall. Inspect SSL logs at /usr/local/CyberCP/logs/error.log.
• OpenLiteSpeed Not Running: Check OpenLiteSpeed service status: systemctl status lsws. Restart the server if needed: systemctl restart lsws. View web server logs at /usr/local/lsws/logs/error.log.

Frequently Asked Questions