cPanel

Deploy cPanel, a Linux-based server and website administration platform that streamlines publishing and managing websites, including software installation, DNS, databases, email, and other hosting tasks. cPanel includes the WHM (Web Host Manager) interface for managing all aspects of website administration.

Note: cPanel requires a valid license to use the software beyond the initial 15-day free trial. Licenses aren't available directly through Akamai. Visit the cPanel website to purchase a license.

1. Deploy cPanel

 Estimated deployment time: 15 minutes

Base distribution and plan

• Supported distributions: AlmaLinux 10, Ubuntu 24.04 LTS.
• Recommended plans: Use a 2GB Shared CPU Compute Instance or higher, depending on the number and size of sites you plan to host.

Configuration options

This app doesn't have any additional configuration options. Use your Linode instance's standard deployment settings, including the root_pass you set for the instance, to access WHM after deployment.

StackScript ID: 595742

Use API, CLI, or Terraform

curl --location 'https://api.linode.com/v4/linode/instances' \
    --header 'Content-Type: application/json' \
    --header 'Accept: application/json' \
    --header 'Authorization: Bearer abc123def456hij789klm' \
    --data-raw '{
        "region": "us-east",
        "type": "g6-standard-2",
        "image": "linode/ubuntu24.04",
        "label": "my-cpanel-one-click-app",
        "root_pass": "@C0mpl3x#P@ssw0rd",
        "stackscript_id": 595742
    }'

linode-cli linodes create \
    --region us-east \
    --type g6-standard-2 \
    --label my-cpanel-one-click-app \
    --image linode/ubuntu24.04 \
    --root_pass @C0mpl3x#P@ssw0rd \
    --stackscript_id 595742

resource "linode_instance" "my-linode" {
    region         = "us-east"
    type           = "g6-standard-2"
    label          = "my-cpanel-one-click-app"
    image          = "linode/ubuntu24.04"
    root_pass      = "@C0mpl3x#P@ssw0rd"
    stackscript_id = 595742
}

2. Access WHM

WHM (Web Host Manager) is the core interface for managing your server and all hosted websites, also called accounts.

1. Open your web browser and navigate to https://[ip-address]:2087/, replacing [ip-address] with your Linode instance's IPv4 address or rDNS domain, such as 192-0-2-1.ip.linodeusercontent.com.

   See the Manage IP addresses on a Linode guide for information on viewing IP addresses and rDNS.

2. On the WHM login page, enter root as the username and the root password you set when deploying the instance. Then click Log in.

3. Read and accept the cPanel and WHM terms to continue.

4. Enter the email address you want to use for notifications and alerts.

5. Enter the nameservers for the server to map domain names to IP addresses. For this step, make sure you have a registered domain name.

   • Within the nameservers for your domain name, create two A records. The hostname/name field should be ns1 (for the first record) and ns2 (for the second record). The IP address should be the IPv4 address of your new Linode instance. If you don't have a nameserver for your registered domain, use Linode’s DNS Manager.
   • Within the cPanel form, enter ns1.example.com and ns2.example.com in the nameserver fields, replacing example.com with your domain.

   If you prefer to manually manage your DNS records, use Linode’s DNS Manager or any other 3rd party service. When doing so, enter the primary two nameservers for your DNS provider. Linode’s nameservers are ns1.linode.com and ns2.linode.com.

6. Click Next to continue to the license screen. Provided the instance's IP address hasn't already been registered with cPanel, you automatically receive a free 15-day trial license. Purchase a license before the trial ends to keep using cPanel.

7. After completing licensing, you're automatically logged in to WHM.

   Now that you’re able to access WHM, you can manage your server, install software, and create new cPanel accounts.

Note: Newly created Linode accounts have restrictions on ports 25, 465, and 587 applied to Linode instances, which prevent instances from sending emails. If you need to send an email from a Linode instance, open a support ticket to request the removal of these restrictions.

Additional resources

For more information about the installed packages, see their official documentation.

• The WHM Interface: Learn how to navigate the WHM interface.
• Create a New Account: You can create A cPanel account for each website or client. Once created, log in to cPanel directly and use its interface to manage all aspects of website administration.
• cPanel & WHM Developer Portal: Learn about customization options using cPanel & WHM APIs.