Install Webuzo on a Linux VPS

Webuzo is a hosting control panel from the makers of Softaculous. It offers a cPanel-like user panel and an admin panel for multiple users, with Softaculous built in. It is a lightweight choice for a single VPS or a small hosting setup.

Before you start

• OS: a fresh minimal AlmaLinux 8/9, Rocky Linux 8/9 or Ubuntu 22.04/24.04, 64-bit. Do not install a web server, database or other panel first.
• Resources: at least 1 GB RAM (2 GB recommended) and 10 GB free disk.
• Hostname: an FQDN such as panel.example.com pointing to the server IP.
• Licence: Webuzo offers a free edition with limits and paid licences per server.
• Root SSH access.

Prepare the server

1. Set the hostname:
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   hostnamectl set-hostname panel.example.com

2. Update the system and reboot. On AlmaLinux/Rocky:
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   dnf -y update && reboot

   On Ubuntu:
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   apt update && apt -y full-upgrade && reboot

Install Webuzo

1. Download and run the installer:
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   wget -N https://files.webuzo.com/install.sh
   chmod 0755 install.sh
   ./install.sh

2. The installer sets up the web server, PHP, database server, mail and DNS. It takes 10 to 30 minutes and prints the panel URLs at the end.

First login and setup wizard

1. Open the admin panel at https://SERVER-IP:2005 (HTTP on port 2004).
2. Log in as root with the root password.
3. Complete the wizard: admin email, hostname, nameservers and the primary IP.
4. Create the first user account with a domain. Users log in at https://SERVER-IP:2003 (HTTP 2002).

Licence activation

Enter a licence key in the admin panel under Licence, or keep the free edition. The licence is bound to the server's main IP.

Post-install hardening

• Issue a Let's Encrypt certificate for the hostname so panel logins are encrypted.
• Enable the firewall and open only needed ports (22, 25, 53, 80, 443, 465, 587, 993, 995, 2002-2005).
• Change the SSH port or use keys only, and install Fail2Ban; see install Fail2Ban.
• Choose the web server (Apache, Nginx, LiteSpeed/OpenLiteSpeed) and PHP versions in Apps.
• Configure automatic backups to remote storage.

Verify

• Open the test user's domain over HTTPS.
• Install WordPress from the built-in Softaculous and send a test email.

Troubleshooting

• Installer stops early: the server was not clean; reinstall the OS and run again.
• Ports 2004/2005 unreachable: open them in the provider firewall and on the server.
• Email not delivered: set reverse DNS for the server IP to the hostname; see reverse DNS.

Next steps

• Compare: install CyberPanel
• Compare: install aaPanel
• What is a control panel?