System Requirements for Installing cPanel & WHM on CloudLinux

This document provides essential information on the system requirements needed to successfully install cPanel & WHM on a CloudLinux™ server. Ensure your server meets these criteria to guarantee smooth installation and functionality.

Overview

cPanel & WHM can be installed on CloudLinux versions 6, 7, 8, or 9. However, please note that cPanel & WHM version 112 or later is not compatible with CloudLinux versions 6 and 7. For more details, consult the cPanel Deprecation Plan. This guide outlines the minimum requirements for installation. Running a server that meets only the minimum specifications may lead to performance issues, especially under heavy workloads.

License Requirements

Each cPanel & WHM installation requires its own valid license. If you don’t already have a license, you can acquire one from the cPanel Store.

Additionally, your server must support IPv4 (at least one IPv4 address). IPv6-only configurations are not supported.

Networking Requirements

Hostname Configuration

Ensure your server’s hostname meets the following criteria:

• Must be a fully-qualified domain name (FQDN).
• Cannot be the same as any of the server's domain names.
• Should be no longer than 60 characters.
• Must resolve to a valid IPv4 or IPv6 address.

IP Address Configuration

Your server's IP address must:

• Be a valid IP address.
• Be configured with a 1:1 NAT and NAT loopback if operating behind a NAT network.

Ethernet Device

For the installation to succeed, you must configure your server’s Ethernet device with:

• A static IP address.
• A fully-qualified hostname.

Firewall Considerations

During installation, the necessary ports will be opened. We recommend disabling OS firewalls before beginning the installation, then configure a third-party firewall (like APF or CSF) post-installation.

To disable firewalls:

CloudLinux 6:

CloudLinux 7, 8, or 9:

Utilities

Network Manager

Different versions of CloudLinux require specific configurations for Network Manager:

• CloudLinux 6 & 7: Network Manager must be disabled before installation. Failure to do so may disrupt network connectivity.
• CloudLinux 8 & 9: The cPanel & WHM installer automatically disables Network Manager on CloudLinux 8 and 9.

Hardware Requirements

Additional Considerations

• We recommend a minimum of 3 GB of RAM if you intend to use ClamAV antivirus.
• ARM architecture is not supported for cPanel & WHM installations.
• Servers with a large number of websites, emails, or high-volume applications should have more RAM, disk space, and processing power to ensure smooth performance.

CloudLinux Versions Supported

• CloudLinux 6, 7, 8, 9 (All versions of CloudLinux with a 64-bit architecture are supported).

  Important:

  We strongly recommend installing cPanel & WHM on a clean CloudLinux installation for best compatibility with features like CageFS, MySQL Governor, and LVE Manager.

Operating State

Different versions of CloudLinux use different operating states. The system state determines the processes available for running and how the system interacts with users.

• CloudLinux 6: Default runlevel 3 (Multi-user mode)
• CloudLinux 7/8/9: Default multi-user.target (Multi-user mode)

Disabling SELinux

cPanel & WHM requires SELinux to be disabled. You can disable it by:

1. Editing /etc/selinux/config and setting SELINUX=disabled.
2. Rebooting the system.

Perl Installation

Before installing cPanel & WHM, ensure that Perl is installed. If it's not present, the installation script will attempt to install it.

Filesystem Recommendations

For the optimal operation of cPanel & WHM, use XFS or ext4 filesystems. These are the recommended and tested filesystems for compatibility.

CloudLinux Licensing

Before installation, you must obtain a CloudLinux license. This license is IP-address based and allows you to receive updates and patches for your system. You can acquire the license from your hosting provider or directly from the cPanel Store.

Converting Existing Servers to CloudLinux

To convert an existing server (running AlmaLinux OS, Rocky Linux, or CentOS) to CloudLinux, the server must:

1. Already have cPanel & WHM installed.
2. Be licensed for CloudLinux.

By ensuring your server meets these requirements and following the setup instructions, you can smoothly install and configure cPanel & WHM on a CloudLinux™ server for reliable web hosting performance.