cPanel Installation Guide - System Requirements for AlmaLinux OS

Overview

This document outlines the system requirements for installing cPanel & WHM on an AlmaLinux OS server.

• AlmaLinux 8: cPanel & WHM versions 110 and later
• AlmaLinux 9: cPanel & WHM versions 114 and later

Ensure your system meets the minimum requirements before installation for optimal performance, especially for high-demand tasks.

License Requirements

• A valid cPanel & WHM license is required for each server. For new installations, you can activate a 15-day free trial.
• IPv6-only servers are not supported.
• cPanel DNSOnly requires a DNSOnly license, which is obtained automatically during installation.

Networking Requirements

Hostname :

• Fully-qualified domain name (FQDN) that resolves to a valid IPv4 or IPv6 address.
• Cannot match any server domains.
• Maximum 60 characters.

IP Addresses :

• A valid IP address is required, and the server must be configured with static IP.
• Avoid DHCP-assigned IPs.

Firewalls :

• Disable the OS firewall during installation to prevent conflicts. Use a third-party firewall after installation.
• Commands to disable firewall:
  iptables-save > ~/firewall.rules
  systemctl stop firewalld.service
  systemctl disable firewalld.service

Utilities :

• AlmaLinux 8: cPanel installer disables Network Manager and enables network.service.
• AlmaLinux 9: Network Manager remains enabled.

Hardware Requirements

Recommended :

• RAM: 4 GB
• Disk Space: 40 GB

Hardware Considerations

Consider these questions when choosing a server:

1. How many sites will you host? More sites with emails and databases require more resources.
2. What type of hosting will you do? High-volume content (videos, music) or resource-intensive applications require more processing power and storage.

For virtual machine hosting, additional CPU cores may be necessary for high-performance tasks.

AlmaLinux Versions

• AlmaLinux 8: Supported with cPanel & WHM 110 and later.
• AlmaLinux 9: Supported with cPanel & WHM 114 and later.

Non-standard AlmaLinux sources require SELinux to be disabled.

SELinux Configuration

SELinux must be disabled to install and run cPanel & WHM.

• Use the graphical interface or edit the /etc/selinux/config file to disable SELinux.
• Example config:
  SELINUX=disabled
  SELINUXTYPE=targeted

Perl Installation

• Perl must be installed for the cPanel & WHM installation to proceed.
• If Perl is not present, the installer will attempt to install it.

Filesystems

• Recommended: Use XFS or ext4 file systems.
• Avoid using NFS as network file systems are not fully supported.

Partitions

Recommended partitioning:

• Root (/): Minimum 20 GB, recommended 40 GB.
• Swap: Generally 2x the server's RAM, or 4 GB if the system has 4 GB of RAM or more.

Virtual Environments Compatibility

cPanel supports the following virtual environments:

• KVM: No restrictions.
• Linux Containers: Requires additional configuration.
• Hyper-V: Only supports Microsoft-provided drivers.

For other environments, refer to the relevant cPanel documentation for configuration details.

Supported Browsers

cPanel & WHM supports the latest versions of the following browsers:

• Chrome (MacOS, Windows, Linux)
• Firefox (MacOS, Windows, Linux)
• Microsoft Edge (Windows)
• Safari (MacOS)

Mobile versions of Firefox, Chrome, and Safari are also compatible.

Conclusion

Ensuring your server meets the system requirements for cPanel & WHM on AlmaLinux is crucial for smooth operation and optimal performance. From licensing and hardware to networking and SELinux configuration, each aspect must align with cPanel's specifications to avoid installation or functionality issues. Following the recommended guidelines, such as disabling SELinux and using supported filesystems, ensures a stable environment for hosting websites and applications. Proper preparation not only simplifies the setup process but also enhances long-term server reliability and performance.