The easy way: one-click installation

Before manually installing cPanel, know this: ColossusCloud control panel does it automatically.

When deploying new VPS:

Select VPS size and location
Choose operating system (AlmaLinux or Rocky Linux recommended for cPanel)
Check option to install cPanel
Deploy

That’s it. VPS provisions with cPanel installed and ready to configure. No command line required.

License is handled separately. Purchase one from cPanel (see licensing section below).

Manual installation

For existing VPS without cPanel:

Requirements

Fresh OS installation: cPanel prefers clean systems without other control panels
Supported OS: AlmaLinux 8/9, Rocky Linux 8/9, or CloudLinux (CentOS no longer supported)
At least 2GB RAM: 4GB+ recommended
At least 20GB disk space: More for production
Static IP address: VPS IP
Valid hostname: Fully qualified domain name (e.g., server.yourdomain.com)

Step 1: Prepare server

Connect via SSH and update:

sudo dnf update -y

Set proper hostname:

sudo hostnamectl set-hostname server.yourdomain.com

Step 2: Open required ports

In ColossusCloud control panel firewall settings:

Port 2087: WHM HTTPS
Port 2083: cPanel HTTPS
Port 80, 443: HTTP/HTTPS web traffic
Port 22: SSH
Port 25, 465, 587: Mail (if using email)

Step 3: Run cPanel installer

cd /home
curl -o latest -L https://securedownloads.cpanel.net/latest
sudo sh latest

Installation takes 30-60 minutes. Don’t interrupt.

Step 4: Access WHM

Once complete, access WHM at:

https://your-server-ip:2087

Licensing

cPanel requires paid licenses. Without valid license, it stops after 15 days.

Where to buy

Purchase directly from cPanel at their pricing page.

License	Description	Approximate price
Solo	1 cPanel account	~$15/month
Admin	Up to 5 accounts	~$21/month
Pro	Up to 30 accounts	~$30/month
Premier	Up to 100 accounts	~$45/month

Prices vary. Check cPanel’s website for current pricing.

Activate license

cPanel licenses tie to IP addresses. License activates automatically within a few hours.

Check status:

/usr/local/cpanel/cpkeyclt

Post-installation

Create cPanel account

In WHM, go to Account Functions → Create a New Account.

Configure DNS

Use cPanel’s built-in DNS or point domains to external nameservers.

Set up SSL

cPanel includes AutoSSL for free Let’s Encrypt certificates. Enable under SSL/TLS → Manage AutoSSL.

Explore VPS plans with one-click cPanel installation.

Installing cPanel on your VPS