Step 3: Choose an Operating System

Details for:

• cPanel & WHM 11.30
• cPanel DNSONLY

Note: Troubleshooting a Recent Installation — Read this document if you encounter problems installing cPanel & WHM.

Introduction

Our system requirements document lists these operating systems as compatible with cPanel & WHM 11.30:

• CentOS (version 4.x, 5.x, 6.x)
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux (version 4.x, 5.x, 6.x)
• CloudLinux (version 5.x, 6.x*)
• FreeBSD®-RELEASE (version 7.3, 7.4, 8.0, 8.1, or 8.2) — We do not recommend using cPanel & WHM with FreeBSD unless you are an experienced FreeBSD administrator.

* CloudLinux 6.x is compatible with cPanel & WHM 11.30.4 or later.

Next, let's examine the basic differences between these operating systems.

About CentOS and Red Hat Enterprise Linux

CentOS is a free operating system based on Red Hat Enterprise Linux.

About CloudLinux

CloudLinux is an operating system based on CentOS.

Unlike CentOS, CloudLinux modifies the kernel to account for spikes in usage. This modification enhances your server's reliability.

Note: CloudLinux is compatible with virtual environments that allow you to select a kernel. It is not compatible with OpenVZ or Virtuozzo.

Additional resources:

• http://www.cpanel.net/cloudlinux.htm
• http://www.cloudlinux.com
• http://www.cloudlinux.com/docs/whmplugin.php
• http://www.cloudlinux.com/docs/cpanel-enduser-plugin.php
• http://www.cloudlinux.com/docs/cpanel-webserver.php

About FreeBSD

While we support FreeBSD, only system administrators who are familiar with FreeBSD should attempt to use this operating system. FreeBSD requires a detailed manual configuration in order to run smoothly.

cPanel uses FreeBSD's ports system for updates. When cPanel is installed, you should not use binary packages (pkg_add). Using both systems can cause major administrative problems if dependencies are removed from one system without the other system being aware. The ports used by cPanel come directly from FreeBSD's ports repository.

Port upgrades may require you to manually interact with the system to ensure it is functioning as expected.

Unfortunately, we cannot automatically resolve all issues in a FreeBSD environment. For this reason, we ask those without FreeBSD administrative experience to use Red Hat, CentOS, or CloudLinux. These operating systems offer a better overall experience while using our software.

• Previous — Step 2: View System requirements for cPanel & WHM 11.30 installation.
• Next — Step 4: Install your operating system.