Step 4: Install Your 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

After placing the operating system installation discs into your server, you will receive a prompt to test the discs prior to running the installation. We strongly recommend that you test the discs before installing. Doing so could save time later if a disc proves to be unreadable.

While installing the operating system, you will need to:

• Configure your Ethernet device with a static IP address and a fully qualified hostname. This will minimize the amount of work needed after installation of OS and cPanel software.
• Register your fully qualified hostname. This hostname cannot be the same as any domain used on your server.
• Define the IP address, subnet address, and default gateway IP for your server. Your data center will be able to provide you with this information.

Important: CentOS, Red Hat Enterprise Linux, CloudLinux, and FreeBSD are the only operating systems supported for use with cPanel & WHM. No other OS is compatible.

Installing CentOS

To install CentOS packaged with cPanel & WHM:

1. Download a free CentOS DVD ISO from our website.
2. Burn the ISO to CD or DVD, and install it on your server.
3. Upon its first reboot, the ISO will install cPanel & WHM in the background.

Important note about installing CentOS for use with cPanel DNSONLY: If you choose to download CentOS from another site, and you plan to use cPanel DNSONLY on your server, do not install the CentOS ISO that is labeled minimal. Downloading this ISO will cause the cPanel installation to fail. Instead, you should install the generic (or netinstall) CentOS ISO, then choose the "minimal" version during the installation process.

Installing CloudLinux

Installing CloudLinux from an ISO

Warning: You must obtain a CloudLinux license before installing the ISO. You can get the license from your provider, or from the cPanel Store.

To install CloudLinux from an ISO:

1. Select the chip architecture your server will use and click the corresponding link at http://www.cloudlinux.com/downloads/.
2. Download and install the ISO.
3. Boot from the ISO and follow the on-screen instructions.
4. From the command line, run these commands:
   • /usr/sbin/clnreg_ks
   • yum update

Note: For information about removing CloudLinux from your system, see the CloudLinux website.

Converting CentOS 5.x or 6.x to CloudLinux (without cPanel & WHM installed)

If you wish to convert from CentOS 5.x or 6.x to CloudLinux, and have not yet installed cPanel & WHM:

1. Purchase a CloudLinux license from your provider, or from the cPanel Store.
2. Connect to your server via SSH as root, and run the command wget http://repo.cloudlinux.com/cloudlinux/sources/cln/cpanel2cl
3. If you own:
   • An IP-based CloudLinux license, run the command sh cpanel2cl -k
   • A CloudLinux license key, run the command sh cpanel2cl -k $key
     • Replace $key with your license key.

Converting CentOS 5.x or 6.x to CloudLinux (with cPanel & WHM installed)

If you wish to convert from CentOS 5.x or 6.x to CloudLinux, have already installed cPanel & WHM, and own an IP-based CloudLinux license, run these commands:

1. /usr/local/cpanel/cpkeyclt
2. /usr/local/cpanel/bin/cloudlinux_system_install -k
3. reboot
4. /usr/local/cpanel/scripts/easyapache --build

If you wish to convert from CentOS 5.x or 6.x to CloudLinux, have already installed cPanel & WHM, and own a CloudLinux license key, run these commands:

1. wget http://repo.cloudlinux.com/cloudlinux/sources/cln/cpanel2cl
2. sh cpanel2cl -k $key
   • Replace $key with your license key.
3. reboot
4. /scripts/easyapache --build

Installing Red Hat Enterprise Linux

To install Red Hat Enterprise Linux:

1. Download the Red Hat Enterprise Linux ISO from http://redhat.com.
2. Burn the ISO to CD or DVD, and install it on your server.
3. Register the server with the Red Hat network (run the command rhn_register).
   • If you do not register the server before installing cPanel & WHM, then the installation will fail.

Installing FreeBSD

To install FreeBSD:

1. Download FreeBSD® from http://www.freebsd.org.
2. Burn the ISO to CD or DVD, and install it on your server.

• Previous — Step 3: Choose an operating system.
• Next — Step 5: Configure your operating system.