Step 4: Install Your Operating System

Details for:

• cPanel & WHM 11.38
• cPanel DNSONLY

Introduction

After placing the operating system (OS) 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 installation. 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 the 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 service provider will be able to provide you with this information.

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

How to install 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.

How to install CloudLinux

Important: You must obtain a CloudLinux license before you install the ISO. This license enables you to run CloudLinux, as well as receive patches and updates. You can get the license from your provider, or from the cPanel Store. If you purchase the license from the cPanel Store, you will automatically get an IP address-based license. This license is granted based on the static IP address where you have installed the operating system.

Warning: There is a known incompatibility when cPanel runs on CloudLinux under Centos 5.X. After you run the backup process for the first time, the backup partition will become stuck with an active lock. To resolve this issue, you will need to manually remount and unmount the backup partition.

How to install CloudLinux from an ISO

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.

How to convert CentOS 5.x to CloudLinux (without cPanel & WHM installed)

If you wish to convert from CentOS 5.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 address-based CloudLinux license, run the command sh cpanel2cl -i
   • a CloudLinux license key, run the command sh cpanel2cl -k $key
     • Replace $key with your license key.

How to convert CentOS 5.x to CloudLinux (with cPanel & WHM installed)

If you wish to convert from CentOS 5.x to CloudLinux, have already installed cPanel & WHM, and own an IP address-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 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

How to install 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 you install cPanel & WHM, the installation will fail.

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