Installing Webmin on Your Server

Webmin is an open-source web-based interface for managing Unix-like systems. It allows you to manage user accounts, Apache, DNS, file sharing, and much more. This tutorial will walk you through the process of installing Webmin on a Linux server, such as Ubuntu, Debian, or CentOS.

Prerequisites

• A server running Ubuntu 18.04/20.04, Debian 9/10, or CentOS 7/8.
• Root access or a user with sudo privileges.
• Basic knowledge of the Linux command line.

Step 1: Update Your System

Before installing any software, it is recommended to update the system packages. Use the following commands based on your distribution:

# Ubuntu/Debian
dnf update -y

# CentOS
sudo yum update -y

Step 2: Install Necessary Dependencies

Install the required dependencies for Webmin:

# Ubuntu/Debian
sudo apt-get install wget apt-transport-https -y

# CentOS
sudo yum install wget perl -y

Step 3: Download and Add the Webmin Repository

First, download the Webmin repository using `wget`:

wget http://www.webmin.com/jcameron-key.asc

Next, add the repository key:

# Ubuntu/Debian
sudo apt-key add jcameron-key.asc

# CentOS
sudo rpm --import jcameron-key.asc

Step 4: Install Webmin

Now, install Webmin using the following commands:

# Ubuntu/Debian
sudo add-apt-repository "deb http://download.webmin.com/download/repository sarge contrib"
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install webmin -y

# CentOS
sudo yum install http://prdownloads.sourceforge.net/webadmin/webmin-1.941-1.noarch.rpm

Step 5: Access Webmin

Once installed, Webmin typically runs on port 10000. You can access it by navigating to https://your-server-ip:10000 in your web browser. You might encounter a browser warning because Webmin uses a self-signed SSL, but you can proceed safely.

Troubleshooting

If you encounter issues accessing Webmin, ensure that port 10000 is allowed in your firewall:

# Ubuntu/Debian
sudo ufw allow 10000

# CentOS
sudo firewall-cmd --add-port=10000/tcp --permanent
sudo firewall-cmd --reload

For further details on firewall settings, refer to our guide on Managing Servers with Cockpit.

Summary Checklist

• Update your server packages.
• Install necessary dependencies.
• Download and add Webmin repository key.
• Install Webmin and manage firewall rules.
• Access Webmin via the web interface.

With Webmin successfully installed, you’re ready to simplify server administration tasks via an intuitive web interface.