Install AlphaPanel, and find your way around it.
AlphaPanel installs on a bare Ubuntu server with one command. The installer configures the server, installs the required services, and prepares the panel so you can start hosting websites and email without setting up each component manually.
Make sure your server meets these requirements:
For the cleanest installation, use a newly provisioned Ubuntu server without an existing hosting panel or conflicting web/mail/database services.
Important: The installer configures system services and firewall rules. Do not run it on a server where you already have a production nginx, Apache, MariaDB, PostgreSQL, or mail-server configuration unless you have verified that it is compatible with AlphaPanel.
Run the installer as root:
curl -sSL https://licenses.alphaxp.net/download/setup.sh | sudo bashThe installer will download and configure the required components automatically. Depending on the speed of your server and network connection, the installation usually takes about ten minutes on a fresh server.
During installation, AlphaPanel configures:
You do not need to manually install nginx, PHP, MariaDB, or the other components beforehand.
When the installation is complete, the installer prints the panel URL and the initial administrator password. Save these details somewhere secure before closing your terminal.
Open the URL printed by the installer in your browser and sign in with the generated administrator credentials.
Immediately change the generated password:
Settings → Security / Password
Use a strong, unique password that you do not reuse on other services.
If you lose the generated password before signing in, check the installer output or your server's installation logs for the credentials provided during setup.
2. Configure your server hostname
Set a meaningful hostname for the server, such as:
server1.example.com
Create a DNS record for the hostname that points to your server's public IP address:
server1.example.com → YOUR_SERVER_IP
A properly configured hostname is particularly useful for SSL certificates, mail delivery, and server identification.
3. Point your domain to the server
Before adding a website, update your domain's DNS records at your DNS provider.
For a typical website, create an A record:
example.com → YOUR_SERVER_IP
www.example.com → YOUR_SERVER_IP
DNS changes can take some time to propagate. AlphaPanel can only issue an SSL certificate once the domain resolves to the correct server.
4. Add your first website
Open:
Websites → Add Website
Enter your domain and select the PHP version and other options appropriate for your application.
After the website is created, you can manage:
Upload your application using File Manager, SFTP, or another supported deployment method.
5. Enable SSL
Once your domain points to the server, enable SSL for the website.
Always use HTTPS for production websites, especially when the site handles passwords, payments, personal information, or administrator logins.
After SSL is enabled, test both:
https://example.com
https://www.example.com
Make sure both addresses use the expected certificate and redirect to the correct website.
6. Set up backups
Before putting important data on the server, configure backups under:
Snapshots
Backups should be stored separately from the server whenever possible. A backup kept only on the same server does not protect you if the server's disk fails or the entire machine becomes unavailable.
For production environments, periodically verify that backups can actually be restored.
Where things are
Websites
Use Websites to create and manage hosted websites.
You can manage: