DirectAdmin Installation and Configuration

Before you install DirectAdmin

A DirectAdmin installation goes most smoothly on a clean start. To install DirectAdmin we need a freshly installed, supported Linux distribution such as AlmaLinux, Debian or Ubuntu, with nothing else using the web or mail ports. A few decisions are best made before the installer runs:

• Hostname. A fully qualified name such as server.yourdomain.com that resolves to the server's IP address and is used for mail and the panel's certificate.
• Nameservers. Whether the server will answer DNS for your domains itself, or DNS stays with your registrar or an external provider.
• Reverse DNS. Set at the hosting provider to match the hostname, which matters for mail delivery.
• Web stack. Apache, Nginx or both, and which PHP versions your sites need.

DirectAdmin configuration and server security

DirectAdmin configuration after the installer covers everything left at defaults. We create user and reseller packages that match how you use or sell hosting, set PHP versions per domain, enable automatic Let's Encrypt certificates, and send backups to a separate location. For server security we add a firewall with brute-force protection for SSH, mail and the panel login, turn on two-step authentication for admin accounts, limit SSH to key-based logins and switch off services you do not use.

DNS configuration for panel-hosted domains

When the server acts as a nameserver, you need two nameserver names, glue records at the registrar and ideally a secondary DNS server elsewhere, so domains keep resolving if the server is down. Many small setups are simpler with DNS kept at an external provider and the panel handling only web and mail. We explain both options before anything changes.

Frequently asked questions about directadmin installation

Do I need a DirectAdmin license?

Yes. DirectAdmin is commercial software and each server needs a license from the vendor. You can buy it in your own name, so it stays with you whoever manages the server.

Can you move websites from cPanel to DirectAdmin?

Yes. DirectAdmin can import cPanel backups, including files, databases, mailboxes and DNS zones. We migrate account by account and test each one before switching its DNS.

How long does a DirectAdmin setup take?

The installer finishes quickly. Most of the time goes into mail authentication, hardening, backups and testing, plus site migration if you are moving from another server.

Related services: comparing cPanel, Plesk, DirectAdmin and ISPConfig, ISPConfig as an open-source alternative and DNS, SPF, DKIM and DMARC setup.