How to Install Webmin on Ubuntu 24.04?

Q: How can I restart Webmin?

Use the following command to restart Webmin: sudo systemctl restart webmin.

Q: Webmin vs Virtualmin - what's the difference?

Webmin is a general system administration panel for users, firewall, packages, and monitoring. Virtualmin is built on top of Webmin specifically for hosting management, including domains, email, DNS, and website accounts. If you're only managing one server's system settings, Webmin alone is enough; if you're hosting multiple websites or domains, install Virtualmin instead, which includes Webmin automatically.

Q: Does Webmin work on Windows?

No. Webmin is designed for Linux and Unix-based systems such as Ubuntu, CentOS, and Debian. It is not natively supported on Windows Server. Windows users typically manage servers via Remote Desktop or PowerShell instead.

To install Webmin on Ubuntu 24.04, update your system (sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y), download and run Webmin’s official setup script, then install with sudo apt install –install-recommends webmin -y. Once installed, Webmin runs on port 10000 and is accessed at https://your-server-ip:10000 using your system’s sudo username and password. The full process takes about 5–10 minutes.

For a first-time user of command-line interfaces, a Linux server may seem challenging enough. However, Webmin will make system administration easy; this powerful, web-based control panel offers users with graphical user interface (GUI) control over various aspects of their server. All of this is possible with Webmin through a simple web interface. Handling tasks such as managing a user, configuring a firewall, installing a software package, and monitoring system performance becomes much easier.

Installation of Webmin on Ubuntu 24.04 is beneficial especially for people managing remote servers or people who have to oversee the operations of multiple services. It makes system administration more streamlined. There shall not be much use for complex command-line operations; beginners should find it easy to administer a server with Webmin, as should experienced users. After reading this guide, you will get to do an installation of Webmin on Ubuntu 24.04, secure it with SSL, and configure it appropriately.

Prerequisites for Webmin Installation:

Before you proceed with installing Webmin on Ubuntu 24.04, make sure you have the following ready.

An Ubuntu 24.04 server instance. An Ubuntu 24.04 server instance (such as a VPS with Ubuntu 24.04 installed).
SSH access to the server using a user account with sudo privileges.
A domain or subdomain pointing to your server (optional but recommended for SSL security).
Firewall installation along with the necessary ports configuration.

Steps to Install Webmin on Ubuntu 24.04

Let’s have a glance at the step-wise guide explaining how to install Webmin on Ubuntu 24.04!

Step 1: Update Your System Packages

Start by updating your system packages, ensuring that you are using the latest Ubuntu versions.

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

Step 2: Add Repository for Webmin and Install Webmin

Webmin is not available in the default Ubuntu repository, so you must import its repository manually.

Step 2.1: Download & Run Webmin Setup Script

Download and run the setup script of the repository with the help of this command:

sudo curl -o setup-repos.sh https://raw.githubusercontent.com/webmin/webmin/master/setup-repos.sh
sudo bash setup-repos.sh

Step 2.2: Install Webmin

Once the repository has been added, use this to install Webmin:

sudo apt install --install-recommends webmin -y

Step 2.3: Verify Webmin Installation

To check whether Webmin is up and running with:

sudo systemctl status webmin

You should see an output indicating Webmin is active and running.

Step 3: Securing Webmin with SSL

Webmin is HTTP-based and runs by default on port 10000. For security reasons, it will be secured with an SSL certificate via Let’s Encrypt.

Step 3.1: Installation of Certbot

sudo apt install certbot -y

Step 3.2: Getting an SSL Certificate

Substituting yourdomain.com for your actual domain name.

sudo certbot certonly --standalone -d yourdomain.com -m [email protected] --allow-through-firewall

Step 3.3: Configuring Webmin to Use SSL

Combine the certificate and key.

sudo cat /etc/letsencrypt/live/yourdomain.com/fullchain.pem /etc/letsencrypt/live/yourdomain.com/privkey.pem > webmin.pem
sudo mv webmin.pem /etc/webmin/

Now, edit the Webmin configuration file.

sudo nano /etc/webmin/miniserv.conf

Find and update.

keyfile=/etc/webmin/webmin.pem

Restart Webmin.

sudo systemctl restart webmin

Step 4: Configure Firewall Rules

Allow Webmin and HTTPS through the firewall.

sudo ufw allow 10000/tcp
sudo ufw allow https
sudo ufw reload

Step 5: Accessing Webmin

You can access Webmin with a web browser.

https://yourdomain.com:10000

Use the credentials of your system’s sudo user to login.

Why Install Webmin on Ubuntu 24.04?

Let’s explore some of the top reasons why installing Webmin on Ubuntu 24.04 is essential!

1. Simple and Intuitive User Interface

One may manage the server through a web-based dashboard that no longer requires complex commands on the terminal. Beginners can configure and monitor Ubuntu servers with ease.

2. Remote Server Management

Webmin runs through a web browser, thus allowing you to easily access and manage your server from anywhere, making life really easy for system administrators.

3. Superior System Administration

With Webmin, you are easily able to carry out a huge host of tasks, including but not limited to the following:

Management of users and groups
Firewall configuration
Software package installations and updates
Monitoring of services and processes
Backup and restoration management

4. Security Enhancements

Webmin allows configuring firewalls, SSL certificates, and access controls so as to ensure a higher level of security for your server. In addition, two-factor authentication is offered for extra security.

5. Easier Package and Software Management

Compared to APT commands for installing and managing software, Webmin features a simple package manager for searching, installing, and updating software more easily.

6. Real-time System Monitoring

Webmin enables you to get real-time statistics on your server, such as CPU usage, memory consumption, disk usage, and network activity, so that you can detect and resolve problems before they can impact the system.

7. Automate Server Work

Webmin does have a cron job manager that you can use to automatically schedule tasks such as backups, updates, and maintenance.

Conclusion

Webmin is a management utility tool that helps manage a server under Ubuntu 24.04. It provides a completely GUI-based, web-based control panel that can be used for managing administrative tasks without going through the complex command-line operations. This goes a long way with beginners as well as seasoned system administrators.

With Webmin, you can manage user accounts, set up firewall rules, monitor system performance, and install software packages – all from one interface. SSL will make Webmin more secure by ensuring that sensitive operations are carried out using an encrypted connection. Regular updates and security also save your Webmin from failing you over time.

Hopefully, with this step-by-step guide, you can now easily install Webmin on your server. In case you have any queries or require any assistance, please feel free to reach out to us!

Happy installing!!!

FAQs

What is Webmin used for?

Webmin is a web-based control panel specifically for Linux systems that permits the administrator to control various system settings, users, software packages, and more.

What is the default Webmin login URL?

The default is that you can access Webmin with this URL: https://yourdomain.com:10000.

How do I change the default Webmin port?

You can easily edit the default Webmin port with a text editor. For example,

sudo nano /etc/webmin/miniserv.conf

Modify the port value, then save the file, and restart Webmin.

sudo systemctl restart webmin

Can I uninstall Webmin?

Yes, Webmin can be removed according to the following instructions:

sudo apt remove --purge webmin -y
sudo rm -rf /etc/webmin

How can I restart Webmin?

Use the following command to restart the Webmin:

sudo systemctl restart webmin

Why am I getting “Unable to locate package webmin”?

This error means Ubuntu’s default APT repositories don’t include Webmin, the official repo hasn’t been added yet. Fix it by running the setup script before installing:

sudo curl -o setup-repos.sh https://raw.githubusercontent.com/webmin/webmin/master/setup-repos.sh
sudo bash setup-repos.sh
sudo apt update
sudo apt install --install-recommends webmin -y

What is the default Webmin login and password?

Webmin doesn’t create a separate account. Log in using your server’s existing sudo/root username and password at https://your-server-ip:10000. There’s no separate “default” credential to reset.

Webmin vs Virtualmin – what’s the difference?

Webmin is a general system administration panel (users, firewall, packages, monitoring). Virtualmin is built on top of Webmin specifically for hosting management – domains, email, DNS, and website accounts. If you’re only managing one server’s system settings, Webmin alone is enough; if you’re hosting multiple websites/domains, install Virtualmin instead, which includes Webmin automatically.

Does Webmin work on Windows?

No. Webmin is designed for Linux and Unix-based systems (Ubuntu, CentOS, Debian, etc.). It is not natively supported on Windows Server. Windows users typically manage servers via Remote Desktop or PowerShell instead.