How to Install DirectAdmin on a Server

Prerequisites — license, OS, clean VPS

One canonical command does the install; the preparation decides whether it works:

1. Prerequisites — a DirectAdmin licence (Personal, Lite or Unlimited tier), a clean VPS (CentOS/Rocky/AlmaLinux or Ubuntu), and root SSH.
2. Install — as root: bash <(curl -Ss https://www.directadmin.com/setup.sh); the installer asks for hostname, licence details and network interface.
3. First hour — log in at http://YOUR_IP:2222 (accept the self-signed certificate initially), create the admin password, set the hostname and nameservers.
4. Stack — CustomBuild versions Apache/Nginx, PHP and MySQL from one directory.
5. Harden — install CSF firewall, enable SSL on 2222, set up automatic updates.

Licensing sits at the panel level, so the box itself is any VPS server tier. Panel comparisons live in cPanel vs DirectAdmin.

Step-by-step install with install.sh

by-step install with install.sh. Do this on one site or a staging copy first, then check the public URL in a private window so cache does not hide the result. Stop if the page errors, and email support@webji.services with the step name and the exact error before you repeat it on every account. WebJi® support mail is staffed 24/7 in Hindi and English; the phone line +91 141 4941811 is business hours only.

Post-install — login, hostname, nameservers

Set the nameservers at the registrar, then edit records only in the DNS host those nameservers point at. Editing the other panel does nothing. A website and its mail can use different hosts: the A record sends the site, MX sends the mail.

Configuring the stack with CustomBuild

Configuring the stack with CustomBuild. Do the change this heading names on one site first, then check it in a private browser window or in the mail client, depending on the topic. Change one setting at a time, and undo it if the result is wrong before you try the next. If you want the Jaipur desk to look with you, email support@webji.services — that mailbox is staffed 24/7 in Hindi and English. Phone +91 141 4941811 is business hours only.

Firewall and security basics

Allow 80 and 443 to the world, and restrict SSH (22) or RDP (3389) to known IPs. A site that times out after a firewall change is usually a closed web port, not a dead server. If you lock yourself out, use the console in the client area or email support@webji.services before you reboot in a loop.

Common install failures and fixes

How this plays out with install.sh: settings that look cosmetic usually decide page speed and uptime under real traffic. The defaults WebJi® ships are tuned for Indian network conditions, and support can review your setup on request.

Updating DA and its components

Updates come in two layers. The panel itself: DirectAdmin updates via its own channel — check for releases from the admin dashboard and apply during quiet hours; licences stay current automatically with the subscription. The stack beneath: CustomBuild handles version upgrades for Apache, PHP, MariaDB and their extensions — run ./build update_versions after reviewing the options file, because PHP major jumps need application testing first.

Snapshot the VPS before either layer moves; a rollback costs minutes. Schedule both: panel updates monthly, stack reviews quarterly, and let unattended security patching handle the OS underneath. This is one of the quiet advantages over cPanel hosting — no per-account licence renewals to babysit, just the subscription and the discipline.