Simple Guide – How to Install Webmin on Ubuntu 24.04 and How to Use it

In this article, I’ll walk you through how to install Webmin on Ubuntu 24.04, and how to manage your server through a web browser in a few simple steps. Webmin is an open-source web-based server management tool that gives you control over your Linux server without much hassle. Instead of using the command line for every task, Webmin provides a friendly web interface that lets you handle everything from user accounts and disk quotas to DNS settings, services, and much more. All from your trusty web browser. One of Webmin’s best features is its modular design, where you can add more tools as you need more control. If your app is running behind a LAMP stack or you’re using WordPress with LEMP, then Webmin lets you manage Apache, MySQL, and PHP, and much more.

Prerequisites

• An Ubuntu 24.04 server with root access or a sudo user. If you haven't noticed, we offer extremely reliable Ubuntu servers at the globe's absolute lowest price. Take a look at our offerings and prepare for your mind to be blown 🤯.
• Access your sever via SSH, check out How to access your server using SSH for instructions.

Note

If you want to install Webmin in minutes without the hassle, try our 1-click Webmin application. Just choose one of our server, click Customize Your Own Server, go to the Apps tab under Select Server Image, and select Webmin—it’s that simple! On the other hand, if you want to do things yourself, keep reading.

Step 1: Update the Package Cache and Install the Required Packages

Before installing Webmin, update your Ubuntu 24.04 package list:

sudo apt update

Next, install curl and gnupg2:

sudo apt install gnupg2 curl -y

Curl will be used to download the Webmin repository script, and gnupg2 is used to verify Webmin signatures.

Step 2: Install Webmin on Ubuntu 24.04

In short, to install Webmin on Ubuntu 24.04, you'll first add the Webmin repository that will enable you to install the Webmin packages and update them with apt. Then you'll update the package cache, and finally you'll use the apt install webmin command.

Download the Webmin Repository Setup Script

First, download the setup script and run it:

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

sh setup-repos.sh

You’ll receive an output similar to this:

  Downloading Webmin key ..
  .. done
  Installing Webmin key ..
  .. done
  Setting up Webmin repository ..
  .. done
  Cleaning repository metadata ..
  .. done
  Downloading repository metadata ..
  .. done
Webmin package can now be installed using apt-get install --install-recommends webmin command.

Next, perform an update:

sudo apt update

You can now install Webmin using apt .

Install Webmin

First, run the following command:

sudo apt install webmin --install-recommends

This installs both Webmin and additional recommended packages. Once the installation finishes, check that the webmin service status is active:

sudo systemctl status webmin

You should see an output similar to the following:

● webmin.service - Webmin server daemon
     Loaded: loaded (/usr/lib/syst
emd/system/webmin.service; enabled; preset: enabled)
     Active: active (running) since Tue 2024-10-01 22:56:09 UTC; 2min 0s ago
    Process: 14327 ExecStart=/usr/share/webmin/miniserv.pl /etc/webmin/miniserv.conf (code=exited, status=
0/SUCCESS)
   Main PID: 14328 (miniserv.pl)
      Tasks: 1 (limit: 9445)
     Memory: 126.1M (peak: 203.4M)
        CPU: 5.517s
     CGroup: /system.slice/webmin.service
             └─14328 /usr/bin/perl /usr/share/webmin/miniserv.pl /etc/webmin/miniserv.conf

Note: Webmin is accessible via port 10000. You might need to allow this port through your firewall if it is not already enabled:

sudo ufw allow 10000/tcp

Warning: You should be extremely careful with your security practices. It is best to allow only a few trusted IP addresses or IP ranges to access your Webmin control panel. With Webmin installed, use your browser to visit port 10000 on your domain or IP address:

https://ip_address_or_domain:10000

Initially, your SSL certificate will be self-signed. Your browser will show a "Not Secure" or "Connection is not private" error, because the connection to your server isn't recognized as secure, and the certificate is not from a trusted source such as Let’s Encrypt: Don’t worry, we’ll fix this later and install a Let’s Encrypt certificate to secure Webmin. For now, just click the Advanced button or More information on your browser, and choose to proceed. You’ll be moved to the Webmin Login page:

Webmin’s Default Password

The default password of Webmin is the same as your Unix username’s password. You can also use the root account of your server with root as a username with the root’s password. Once you enter your credentials, you’ll be moved to the dashboard.

Webmin Dashboard

Here is the Webmin dashboard: In the navigation bar on the left, you have the following items:

• Webmin: The home page or dashboard of the Webmin interface.
• System: Options for managing core system settings, users, and services.
• Servers: Provides access to configuration and management of various server applications.
• Tools: Utility functions like a file manager, terminal, and system monitoring tools.