How to install aaPanel

Quick answer: aaPanel is a free, very beginner-friendly panel with an app-store interface. On a fresh Ubuntu, Debian, AlmaLinux or Rocky server, download and run the official install script, then log in using the panel URL, username and password the installer prints at the end (default port 8888).

Overview

aaPanel manages websites, databases, FTP and SSL through a point-and-click interface, and installs its components (nginx or Apache, MySQL/MariaDB, PHP, phpMyAdmin) from a built-in App Store. It is the easiest panel to start with if you have never administered a server, and it runs on all major Linux families.

Before you start

• A fresh Cloud2Y server (Ubuntu 22.04/24.04, Debian 12, AlmaLinux/Rocky 8–9) — reinstall the OS if it is not clean.
• 1 GB RAM minimum, 2 GB+ recommended once MySQL and PHP are installed.
• Root SSH access.

Step-by-step guide

1. Update the system (apt update && apt -y upgrade or dnf -y update).
2. Download and run the official installer (check aapanel.com for the current command):

   URL=https://www.aapanel.com/script/install_7.0_en.sh
   curl -ksSO "$URL" || wget --no-check-certificate -O install_7.0_en.sh "$URL"
   bash install_7.0_en.sh aapanel

3. When it completes, the installer prints the panel URL (with a random security path), username and password — save them immediately.
4. Log in and let the one-time wizard install your web stack: LNMP (nginx) is a good default — pick MySQL/MariaDB and a current PHP.
5. Add your first site (guide) and issue SSL (guide).

Common issues

• Lost the login URL: run bt default (or bt 14) over SSH to show the panel address and credentials again.
• Panel unreachable: open port 8888 (and 80/443 for sites) in your firewall — see the UFW guide.
• Stack install stuck: compiling on a 1 GB server can exhaust memory — choose the faster (pre-built) install option or add RAM.
• Non-fresh OS: existing web/DB services conflict with the App Store installs — start clean.

When to contact support

If you need an OS reinstall to get a clean start, or networking to the panel port looks blocked outside the server, open a support ticket with your server IP.

Frequently asked questions

I lost my aaPanel login URL — how do I get it back?

Run the command "bt default" over SSH as root: it prints the current panel address including the random security path, the username and lets you reset the password.

Which web server should I pick in aaPanel?

Nginx (the LNMP stack) is the recommended default for speed and low memory use. Choose Apache only if your application depends on .htaccess rules that you cannot convert.

Is aaPanel safe to expose on port 8888?

Keep the random security path enabled, set a strong password, and ideally restrict port 8888 to your own IP addresses in the firewall — then the exposure risk is minimal.

Related articles

• Which control panel should I choose?
• How to create a website in a control panel
• How to create a database
• Control panel security checklist

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