All you Need to Know about cPanel
With a variety of tools and resources available online, jump-starting a website is no longer a complex activity only techies can master. This is especially true in relation to website builders such as Wix or Web.com whose simplicity and features quickly conquered a number of small business owners worldwide.
However, those who intend to build big websites and develop a serious business online typically need a web hosting solution that offers a greater flexibility. This includes more storage and bandwidth resources, as well as advanced permissions for managing domains, files, email accounts and a variety of other activities necessary to run a website smoothly.
To do all this, webmasters need to use a specific control panel, most popular of which is cPanel, a Linux-based web hosting control panel currently used by millions of website owners out there.
What is a cPanel?
cPanel provides a sturdy graphical interface and automation tools that are designed to make the process of hosting a website much easier. The interface utilizes a three-tier structure that enables admins, web hosting resellers and end-users to have more control over various website features and server administration via standard web browsers. Essentially, cPanel enables you to:
– Create and manage email accounts
– Manage security settings
– Set up domains, subdomains, addon domains, parked domains and redirects
– Manage files, folders and monitor your disk space usage
– Access databases and track your website’s performance
How it all began
The software was originally used as the control panel for a currently defunct web hosting company called Speed Hosting, which later merged with Web King to form a new company that moved their servers to Virtual Development Inc. (VDI), also a currently defunct hosting company. The creator of cPanel, John Nick Koston soon agreed with VDI to make cPanel available only to customers hosted directly at VDI. At the time, the control panel market wasn’t a particularly competitive one as practically only two choices available were VDI and Alabanza. The world waited until 1999 for the official release of cPanel 3, whose main features over cPanel 2 were an automatic upgrade and the Web Host Manager (WHM).
The interface for cPanel 3 was significantly improved once Carlos Rego of WizardsHosting made the now-default cPanel theme that is much more intuitive than previous versions. However, due to some falling out that happened between VDI and John Nick Koston, cPanel eventually split into two separate pieces of software, cPanel and WebPanel. The WebPanel version run via VDI, but since it didn’t have the lead programmer, VDI was rendered useless as they weren’t able to continue any work on cPanel.
John Nick Koston kept working on both cPanel and at BurstNE, and later left BurstNET in order to completely focus on cPanel we know today.
How it Works
The primary advantage of Linux based web hosting control panel is the opportunity to use a variety of automation tools that make hosting a walk in the park. cPanel also has command line and API-based access allowing third-party software vendors, web hosting companies and independent developers to have automated and standardized system administration processes.
cPanel is accessed via https on port 2083 and can function either as a dedicated server or virtual private server. The latest version supports installation on CentOS, Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL), as well as CloudLinux.
The app-based version includes Apache, PHP, MySQL, PostgreSQL, Perl and BIND (DNS), while email-based support includes POP3, IMAP, SMTP services. It is crucial to mention that once installed, the software cannot be easily removed, however, the best way to uninstall cPanel is by reformating the server. For expert server admins who want to omit reformatting their server, there are some uninstall guides available online, but cPanel FAQ suggests the software should only be installed on a freshly installed operating system with minimal prior configuration.
WebHost Manager (WHM)
WebHost Manager is a web-based tool used by server administrators and resellers to manage hosting accounts on a web server. It uses ports 2086 and 2087, but is also accessible via the root administrator and with reseller privileges. However, reseller cPanel users do have a smaller set of features than the root user. They are generally limited to features that affect their customers’ accounts rather than the server in general. Server administrators on WHM can upgrade and recompile Apache & PHP, install Perl Modules, upgrade RPMs installed on the system, or perform other maintenance tasks.
Why you should use cPanel
Installing cPanel enables you to easily manage and monitor all the most important aspects of web hosting, thus helping you improve your website’s stability and security. Regardless of the size of your database or the amount of content you produce, cPanel interface lets you keep track of your databases and ensure maximum performance of your website.
