Installing DirectAdmin on VPS

DirectAdmin is a lightweight control panel for hosting websites, email, databases and DNS on a Linux server. DirectAdmin is not sold with a Domain India VPS, but you can install it yourself with your own licence. This guide covers the installation itself, and the first settings to make, on a VPS that you manage yourself.

1. DirectAdmin on a Domain India VPS

A Domain India VPS comes without a control panel, and no panel is sold or chosen at checkout. To run DirectAdmin, buy a licence from DirectAdmin or an authorised reseller, then follow sections 2 and 3. Licence questions go to whoever sold you the licence.

2. Before you install

For sending email from the server, the IP also needs reverse DNS (PTR) matching the hostname. Request it on your VPS page (client area › VPS & Servers › your VPS): Network tab › Reverse DNS. The hostname must already resolve to the VPS IP; our team sets it within one business day. Outbound ports 25 and 465 are blocked on a new VPS (587 works); to open port 25, complete eKYC, keep your account in good standing for 30 days, then open a ticket.

3. Install DirectAdmin

Connect as root over SSH (see how to access your VPS after purchase), then:

# 1. Update (AlmaLinux / Rocky Linux)
dnf -y update
# 1. Update (Debian / Ubuntu)
apt update && apt -y upgrade

# 2. Hostname
hostnamectl set-hostname server.yourdomain.com
hostname -f

# 3. Installer, with your licence key
bash <(curl -fsSL https://download.directadmin.com/setup.sh) 'YOUR-LICENCE-KEY'

When it completes, the installer prints the address of the panel and the admin login details. Save them somewhere safe.

4. First login and first settings

Open https://server.yourdomain.com:2222, or the IP address on port 2222 until the hostname resolves, and sign in as the admin user. If you lose the admin login, current DirectAdmin versions can print a one-time login link from the server with da login-url.

Then work through these:

• Secure the admin account. Set a long unique password and turn on two-factor authentication for it.
• Nameservers. Set the nameservers the server will use for hosted domains. If you want your own, such as ns1.yourdomain.com, register them as glue records first; see registering and managing child name servers.
• Packages and users. Create user packages with sensible disk, bandwidth, email and database limits, then create user accounts on them. Check how many users and domains your licence covers.
• SSL. Issue a Let's Encrypt certificate for the server hostname, so the panel and mail services have a valid certificate, and for each hosted domain.
• PHP. Use CustomBuild to choose supported PHP versions, for example da build set php1_release 8.3 followed by da build php. Keep old versions only where a site needs them.
• Backups. Schedule DirectAdmin's own backups and copy them off the server. A server-level snapshot is not a substitute for account backups you can restore one site from.

5. Firewall and security

Allow only the ports you use: SSH, 80 and 443 for websites, 2222 for the panel, the mail ports you offer (25, 465, 587, 993 and 995 are typical), 21 if you use FTP, and 53 if the server runs DNS. Close everything else.

For a new server, use firewalld on AlmaLinux or Rocky Linux, or ufw on Debian and Ubuntu, together with fail2ban. ConfigServer stopped developing CSF in 2025, so don't choose it for a new install. Harden SSH with the SSH security hardening checklist, and keep DirectAdmin updated: panels are a common target.

6. Troubleshooting

The installer stops early. It usually names the reason: an unsupported OS release, an existing web or mail server, a hostname that isn't fully qualified, or a licence key that doesn't match the server's IP. Fix it, or reinstall the OS and start again.

Port 2222 doesn't open. Check that your firewall allows it, that the install finished, and that systemctl status directadmin shows the service running.

Licence errors. DirectAdmin licences are tied to the server's IP address. If the IP changed, or the key doesn't match, ask whoever issued the licence to update it; if your licence came from Domain India, open a ticket.

The VPS itself stops responding. You can reboot from inside over SSH. For a forced restart, use Restart or Force stop then Start on your VPS page; the Console tab and the Rebuild tab (OS reinstall) are there too. Never run poweroff from inside: the VPS stays switched off until you click Start. Older VPS without a VPS page in your client area: open a ticket with the VPS IP address and our team will do this for you.

7. Where Domain India fits

Choose a VPS and install DirectAdmin when you want your own server and a traditional panel for sites and mailboxes. Choose shared DirectAdmin hosting, from ₹100 a month, when you want the panel without running a server. For a side-by-side look at panels, read choosing the best control panel for your VPS. If you need cPanel on a VPS, see installing cPanel on a VPS.

Prices on the cards exclude 18% GST.

Support is on 24/7 live chat, and tickets get a first response within 15 minutes; resolution can take longer. There is no phone support.

Frequently asked questions

Ready to set up? Compare VPS plans, look at DirectAdmin hosting if you'd rather not run a server, or open a ticket if you are not sure which fits.