cPanel web hosting control panel
cPanel is a web hosting control panel (software that facilitates the management of web hosting servers) developed by cPanel, L.L.C., an American company. The software provides a graphical interface (GUI) and automation tools designed to simplify the process of hosting a website for website owners or "end users".
cPanel is part of a software suite called cPanel & WHM, which gives administrators, resellers, and end-user website owners the ability to control various aspects of website and server administration through a standard web browser using a three-tier structure. While cPanel is limited to managing a single hosting account, cPanel & WHM allows administration of an entire server.
In addition to the GUI, cPanel also has command-line and API-based access that allows third-party software vendors, web hosting organizations, and developers to automate standard system administration processes.
cPanel & WHM is designed to work as either a dedicated server or a virtual private server. The latest versions of cPanel & WHM support installation on CentOS, Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL), and CloudLinux OS. cPanel 11.30 was the last major version to support FreeBSD.
Application-based support includes Apache, PHP, MySQL, PostgreSQL, Perl, and BIND (DNS). Email-based support includes POP3, IMAP, and SMTP services. cPanel is accessed via HTTPS on port 2083, while WHM is accessed via HTTPS on port 2087.
Once installed, cPanel & WHM cannot be easily removed. The cPanel & WHM FAQ states that the best way to uninstall cPanel & WHM is to reformat the server. However, uninstall guides are available online for expert server administrators who do not want to reformat their servers. Similarly, it should only be installed on a freshly installed operating system with minimal prior configuration.
