> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.onetsolutions.net/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# cPanel & WHM

> Order a VPS with cPanel & WHM, sign in to WHM and create your first hosting account

[cPanel & WHM](https://cpanel.net) is the reference web hosting panel, published by a third party. WHM administers the server and its hosting accounts; cPanel is what each account holder uses to manage their sites, email, databases and DNS. On an OnetSolutions VPS, it is installed for you when the server is created.

<Info>
  **Prerequisites**

  * A plan with at least 2 vCPU, 4 GB of RAM and 40 GB of storage
  * A cPanel licence after the trial period
</Info>

## Order

<Steps>
  <Step title="Pick the plan">
    Pick a plan on the [cPanel VPS](https://onetsolutions.net/en/vps/cpanel) page: cPanel is already selected in the order.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Check the installation">
    At the **What do you want to install?** step, cPanel is shown on its own. AlmaLinux 10 is chosen automatically: cPanel only runs on an enterprise Linux.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Order">
    The server is created, then cPanel installs itself. This is the longest installation of all the panels: count twenty to forty-five minutes.
  </Step>
</Steps>

You can also install cPanel on an existing VPS by [reinstalling it](/control-panels/overview#install-a-panel-on-an-existing-vps).

## First sign-in

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open WHM">
    When the card shows **Installed**, select **Open the panel**, or open `https://<server IP address>:2087`. Your browser warns about a self-signed certificate until a domain name is configured: this is expected.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Log in as root">
    Use your server credentials: the `root` user and the password provided when the server was created.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Finish the setup">
    WHM opens its initial setup wizard: contact email, nameservers, and the services to enable.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Licence

The installation starts on a trial licence when the server IP address is eligible for one. A cPanel licence is required afterwards, bought from the publisher. It is not included in your VPS plan.

<Note>
  If you would rather not manage a server at all, our [shared cPanel hosting](https://onetsolutions.net/en/web-hosting) includes the licence and the administration.
</Note>

## Firewall

If you enable your VPS [firewall](/vps/firewall), cPanel needs more ports open than the other panels: 2087 for WHM, 2083 for cPanel, 2096 for webmail, plus 80, 443 and the email ports. The [cPanel documentation](https://docs.cpanel.net) lists them all.

## Troubleshooting

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="The installation shows Failed">
    Contact [support](/console/support) from the console: we will help you run the installation again. The installation details are logged on the server, in `/var/log/onetsolutions-cpanel-install.log`.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="The installation is taking a long time">
    Twenty to forty-five minutes is normal for cPanel. The card stays on **Installing** for the whole time.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="WHM reports the licence is invalid">
    The trial licence depends on the IP address being eligible. Buy a licence from cPanel for that IP address, then run the licence update from WHM.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>