panelOwl documentation

A small, self-hosted web hosting control panel for Ubuntu 24.04

panelOwl replaces cPanel/WHM for a small hosting company. Each hosting client gets a web panel to manage their domains, PHP version, Let's Encrypt SSL, email, MariaDB databases, SFTP/SSH access, cron jobs and files. Server admins do everything else as root over SSH with the panelctl command.

For server admins

• Command quick reference — every panelctl command and the server commands you reach for, on one page.
• Installation — requirements, DNS preparation, running install.sh, first account.
• Upgrading — re-running the installer from a newer release.
• panelctl reference — every command with examples.
• Admin web UI — the browser view on port 2087: accounts, certificates, backups, audit, health.
• Operations — health checks, audit log, certificates, suspending accounts, backups, troubleshooting, where everything lives.
• Security model — what runs as which user, how clients are isolated, and what the panel will never do.

For hosting clients

• Getting started — logging in, the dashboard, what your hosting provider gives you.
• Domains, DNS & SSL — adding domains and subdomains, DNS records, automatic certificates.
• PHP — choosing a PHP version, php.ini settings, .htaccess notes.
• Email — mailboxes, forwarders, catch-all, quotas, mail client settings, spam.
• Databases — creating MariaDB databases and users.
• SFTP & SSH — transferring files, keys, shell access.
• File manager — browsing, uploading, editing and extracting archives in the browser.
• Cron jobs — scheduling commands.
• Backups — nightly backups, download your data, restore files and databases.
• Account & 2FA — changing your password, two-factor authentication, recovery codes.

Where things run