Getting Started with aaPanel

4 min read

aaPanel is a free, open-source web hosting control panel. It’s lightweight, easy to install, and a solid choice for GoZen VPS users who want a simple management interface without per-server licensing costs.

Why aaPanel? link

• Free - no license fees, unlike cPanel or Plesk
• Lightweight - uses fewer server resources than heavier panels
• One-click apps - install Nginx, Apache, MySQL, PHP, and more with a single click
• Web-based file manager, terminal, and cron manager built in

It’s a good fit for developers and small businesses who want a GUI without the overhead of enterprise panels.

Installing aaPanel link

Connect to your VPS via SSH and run the aaPanel 7 installation script. The same script works on Ubuntu, Debian, AlmaLinux and Rocky Linux. The installer can change between releases, so compare it with the command on aapanel.com before you run it.

Ubuntu/Debian link

  wget -O install.sh https://www.aapanel.com/script/install_7.0_en.sh && sudo bash install.sh aapanel
  

AlmaLinux / Rocky Linux link

  sudo dnf install -y wget && wget -O install.sh https://www.aapanel.com/script/install_7.0_en.sh && sudo bash install.sh aapanel
  

After installation completes, the installer prints the panel address (including its port, which recent versions may pick at random) and the login details:

  aaPanel Internet Address: https://your-ip:panel-port/random-path
username: xxxxxxxx
password: xxxxxxxx
  

Save these credentials. You’ll need them to log in for the first time.

First Login & LEMP Setup link

1. Open the panel URL in your browser
2. Log in with the credentials from the installation output
3. aaPanel will prompt you to install a web stack. Choose LEMP (recommended):
   • Nginx (latest stable)
   • MySQL 8.4 LTS or MariaDB 10.11/11.4 LTS
   • PHP 8.3 or newer (8.4 recommended)
   • phpMyAdmin

The installation takes 5-10 minutes depending on your server specs.

Managing Websites link

Adding a Site link

1. Go to Website in the left sidebar
2. Click Add site
3. Enter your domain name
4. Select your PHP version
5. Optionally create a database and FTP account at the same time
6. Click Submit

aaPanel creates the virtual host and directory structure. It doesn’t create DNS records, so point the domain’s A record at your server IP separately.

Document Root link

Files go in:

  /www/wwwroot/yourdomain.com/
  

Upload files through the built-in File Manager, SFTP, or via SSH.

SSL Certificates link

aaPanel supports free Let’s Encrypt certificates:

1. Go to Website and click on your domain
2. Click the SSL tab
3. Select Let’s Encrypt
4. Choose File verification or DNS verification
5. Click Apply

Certificates auto-renew before expiry.

Database Management link

Creating a Database link

1. Go to Database in the sidebar
2. Click Add database
3. Enter a name, username, and password
4. Click Submit

phpMyAdmin link

Click phpMyAdmin at the top of the Database page to manage your databases visually.

Installing WordPress link

Two approaches:

Quick Install (One-click) link

1. Go to App Store in the sidebar
2. Search for WordPress
3. Click Install and choose your domain
4. aaPanel handles the download, database creation, and virtual host config

Manual Install link

1. Create a site and database (as described above)
2. Download WordPress:

     cd /www/wwwroot/yourdomain.com
   wget https://wordpress.org/latest.tar.gz
   tar -xzf latest.tar.gz
   mv wordpress/* .
   rm -rf wordpress latest.tar.gz
   chown -R www:www .
     

3. Visit your domain in a browser and complete the WordPress setup wizard

Firewall & Security link

Built-in Firewall link

aaPanel includes a firewall manager:

1. Go to Security in the sidebar
2. Add rules to allow/block specific ports
3. Default open ports: 22 (SSH), 80 (HTTP), 443 (HTTPS), and the panel port shown at the end of the install

Changing the Panel Port link

For security, change the default panel port:

1. Go to Settings in the sidebar
2. Under Panel Port, change it to a custom port (open the new port in the firewall first)
3. Click Save

Two-Factor Authentication link

Enable 2FA for the admin account:

1. Go to Settings > Security
2. Enable Google Authenticator verification

Cron Jobs link

1. Go to Cron in the sidebar
2. Click Add Task
3. Configure the schedule (minute/hour/day/month/weekday)
4. Enter the command to run
5. Click Add

aaPanel also includes preset tasks for common operations like backups and log rotation.

Backups link

Manual Backup link

1. Go to Website > click your domain > Backup
2. Click Backup to create an archive of the site files

Scheduled Backups link

1. Go to Cron
2. Add a backup task with your preferred schedule
3. aaPanel can store backups locally or upload to Google Drive, Amazon S3, or FTP

Terminal Access link

aaPanel includes a web-based SSH terminal:

1. Click the Terminal icon in the top navigation
2. Enter your root password
3. Use it like a regular SSH session, directly in the browser

aaPanel vs Other Panels link

Related Articles link

• Choosing an OS for Your VPS
• First Boot VPS Setup
• Setting Up a LEMP Stack