Perfect Server Automated ISPConfig 3 Installation on Windows VPS

Introduction

ISPConfig 3 is a popular open-source hosting control panel used for managing websites, email accounts, databases, and DNS. While ISPConfig is primarily designed for Linux-based servers, with a few workarounds, you can set it up on a Windows VPS. This guide will take you through an automated installation process using Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL), which allows you to run a Linux environment on your Windows VPS.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have the following:

• A Windows VPS with administrative privileges.
• Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) installed on your server.
• A Linux distribution installed on WSL (Ubuntu is recommended).
• A working internet connection for downloading packages.

If you haven’t installed WSL yet, follow these steps:

1. Open PowerShell as Administrator and run the following command to install WSL:

wsl --install

1. Restart your system when prompted and install a Linux distribution like Ubuntu from the Microsoft Store.
2. Set up your user account after the installation completes.

Step 1: Update Your System

Start by updating your system’s package list to ensure you are working with the latest versions of all installed packages. Open your WSL terminal and run the following commands:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

Step 2: Install Dependencies

Before installing ISPConfig, we need to install a few necessary dependencies. These include Apache, MySQL, PHP, and other supporting packages:

sudo apt install apache2 mysql-server php php-mysql libapache2-mod-php -y

After the installation, restart Apache to apply changes:

sudo systemctl restart apache2

Step 3: Install ISPConfig 3

Now we are ready to install ISPConfig 3. ISPConfig offers an automated installation script that simplifies the setup process:

1. Download the ISPConfig 3 installer script:

wget -O - https://github.com/servisys/ispconfig3_install.sh/raw/master/install.sh | bash

1. The script will automatically download and install ISPConfig 3 along with the necessary components. Follow the on-screen prompts to complete the installation.

Once the installation is complete, you can access the ISPConfig web interface by visiting your Windows VPS IP address in a web browser, followed by port 8080:

http://:8080

The default login credentials are:

• Username: admin
• Password: admin

For security reasons, it is highly recommended to change the default password immediately after logging in.

Step 4: Configure ISPConfig 3

After logging into the ISPConfig web interface, you will be prompted to configure your server. Follow the steps to:

• Set your server’s hostname.
• Configure your IP address and networking settings.
• Set up your mail server, DNS settings, and other components as needed.

ISPConfig will guide you through these settings. Once configuration is complete, your server will be ready for hosting websites, email, and databases.

Step 5: Automate Future Updates

To keep your ISPConfig installation up-to-date, it is important to set up automated updates for security patches and software updates:

1. Run the following command to install the automatic updates package:

sudo apt install unattended-upgrades

1. Enable automatic updates:

sudo dpkg-reconfigure --priority=low unattended-upgrades

1. This will ensure that your system is regularly updated with the latest security patches, keeping your server secure and stable.

Conclusion

Congratulations! You have successfully installed ISPConfig 3 on your Windows VPS using the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL). This powerful control panel will now help you manage your server with ease. For future use, ensure to regularly check for updates and monitor your server’s performance to keep things running smoothly.