Here is how to install DirectAdmin on Linux. Unlike some control panels that lock you into one distribution family, DirectAdmin ships a single installer script that works across AlmaLinux, Rocky Linux, Debian, and Ubuntu. Whichever one you run, the command is the same.
What you need
- A Hostner dedicated server with a fresh Linux install (no other control panel installed)
- Root access via SSH
- A DirectAdmin license (client ID and license key, or an IP-based license depending on how you purchased it)
- A resolvable hostname pointed at your server’s IP
Step 1: Install basic tools
Log in via SSH as root. DirectAdmin requires a valid license to complete installation, either a client ID and license key from your DirectAdmin account, or an IP-based license tied to your server if your provider set that up for you. Have those details ready before you start, the installer asks for them partway through.
DirectAdmin’s installer needs a few tools present first. On AlmaLinux or Rocky:
~ $ dnf -y install wget curl tar perl
On Debian or Ubuntu:
~ $ apt update && apt -y install wget curl tar perl
Step 2: Install DirectAdmin on Linux
Download the installer and run it as root, not with sudo, a plain root shell is required:
~ $ cd /root ~ $ wget -O setup.sh https://download.directadmin.com/setup.sh ~ $ chmod 755 setup.sh ~ $ ./setup.sh
The script detects your distribution automatically and installs the matching packages, no need to tell it which OS you are on. It will ask for your client ID, license ID, and license key during the process, along with your server’s hostname and network interface (usually auto-detected).
Step 3: Access DirectAdmin
Installation takes anywhere from 15 to 45 minutes depending on your server and the options you selected. When it finishes, the installer prints your admin username, password, and a login URL directly in the terminal, and also saves them to:
~ $ /usr/local/directadmin/conf/setup.txt
Open your browser and go to:
~ $ https://your-server-ip:2222
Log in with the credentials from the terminal output, then change that password immediately from Account Manager, the installer-generated password is meant to get you in the door, not to stay in use long-term.
Step 4: Open the required ports
If you run a firewall, make sure these ports are open so DirectAdmin stays reachable. On AlmaLinux or Rocky with firewalld:
~ $ firewall-cmd –permanent –add-port=2222/tcp ~ $ firewall-cmd –permanent –add-port=80/tcp ~ $ firewall-cmd –permanent –add-port=443/tcp ~ $ firewall-cmd –reload
On Debian or Ubuntu with ufw:
~ $ ufw allow 2222/tcp ~ $ ufw allow 80/tcp ~ $ ufw allow 443/tcp ~ $ ufw reload
If it does not work
If setup.sh exits immediately with a permissions error, you are probably running it with sudo from a non-root shell, switch to a real root shell with sudo -s first and try again. A license error partway through usually means a typo in the client ID or license key, both are case-sensitive and easy to mistype when copying from an email. For the full list of predefined installation options and environment variables, the official DirectAdmin installation docs cover every flag the script accepts.
No ticket needed. One script, a license, and DirectAdmin is running, regardless of which supported distro you picked. That same cross-distro script is also what makes DirectAdmin a reasonable pick if you manage a mix of AlmaLinux and Ubuntu servers and want one consistent installation process across all of them.
See more guides in Docs, or check out Install cPanel on AlmaLinux if you specifically need cPanel instead.