How To Install ISPConfig on Ubuntu 24.04? – Complete Guide

If you’re managing servers or planning to host websites on your own infrastructure, having a powerful and reliable control panel can make your life significantly easier.

This is where ISPConfig stands out. It’s a popular open-source hosting control panel that allows you to manage websites, email accounts, DNS, FTP users, and databases, all from a single, easy-to-use dashboard. When combined with Ubuntu 24.04, one of the most stable and secure Linux releases, it becomes a solid foundation for modern web hosting in 2026.

However, installing ISPConfig isn’t just a “next-next-finish” process. It requires careful preparation, correct server configuration, and a clear understanding of each step to avoid common mistakes that can lead to security issues or broken services later on. Many beginners struggle at this stage, while even experienced administrators can miss small but critical details during setup.

Here, we’ll walk you through the entire process of installing ISPConfig on Ubuntu 24.04 in a clear, practical, and beginner-friendly way. From preparing your server and meeting system requirements to running the installer and accessing the control panel for the first time, this article is designed to help you get everything right on the first attempt.

Whether you’re setting up a personal server, a client-hosting environment, or a production-ready system, this guide will give you the confidence to install and manage ISPConfig smoothly in 2026.

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What Is ISPConfig In 2026?

ISPConfig is a free, open-source hosting control panel that lets you manage websites, databases, email, DNS, FTP, and SSL on one server or a multi-server cluster.

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Prerequisites (Ubuntu 24.04 LTS)

Pro tip: If you need a ready-to-run VPS with Ubuntu 24.04 templates and clean IPv4, QloudHost offers fast NVMe VPS plans ideal for ISPConfig. Choose a close region for lower latency.

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ISPConfig Autoinstaller (Recommended)?

The autoinstaller configures a secure LAMP/LEMP stack with optional mail, DNS, FTP, Let’s Encrypt, phpMyAdmin, and Rspamd. It’s the fastest, most reliable path—perfect for first-time setups on Ubuntu 24.04.

1) Update, Reboot, and Set Your Hostname (FQDN)

sudo apt update && sudo apt -y upgrade
sudo reboot

# After reboot, set a proper FQDN:
sudo hostnamectl set-hostname panel.example.com

# Map your server IP to the FQDN (replace with your real IP and host):
echo "203.0.113.10 panel.example.com panel" | sudo tee -a /etc/hosts

# Verify:
hostname --fqdn

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2) Open the Firewall (UFW)

sudo apt -y install ufw
sudo ufw allow OpenSSH
sudo ufw allow 80,443/tcp
sudo ufw allow 8080/tcp
sudo ufw allow 25,587,465/tcp
sudo ufw allow 110,995/tcp
sudo ufw allow 143,993/tcp
sudo ufw allow 53/tcp
sudo ufw allow 53/udp
sudo ufw allow 21/tcp
# Optional: passive FTP range (match your installer choice)
sudo ufw allow 40110:40210/tcp

sudo ufw enable
sudo ufw status

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3) Run the ISPConfig Autoinstaller

Use interactive mode to choose Apache or Nginx, mail (Postfix/Dovecot), DNS (BIND), FTP (Pure-FTPd), Rspamd, and phpMyAdmin. You can review available flags first:

sudo apt -y install wget curl ca-certificates lsb-release
wget -O - https://get.ispconfig.org | sudo sh -s -- --help

Interactive installation (most users):

wget -O - https://get.ispconfig.org | sudo sh -s -- --interactive

Typical choices for a full stack on Ubuntu 24.04:

Unattended example (adjust options per --help):

wget -O - https://get.ispconfig.org | sudo sh -s -- \
  --unattended-installation \
  --use-php=8.3 \
  --use-ftp-ports=40110-40210 \
  --with-pma \
  --use-rspamd \
  --timezone=Etc/UTC \
  --hostname=panel.example.com

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4) Log In to ISPConfig and Secure the Panel

That’s it. You now have a production-ready ISPConfig control panel on Ubuntu 24.04 with modern defaults aligned to current best practices.

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Manual Install (Advanced, Fine-Grained Control)

If you prefer building the stack piece by piece, use the steps below. This approach is for experienced admins who want to control each service and setting.

1) System Prep

sudo apt update && sudo apt -y upgrade
sudo apt -y install software-properties-common curl wget git unzip tar lsb-release ca-certificates
sudo hostnamectl set-hostname panel.example.com
echo "203.0.113.10 panel.example.com panel" | sudo tee -a /etc/hosts
sudo timedatectl set-timezone Etc/UTC
sudo reboot

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2) LAMP (Apache + PHP-FPM + MySQL) on Ubuntu 24.04

# Apache
sudo apt -y install apache2 apache2-utils
sudo a2enmod proxy_fcgi setenvif mpm_event http2 rewrite ssl headers
sudo systemctl enable --now apache2

# PHP 8.3 (default on 24.04) + common modules
sudo apt -y install php8.3 php8.3-cli php8.3-fpm php8.3-curl php8.3-gd php8.3-imap php8.3-intl \
php8.3-xml php8.3-mbstring php8.3-zip php8.3-soap php8.3-bcmath php8.3-mysql php8.3-opcache php8.3-readline
sudo a2enconf php8.3-fpm
sudo systemctl enable --now php8.3-fpm
sudo systemctl reload apache2

# Database (MySQL 8.0 or MariaDB - either works; MySQL shown here)
sudo apt -y install mysql-server
sudo mysql_secure_installation

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3) Mail, DNS, FTP, and Security Stack

# Postfix, Dovecot, Rspamd, ClamAV, Redis
sudo apt -y install postfix postfix-mysql dovecot-imapd dovecot-pop3d dovecot-mysql \
rspamd redis-server clamav clamav-daemon

# FTP (Pure-FTPd)
sudo apt -y install pure-ftpd-mysql

# DNS (BIND9)
sudo apt -y install bind9 bind9utils

# Let's Encrypt and optional phpMyAdmin
sudo apt -y install certbot python3-certbot-apache

# Firewall (UFW) as shown earlier
sudo ufw allow OpenSSH
sudo ufw allow 80,443/tcp 8080/tcp 25,587,465/tcp 110,995/tcp 143,993/tcp
sudo ufw allow 53/tcp 53/udp 21/tcp
sudo ufw allow 40110:40210/tcp
sudo ufw enable

Note: Rspamd is the modern, high-performance antispam choice. ISPConfig supports Rspamd well on Ubuntu 24.04. Avoid running Apache and Nginx simultaneously unless you know how to split ports.

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4) Download and Run the ISPConfig Installer

cd /tmp
wget https://www.ispconfig.org/downloads/ISPConfig-3-stable.tar.gz
tar xzf ISPConfig-3-stable.tar.gz
cd ispconfig3_install/install
sudo php -q install.php

Choose “Expert” to map your exact services (Apache/Nginx, Postfix, Dovecot, BIND, Pure-FTPd, Rspamd) and enable Let’s Encrypt. When finished, log in at https://panel.example.com:8080.

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Post-Install Checklist (Do This Next)

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Security Hardening for Ubuntu 24.04 + ISPConfig

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Troubleshooting Common Issues on 24.04

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Performance Tips (LAMP vs LEMP)

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When to Choose a Managed VPS?

If uptime and speed are critical but you lack sysadmin time, a managed VPS with Ubuntu 24.04 from QloudHost is a smart pick. We’ll provision clean networking, optimized storage, and help you deploy ISPConfig with best-practice security, backups, and monitoring—so you can focus on sites, not servers.

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FAQs

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Conclusion

Installing ISPConfig on Ubuntu 24.04 is straightforward with the official autoinstaller—ideal for most users. Power admins can take the manual route for granular control.

Either way, you’ll get a reliable, secure hosting panel ready for websites, email, DNS, and SSL. Need a robust VPS foundation? QloudHost has you covered.