Install in one command.
A fresh Ubuntu 24.04 LTS or Debian 13 server, two lines pasted as root, about twenty minutes. Here's what you need, what happens and what to do first.
- Point DNS first. At your registrar, create an A record
panel.yourdomain.com→ your server IP, so free HTTPS works straight away. For a test box, use the server IP instead. - Run the installer as root on the fresh server. It downloads the signed release, checks the signature and checksum, then installs.
- Save the one-time admin password it prints at the end, then log in, change it and turn on 2FA or a passkey.
Re-running the installer later is safe: it repairs instead of starting over.
# fresh Ubuntu 24.04 LTS or Debian 13 · beta testing only $ wget https://karnakpanel.com/downloads/karnakpanel-install.sh $ sudo bash karnakpanel-install.sh panel.example.com admin@example.com
What you need
- Ubuntu 24.04 LTS or Debian 13, freshly installed
- 2 GB RAM and 20 GB SSD minimum, 4 GB+ with ClamAV
- Root SSH, and a domain you can point at the server
- An SSH key is recommended; password logins switch off only once a key is in place
Ports
- 22 SSH · 53 DNS · 80 / 443 web
- 25 / 587 / 465 mail sending · 143 / 993 IMAP
- 21 FTPS
- 8090 panel · 8091 webmail · 8092 phpMyAdmin
What the installer does
Updates the system, then installs OpenLiteSpeed, PHP 8.3/8.4/8.5, MariaDB, Exim and Dovecot with spam filtering, BIND, FTPS, Fail2ban, Roundcube, phpMyAdmin and the panel. Your panel domain gets its zone, vhost and HTTPS automatically. It ends with the admin password, the SSH key fingerprint and a short checklist.
The first hour
- Change the admin password and turn on 2FA or a passkey
- Create a daily-use account instead of browsing as admin
- Add your domain, point its DNS and issue SSL
- Set the alert email on the Services page
- Follow the setup guide on the dashboard; it ticks itself off
Before you start.
Can I install over an existing setup?
No. Fresh Ubuntu 24.04 LTS or Debian 13 only. Bring existing sites in with the migration tools instead.
What if it fails halfway?
Read the end of /var/log/karnakpanel-install.log. It's usually a package lock or a mirror hiccup. Fix it and re-run; finished steps are skipped.
How do updates work?
From the panel's Update page: signed, with a snapshot first and automatic rollback on failure. Panel updates never install behind your back.
How do I leave?
Per-account backups plus standard config files. No lock-in by design.