Please open a new thread if you want to talk about UI improvements. But, I again want to be clear that if your request is “make it look like cPanel/WHM”, that is not a constructive suggestion. Make a new thread with what you find hard to use about Virtualmin, specifically, and we will try to improve.
Again this is going way off topic. If you want to build your own theme, go right ahead… If people want to use it, great… @Joe is just being clear that this is NOT the mission of the Min products – to immitate or clone what cPanel has already done.
Once again, the original topic is resolved. So let’s move on.
Ok. And thanks for the help. Your staff is awesome and I love your business model. I want to be part of it and help make it happen. Let cPanel burn!
I’m excited to try Cloudmin. I’m going to install it on my VirtualBox CentOS install. Can it be installed inside Webmin or does it need a base install of CentOS?
You should use the install script on a fresh install of CentOS. It will install Webmin for you.
I already have Webmin installed, to install Cloudmin can I install on top of Webmin?
As @Joe just mentioned, you should do a FRESH install. Let the installer setup all the components.
As @Joe just mentioned, you should do a FRESH install. Let the installer setup all the components.
I see now, I wasn’t clear about it. Ok, I have a fresh CentOS VM in VirtualBox for this purpose. Thank you for the help!
Wait. I just realized you’re comparing Webmin to cPanel/WHM. They’re not even the same category of product. Virtualmin is the product that competes with cPanel/WHM. If you’re expecting managing users and websites and apps to be easy in Webmin, well…it isn’t. It’s not supposed to be. Virtualmin is the product that competes with cPanel/WHM. Webmin is a general purpose systems management tool.
So you are trying in install Cloudmin inside a VPS environment? You should be installing Cloudmin and subsequently the VPS’ onto a “host” machine, that is NOT inside an existing VPS.
Virtualbox is basically doing the same role that Cloudmin would be doing… Not quite advisable.
So you are trying in install Cloudmin inside a VPS environment?
No. Let me be clear what is going on, in this case. It is not a usual case you will see.
I have a dedicated server running CentOS and cPanel. For now that server remains running live. Ignore it. Down the road the plan is to replace this dedicated server with the software.
I also have on my Windows computer, VirtualBox installed, inside which I have operating systems that I try out. In this case, I have some virtual machines running CentOS and Webmin.
The purpose of using it in VirtualBox is to test out the software before using it on a live server. I would do the whole reinstall again from scratch, after I became familiar with the software in a virtual machine inside my home computer.
So presently, but not for the final live server, I have
Windows > VirtualBox > CentOS > Webmin
In another virtual container I will have:
Windows > VirtualBox > CentOS > Cloudmin
I want to try the software to see if I like it before putting on a live server. Hope it helps. I could also build a theme for Webmin inside my Virtualbox container without having to be renting or colocating a physical server.
As a mentioned above, I’m only using VirtualBox on my home PC to try out different software, OS, etc. Not for live or production servers.
It shouldn’t be a problem to simply install the software to try it out and see if I live it, right? Should work inside VirtualBox. It has containers that are like a whole new drive. I understand it’s similar to what Cloudmin does, which is why my setup and things I’m doing is amusing.
It’s pretty unusual to have someone that’s a server admin, graphic designer, web developer, and superuser all in the same person. So this won’t be common!
I don’t know if KVM can run inside of VirtualBox. I’m pretty confident the CPU extensions for virtualization won’t work in that scenario.
But, if KVM will work inside a VirtualBox, you should still start with a fresh install of your OS and run the install script on it.
Virtualbox typically creates a KVM based VPS, so it may have a hard time as @Joe mentioned running KVM inside KVM. Personally, I wouldn’t really recommend it either.
Virtualbox typically creates a KVM based VPS, so it may have a hard time as @Joe mentioned running KVM inside KVM. Personally, I wouldn’t really recommend it either.
I see. Well, I do want to try the software in VirtualBox (again it will NOT be on a live or production server), but if I run into issues, I will keep that in mind that it’s not typically how it was intended. I just want to see it in action and get familiar with using it.
I thought Webmin was the equivalent of WHM. But I’m still learning the system, that’s why I installed it in VirtualBox on my PC, to play around on it.
It the equivalent of WHM/cPanel = Virtualmin/Usermin?
Or is it WHM/cPanel = Webmin/Virtualmin?
I understand that it is not fully apples-to-apples. I’m trying to understand the basics of how your system works and the general equivalent to cPanel/WHM.
No. Virtualmin is the equivalent to cPanel and WHM. It is a set of modules for Webmin, plus an installer, plus some other ancillary services and tools.
Usermin is a webmail client (plus some other stuff).
Can we see a screenshot of Webmin/Virtualmin interface you’re seeing?
I wish I could say “good luck”, but sadly luck won’t help here, as making Webmin/Virtualmin skin requires not only incredible amount of effort and time, but also a lot of knowledge about many pretty tricky aspects of how this particular software is built. It won’t be easy. At first, it won’t go neither smooth nor will be done right. Even after almost a decade of working on Webmin/Virtualmin UI, I still think that if I had to start it all over again it wouldn’t be easy. That said, I see it nearly close to impossible doing it right as a side project for one man. However, if you want to try, go ahead, I am not trying to stop you.
Even though cPanel is our competitor, I personally don’t like how it sounds. You most certainly have your own reasons to hate it but I would suggest to keep it cool. ![]()
@jyghckyvckudsa Perhaps, trying Virtualmin at first (without Cloudmin) would be a more reasonable choice. Cloudmin may happen to look as complicated and very different product for a user going from cPanel. Also, at the moment we invest much less time in Cloudmin, as pretty much everything is going to Virtualmin.
If you install Virtualmin, I would suggest using the latest development version of install.sh script, that would install and work just fine on Rocky 8, Debian 11 and Ubuntu 22.04. In the near future AlmaLinux support will also be fixed in upcoming Webmin 1.995 release.
The biggest downside with Webmin is the user interface, so I want to make a cPanel-style theme for Webmin and Virtualmin (and Usermin? Still learning, I’m not sure yet how to get to the user-side).
I take it you haven’t seen Jupiter. ![]()
Personally, I like the Webmin / Virtualmin UI. I don’t log into a server control panel to be entertained. I want the things I need to find to be in places where they logically belong. That’s more the case with Webmin / Virtualmin than any other panel I’ve used. Almost everything is where one would expect it to be.
Yeah, there are occasional exceptions. Sometimes I scratch my head and wonder why they placed something where they did. But overall, I’ll take our UI to Jupiter any day.
Richard
Hello @jyghckyvckudsa years ago my old hosting provider offered cPanel/WHM only and that was the only thing I knew. When I decided to have my own VPS I decided on Webmin/Virtualmin and I had to study its main functions. I am very happy I have chosen Webmin/Virtualmin because is far superior and it gives full control of the VPS. I also consider Webmin/Virtualmin UI good, I am not a tech-savvy person and I managed the change, others can do it too. I would recommend do not waste your valuable time adapting the UI and follow Ilia’s advice. Also follows tpnsolutions’ advice; the last couple of weeks I found that the latest versions of Virtualbox have problems, it stopped working some of my VMs that were running fine for years, and I lost plenty of time with the issue. If you plan to use a Control Panel, just study all the features of Webmin/Virtualmin and you will not regret it. Regards.