Webmin is a powerful, open-source tool that provides a web-based interface for system administration and configuration. It’s an invaluable resource for administrators, allowing for the setup of user accounts, DNS, file sharing, and more, all from a convenient web interface. This comprehensive guide will walk you through the process of installing Webmin on an Ubuntu 11.10 server.
Before we dive into the installation process, it’s worth noting that Webmin can be a game-changer for managing your server. If you’re interested in exploring other server management options, you might want to check out our articles on the best web servers, or delve into specifics with our explanations of Apache, Nginx, and LiteSpeed servers.
Step 1: Edit the /etc/apt/sources.list file
The first step in the installation process is to edit the /etc/apt/sources.list file. This can be done using the following command:
sudo vi /etc/apt/sources.list
You will be prompted to enter your password. Once you’ve done that, add the following lines at the bottom of the sources.list file:
deb http://download.webmin.com/download/repository sarge contrib deb http://webmin.mirror.somersettechsolutions.co.uk/repository sarge contrib
Save and exit the file using the command:
:wq!
Step 2: Download the GPG key
Next, you’ll need to download the GPG key using the wget command:
wget http://www.webmin.com/jcameron-key.asc
geeks@server:~$ wget http://www.webmin.com/jcameron-key.asc --2012-04-15 10:00:05-- http://www.webmin.com/jcameron-key.asc Resolving www.webmin.com... 216.34.181.97 Connecting to www.webmin.com|216.34.181.97|:80... connected. HTTP request sent, awaiting response... 200 OK Length: 1320 (1.3K) [text/plain] Saving to: `jcameron-key.asc' 100%[======================================>] 1,320 --.-K/s in 0s 2012-04-15 10:00:06 (49.5 MB/s) - `jcameron-key.asc' saved [1320/1320]
After the key has been downloaded, import it using the following command:
sudo apt-key add jcameron-key.asc
You should see an “OK” message, indicating that the key has been successfully imported.
Step 3: Install Webmin
With the GPG key imported, you can now install Webmin using the apt-get command:
sudo apt-get install webmin
geeks@server:~$ sudo apt-get install webmin Reading package lists... Done Building dependency tree Reading state information... Done The following extra packages will be installed: apt-show-versions libapt-pkg-perl libauthen-pam-perl libio-pty-perl libnet-ssleay-perl The following NEW packages will be installed: apt-show-versions libapt-pkg-perl libauthen-pam-perl libio-pty-perl libnet-ssleay-perl webmin 0 upgraded, 6 newly installed, 0 to remove and 57 not upgraded. Need to get 16.2 MB of archives. After this operation, 101 MB of additional disk space will be used. Do you want to continue [Y/n]? y Get:1 http://sg.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ oneiric/main libnet-ssleay-perl i386 1.36-3 [206 kB] Get:2 http://download.webmin.com/download/repository/ sarge/contrib webmin all 1.580 [15.8 MB] Get:3 http://sg.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ oneiric/universe libauthen-pam-perl i386 0.16-2build1 [31.4 kB] Get:4 http://sg.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ oneiric/main libio-pty-perl i386 1:1.08-1build1 [39.5 kB] Get:5 http://sg.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ oneiric/main libapt-pkg-perl i386 0.1.24build3 [89.6 kB] Get:6 http://sg.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ oneiric/universe apt-show-versions all 0.17 [32.9 kB] Fetched 16.2 MB in 2min 58s (90.3 kB/s) Selecting previously deselected package libnet-ssleay-perl. (Reading database ... 50828 files and directories currently installed.) Unpacking libnet-ssleay-perl (from .../libnet-ssleay-perl_1.36-3_i386.deb) ... Selecting previously deselected package libauthen-pam-perl. Unpacking libauthen-pam-perl (from .../libauthen-pam-perl_0.16-2build1_i386.deb) ... Selecting previously deselected package libio-pty-perl. Unpacking libio-pty-perl (from .../libio-pty-perl_1%3a1.08-1build1_i386.deb) ... Selecting previously deselected package libapt-pkg-perl. Unpacking libapt-pkg-perl (from .../libapt-pkg-perl_0.1.24build3_i386.deb) ... Selecting previously deselected package apt-show-versions. Unpacking apt-show-versions (from .../apt-show-versions_0.17_all.deb) ... Selecting previously deselected package webmin. Unpacking webmin (from .../archives/webmin_1.580_all.deb) ... Processing triggers for man-db ... Processing triggers for ureadahead ... ureadahead will be reprofiled on next reboot Setting up libnet-ssleay-perl (1.36-3) ... Setting up libauthen-pam-perl (0.16-2build1) ... Setting up libio-pty-perl (1:1.08-1build1) ... Setting up libapt-pkg-perl (0.1.24build3) ... Setting up apt-show-versions (0.17) ... ** initializing cache. This may take a while ** Setting up webmin (1.580) ... Webmin install complete. You can now login to https://server.geeks.local:10000/ as root with your root password, or as any user who can use sudo to run commands as root.
You’ll see a series of messages as the system reads the package lists, builds the dependency tree, and reads the state information. You’ll then be asked if you want to continue with the installation. Type “y” and press Enter to proceed.
The system will then download and install the necessary packages. This process may take a few minutes.
Once the installation is complete, you’ll see a message indicating that Webmin has been successfully installed. You can now log in to Webmin using your root password, or as any user who can use sudo to run commands as root.
Step 4: Log in to Webmin
To log in to Webmin, navigate to the following URL in your web browser:
https://server_ip:10000/
Replace “server_ip” with the IP address of your server. For example, if your server’s IP address is 192.168.1.49, you would navigate to:
https://192.168.1.49:10000/
You can now log in to Webmin using your root access.
Commands Mentioned
- sudo vi /etc/apt/sources.list – Opens the sources.list file for editing
- :wq! – Saves and exits the file
- wget http://www.webmin.com/jcameron-key.asc – Downloads the GPG key
- sudo apt-key add jcameron-key.asc – Imports the GPG key
- sudo apt-get install webmin – Installs Webmin
Conclusion
Webmin is a powerful tool that simplifies the process of managing a server. By providing a web-based interface for system administration and configuration, it allows administrators to manage various aspects of their server from a single, convenient location. This guide has walked you through the process of installing Webmin on an Ubuntu 11.10 server, from editing the /etc/apt/sources.list file, to downloading and importing the GPG key, to installing Webmin itself.
Whether you’re a seasoned server administrator or a newcomer to the field, Webmin can be a valuable addition to your toolkit. And remember, if you’re interested in exploring other server management options, our articles on the best web servers, Apache, Nginx, and LiteSpeed servers are a great place to start.
We hope this guide has been helpful. If you have any further questions, don’t hesitate to reach out. Happy server managing!
FAQ
-
What is Webmin?
Webmin is a free, open-source tool that provides a web-based interface for system administration and configuration. It allows administrators to manage various aspects of their server, including user accounts, DNS, and file sharing, among others.
-
How do I install Webmin on Ubuntu?
The installation process involves editing the /etc/apt/sources.list file, downloading and importing the GPG key, and then using the apt-get command to install Webmin. Detailed step-by-step instructions are provided in this guide.
-
How do I log in to Webmin?
You can log in to Webmin by navigating to https://server_ip:10000/ in your web browser, replacing “server_ip” with the IP address of your server. You can log in using your root password, or as any user who can use sudo to run commands as root.
-
What is the /etc/apt/sources.list file?
The /etc/apt/sources.list file is a key file in Ubuntu and other Debian-based distributions. It contains the list of repositories that your system uses to download and install packages. It can be edited to add or remove repositories.
-
What is a GPG key and why is it needed?
A GPG (GNU Privacy Guard) key is a type of encryption key used for secure communication. When installing software like Webmin, the GPG key is used to verify the authenticity and integrity of the downloaded packages, ensuring they haven’t been tampered with.
