Before you install cPanel & WHM or cPanel DNSONLY, you should know that:
- Because cPanel is designed for commercial hosting, we only license publicly visible, static IP addresses. We do not license dynamic, sticky, or internal IPs.
- At this time, we do not provide an uninstaller. Once you install cPanel software, you must reformat the server to remove it.
- You should only install cPanel & WHM on a freshly installed operating system.
- The cPanel & WHM installer will install all of the services it needs. If you install services before cPanel & WHM, you will encounter compatibility problems. When you install your operating system, make sure to deselect software package groups such as a Gnome, KDE, and any other GUI desktop environments.
- You will need a package handler such as yum (included in default installations of CentOS and Red Hat® Enterprise Linux®).
Our system requirements document lists these operating systems as compatible with cPanel & WHM:
- CentOS (version 5.x or 6.x)
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux (version 5.x or 6.x)
- CloudLinux (version 5.x or 6.x)
Next, let's examine the basic differences between these operating systems.
Comparison Chart
CentOS is a free operating system based on Red Hat Enterprise Linux.
CloudLinux is an operating system based on CentOS that has been optimized for web hosting to improve density, stability, and security in shared hosting environments.
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Â
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CentOS
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Red Hat Enterprise Linux
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CloudLinux
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|---|---|---|---|
| Cost | Free | Paid | Paid |
| Updates | Community-supplied updates | Updates from Red Hat | Updates from CloudLinux |
| Support | Community-supplied support | Support from Red Hat | Support from CloudLinux |
CentOS vs. Red Hat Operating SystemsÂ
About CloudLinux
Unlike CentOS, CloudLinux modifies the kernel to contain spikes in usage. This modification enhances your server's reliability.
