How To Install Webmin on Ubuntu 24.04

Managing a Linux server can be challenging, particularly when dealing with standard duties like system monitoring, service configuration, and user administration. Despite its strength, command-line management necessitates knowledge of Linux commands and setups, which might be difficult for novice admins. Webmin offers a solution that simplifies these tasks and makes server management possible even for people without a lot of Linux experience thanks to its intuitive, web-based user interface.

This article offers a thorough, step-by-step tutorial that starts with the required package updates and progresses through the installation of dependencies, repository settings, and secure access setup. Every component has been thoughtfully created to guarantee that customers fully comprehend the installation procedure as well as the security issues at play..

After the successful installation of Webmin, a versatile and user-friendly tool will be available to readers to manage their Ubuntu server directly from a web browser. Webmin gives users the ability to easily and effectively utilize critical server administration activities, such as setting up network services, creating and maintaining user accounts, and keeping an eye on system health. Even with little knowledge of Linux command-line interfaces, users may confidently manage servers by following this guide, which will enable users to make the most of the Linux environment.

Prerequisites

The requirements to install Webmin on Ubuntu 24.04 are as follows:

• A local computer or a cloud server with Ubuntu 24.04 installed
• A regular user with sudo access.
• Since installing Webmin requires downloading packages from external repositories, make sure the server has access to the internet.
• Make a new DNS record with a subdomain that points to the IP address of the server that hosts it. Take mywebmin.mydomain.com, for instance.

Install Webmin

Here are the step-by-step instructions for installing Webmin on Ubuntu 24.04.

1. It is advised to upgrade any outdated packages and update the system's package lists first. This guarantees a trouble-free installation of Webmin and its dependencies. Execute the subsequent commands:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

2. Add Webmin repository. Users must manually add the Webmin repository because it is not part of the official Ubuntu repositories. Get the Webmin repository's GPG key by running the command below.

wget -qO - http://www.webmin.com/jcameron-key.asc | sudo apt-key add -

3. Include the Webmin repository to the system’s sources list.

sudo sh -c 'echo "deb http://download.webmin.com/download/repository sarge contrib" > /etc/apt/sources.list.d/webmin.list'

4. To establish the newly added repository, refresh the package list after adding it.

sudo apt update

5. Install Webmin now using:

sudo apt install webmin -y

6. After installation is finished, you can use a web browser to access Webmin. Open the web browser and navigate to this page:

http://<server-ip>:10000

In our case, the IP address is 166.1.227.224:

http://166.1.227.224:10000

Secure Webmin

1. Update the SSL Webmin configuration. For encrypted connections, Webmin uses SSL by default; however, users must confirm this configuration. Open the Webmin configuration file in order to verify or enable SSL. Run the command below.

sudo nano /etc/webmin/miniserv.conf

2. Search the line with port=10000 and change it to another port. For example:

3. Save your modifications and restart Webmin.

sudo systemctl restart webmin

4. Restricting access to specific IP addresses improves security by restricting the devices that can access Webmin. In order to view or change the allowed IPs, open the Webmin startup file and run the command below.

sudo nano /etc/webmin/miniserv.conf

5. In order to include only trusted IP addresses, change the allow= line. If it doesn’t exist yet, add it.

allow=your_trusted_ip

The actual IP address should be substituted for your_trusted_ip. One can add more than one address, with spaces between them.

Restart Webmin after saving the file.

sudo systemctl restart webmin

Set Up Firewall Rules

If a firewall is present, configure it; Webmin uses port 10000 by default. If the system has a firewall installed, such as UFW, grant Webmin access with the following steps.

1. Check Firewall Status First, confirm that the UFW firewall is active. Run the following command to view the current status.

sudo ufw status

2. If the firewall isn't yet activated, use the command ufw enable to turn it on., but make sure to allow SSH service first to prevent the current session from terminating and being able to SSH to the server again. To allow the SSH service, run the following command. 

sudo ufw allow ssh

Run the following command to activate the firewall. 

sudo ufw enable

3. By default, Webmin uses port 10000. To allow traffic on this port, use the following command.

sudo ufw allow 10000/tcp

4. If Webmin is configured to use a custom port, try using a different port number instead of 10000. Grant access, for example, by using the following command  if Webmin is to set up on port 22000.

sudo ufw allow 22000/tcp

5. Limit Individual IP addresses' access. Increase Webmin's security by configuring the firewall to only allow access from specific, verified IP addresses. To limit access to 192.168.1.100, for example, run the command below.

sudo ufw allow from 192.168.1.100 to any port 10000 proto tcp

6. Repeat this command for each additional IP address that requires access. To ensure that the changes take effect when the rules are specified, reload UFW by running the following command.

sudo ufw reload

7. Check the firewall's status once again to ensure that the rules are in place.

sudo ufw status

Access Webmin

1. Launch any current web browser, such Edge, Firefox, or Chromeweb, to access the Webmin interface after installing Webmin and setting up firewall rules. Enter the IP address of the server in the address bar, then Webmin's port (10000 by default or your custom port if you reconfigured): https:/<server-ip>/:10000.

For example:

https://166.1.227.224:10000

2. Because Webmin's default SSL certificate is self-signed, the browser can show a security warning if it is applied. Users should choose "Accept the Risk" or "Proceed to Site" in order to continue to Webmin.

3. Enter the root username and password of the server, or any other account with sudo rights, to access the dashboard once the Webmin login screen is displayed.

4. After successfully logging in, users will be taken to the Webmin dashboard, where they may manage users, monitor services, adjust settings, access a variety of system administration tools, and perform any other tasks related to administration on the Ubuntu server.

Conclusion

In conclusion, setting up Webmin on Ubuntu 24.04 offers a stable, intuitive interface for handling server responsibilities, enabling system management to be used by both inexperienced and seasoned users. Users may easily install, secure, and use Webmin by following this guide. This gives them the power to manage users, services, firewall settings, and more from a single online interface. By enabling administrators to carry out necessary operations in a convenient and efficient manner, Webmin improves server management efficiency and security.