Getting Started with AlmaLinux 8 on Your VPS

AlmaLinux 8 is the stable, proven RHEL 8-compatible OS widely used for production hosting. Though older than AlmaLinux 9, it remains reliable with support through 2029. Excellent for cPanel/WHM hosting and conservative deployments.

About AlmaLinux 8

• Release date: March 2021
• Support until: May 2029
• RHEL compatible: 1:1 compatible with RHEL 8
• Status: Stable, widely deployed
• Best for: cPanel hosting, legacy systems

cPanel Compatibility

AlmaLinux 8 is fully compatible with cPanel/WHM for hosting control:

• cPanel installs and runs identically to RHEL 8
• All cPanel features and plugins work flawlessly
• Recommended for reseller and shared hosting
• Upgrade path to AlmaLinux 9 when ready

Connect via SSH

ssh root@your-vps-ip

# With SSH key
ssh -i ~/.ssh/id_rsa root@your-vps-ip

Update System

# Update system (note: dnf/yum, not apt)
dnf update -y

# Install automatic updates
dnf install dnf-automatic -y
systemctl enable dnf-automatic.timer

Firewall Setup

# Start firewalld
systemctl enable firewalld
systemctl start firewalld

# Allow SSH
firewall-cmd --permanent --add-service=ssh

# Allow HTTP/HTTPS
firewall-cmd --permanent --add-service=http
firewall-cmd --permanent --add-service=https

# Reload
firewall-cmd --reload

Install Software

# Development tools
dnf groupinstall "Development Tools" -y
dnf install git curl wget -y

# Utilities
dnf install htop tmux vim -y

# Server software
dnf install nginx -y
dnf install mysql-server -y
dnf install php php-fpm -y

Future Upgrades

AlmaLinux 8 support ends May 2029: Plan to upgrade to AlmaLinux 9 (supports until 2032) before that date.

Next Steps

1. Install a control panel (cPanel/WHM or aaPanel)
2. Set up SSH key authentication
3. Configure firewall rules
4. Set up monitoring and backups
5. Deploy your websites and applications

Related: AlmaLinux 9 | OS comparison | Install cPanel | VPS setup