Webmin is a powerful, web-based system administration tool that simplifies the management of Linux servers. With Webmin, you can easily manage services, user accounts, and perform many other administrative tasks through a web interface. In this guide, we will walk you through the process of installing Webmin on Ubuntu 22.04 and securing it with a free Let's Encrypt SSL certificate. Whether you're setting it up on a local server or using a Windows VPS UK, this tutorial will guide you through each step.
Step 1: Update Your System
Before installing Webmin, it’s important to ensure your system is up to date. Run the following commands to update your Ubuntu 22.04 system:
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -yThis will ensure that your system has the latest security patches and software updates. This is essential whether you're deploying Webmin locally or on a VPS Windows Servers platform.
Step 2: Install Webmin
Webmin is not available in the default Ubuntu repositories, so you need to add its repository to your system. Run the following commands to add the Webmin repository and install Webmin:
sudo apt install software-properties-common apt-transport-https wget -y
wget -qO- http://www.webmin.com/jcameron-key.asc | sudo apt-key add -
sudo sh -c 'echo "deb http://download.webmin.com/download/repository sarge contrib" > /etc/apt/sources.list.d/webmin.list'
sudo apt update
sudo apt install webmin -y
Once the installation is complete, Webmin will start automatically. You can check the status of the Webmin service with the following command:
sudo systemctl status webminWebmin should now be running and accessible via your browser. This setup works both on local systems and on cloud environments, such as a Windows VPS hosting UK platform.
Step 3: Access Webmin
By default, Webmin listens on port 10000. Open your web browser and navigate to the following URL, replacing your-server-ip with your server's IP address:
https://your-server-ip:10000/Since Webmin uses a self-signed SSL certificate by default, your browser will show a security warning. You can bypass this warning to access the Webmin interface.
Step 4: Install Let's Encrypt SSL Certificate
To secure your Webmin interface with a trusted SSL certificate, you can use Let's Encrypt to obtain a free certificate. First, install Certbot, the Let's Encrypt client:
sudo apt install certbotNext, generate an SSL certificate for your domain by running:
sudo certbot certonly --standalone -d your-domain.comCertbot will download and install the SSL certificate for your domain. Once complete, navigate to Webmin’s SSL settings to configure the certificate. Open the Webmin interface, go to Webmin Configuration > SSL Encryption, and update the paths to point to the Let's Encrypt certificates, typically located at:
/etc/letsencrypt/live/your-domain.com/fullchain.pem
/etc/letsencrypt/live/your-domain.com/privkey.pem
After saving the settings, restart Webmin:
sudo systemctl restart webminYour Webmin instance will now be secured with a Let's Encrypt SSL certificate, ensuring secure HTTPS access. This setup works whether you are hosting Webmin on a local server or a VPS Windows Servers platform.
Step 5: Renew Let's Encrypt Certificate Automatically
Let's Encrypt certificates expire every 90 days, so you need to set up automatic renewal. Certbot automatically handles this, but you can test the renewal process by running:
sudo certbot renew --dry-runThis command will simulate the renewal process to ensure it’s working correctly. If the renewal is successful, Certbot will automatically renew your certificate before it expires, ensuring continuous secure access to your Webmin instance.
