Softaculous is an auto-installer: it adds a page to cPanel where users can install WordPress and hundreds of other apps with a few clicks. This guide shows a server administrator how to install it on a cPanel & WHM server.
Quick answer
-
In WHM, go to Server Configuration › Tweak Settings › PHP, tick ioncube under cPanel PHP loader, and click Save.
-
As root, run:
wget -O install.sh https://files.softaculous.com/install.sh chmod 755 install.sh ./install.sh -
In WHM, open Plugins › Softaculous - Instant Installs.
What you need:
- A server running cPanel & WHM, with root SSH access.
- A Softaculous license for the server's IP address (the free version installs too, with fewer apps).
- Outgoing access from the server to
*.softaculous.com, if you run a firewall that filters outgoing traffic.
Step 1: Enable ionCube for cPanel's PHP
Softaculous runs on cPanel's own internal copy of PHP, and it needs the ionCube Loader there. This is separate from the PHP versions your websites use. Softaculous
- Log in to WHM as root.
- Go to Server Configuration › Tweak Settings and open the PHP tab.
- Under cPanel PHP loader, tick ioncube.
- Click Save.
Step 2: Allow Softaculous through the firewall
The installer and the app packages are downloaded from Softaculous's servers. If your firewall blocks outgoing connections (for example CSF with strict outgoing rules), allow *.softaculous.com. Softaculous publishes the current list of mirror IP addresses on its installation page. Softaculous
Most servers allow all outgoing traffic, so you can usually skip this step.
Step 3: Run the installer
Log in to the server over SSH as root and run:
wget -O install.sh https://files.softaculous.com/install.sh
chmod 755 install.sh
./install.sh
The installer detects cPanel, downloads Softaculous, registers it in WHM and cPanel, and ends with a message saying it was installed successfully. It can take several minutes.
Useful options, added after ./install.sh: Softaculous
| Option | What it does |
|---|---|
--quick |
Finishes faster and downloads the app packages in the background afterwards. |
--no-backuply-server |
Skips Backuply Server, a backup tool that new installs get by default. |
--nocpphp |
Uses cPanel's default PHP instead of Softaculous's own PHP binary. |
For example: ./install.sh --quick --no-backuply-server.
Step 4: Check it worked
- In WHM, go to Plugins › Softaculous - Instant Installs. The Softaculous admin panel should open and show your license type and version.
- Log in to any cPanel account. A Softaculous Apps Installer section should appear on the main page, with WordPress in it.
If your server uses suPHP or suEXEC, also review Softaculous's suPHP settings, which the installation page links to. Softaculous
Troubleshooting
The installer fails while downloading. The server cannot reach Softaculous's servers. Check DNS (ping files.softaculous.com) and the firewall (Step 2). If the server must use a proxy, Softaculous's installer accepts proxy settings; see its installation page.
"ionCube Loader" error in WHM or cPanel. ionCube is not enabled for cPanel's PHP. Repeat Step 1, then reload the page.
Softaculous shows "Free" instead of "Premium". The license is not active for this server's IP address. Check that the license was bought for the server's main IP, then refresh the license from the Softaculous admin panel in WHM.
Softaculous is missing in cPanel for some users. The account's feature list or package may hide it. In WHM, check Packages › Feature Manager for the feature list the package uses.
Uninstalling Softaculous
Softaculous publishes the commands to remove it from cPanel on its uninstall page. They delete Softaculous's files and unregister its plugins; read each one before running it, because they use rm -rf. Apps that users already installed (for example WordPress sites) are not removed.