This thread covers the most common questions about Panelica. If your question isn't answered here, ask in General Discussion.
Q: Which operating systems does Panelica support?
A: Ubuntu 22.04 LTS, Ubuntu 24.04 LTS, Debian 12 (Bookworm), and Debian 13 (Trixie). The server must be a fresh install, 64-bit only. No other operating systems are supported at this time.
Q: Can I install Panelica alongside cPanel, Plesk, or HestiaCP?
A: No. Panelica manages all server services (Nginx, PHP, MySQL, PostgreSQL, etc.) and will conflict with other control panels. A fresh server with no other panel installed is required.
Q: What are the minimum server requirements?
A: Minimum: 1 CPU core, 1 GB RAM, 15 GB disk space. Recommended: 2+ cores, 2+ GB RAM, 40+ GB SSD. For full details, see the Server Requirements thread.
Q: Does the installer need sudo or root?
A: Root. Not sudo. Log in as root directly, or switch to a root shell by running
sudo -i or sudo su - (either command works — use whichever is available on your OS). The installer will refuse to run under a non-root user.Q: How long does installation take?
A: About 3 minutes on a standard VPS. This includes downloading and configuring all 20+ services. See the full Installation Guide for step-by-step instructions.
Q: Can I change the panel port after installation?
A: Yes. Go to Panel Settings > General > Panel Port. The default port is
8443. After changing, access the panel at https://your-server-ip:NEW_PORT.Q: I see a browser security warning when accessing the panel. Is this normal?
A: Yes, this is expected. The panel uses a self-signed SSL certificate on first install. Click through the browser warning to proceed. Once you configure your own domain with Let's Encrypt SSL, the warning will disappear. This is covered in the Setup Wizard guide.
Q: Is Panelica free?
A: There is a 14-day free trial that includes almost all features. After the trial period, choose from Professional, Business, or Enterprise plans at panelica.com.
Q: What's the difference between plans?
A: Each plan enables different feature sets. Professional covers single-server web hosting essentials. Business adds reseller hierarchy and Docker support. Enterprise adds white-label branding, full API access, and premium support. Visit panelica.com for current plan details and pricing.
Q: Can I change my plan later?
A: Yes. You can upgrade or downgrade at any time. Update your license key in Panel Settings > License and the new features will activate immediately.
Q: Is there per-user or per-domain pricing?
A: No. Panelica uses per-server licensing. Every plan includes unlimited domains, unlimited users, and unlimited email accounts. You pay per server, not per site.
Q: How do I point my domain to my Panelica server?
A: Two options:
- Nameservers: Set your domain's nameservers to your server's nameservers (e.g.,
ns1.yourhostname.comandns2.yourhostname.com). Panelica's built-in BIND DNS server will handle all records. - Cloudflare / External DNS: Add an A record pointing your domain to your server's IP address. If using Cloudflare, Panelica has built-in integration to auto-sync records.
Q: Does Panelica support wildcard domains?
A: Panelica supports creating subdomains for any hosted domain. Wildcard SSL certificates are available via DNS-01 challenge with Let's Encrypt (requires Cloudflare integration or manual DNS verification).
Q: Can I use Cloudflare with Panelica?
A: Yes. Panelica has built-in Cloudflare integration. Add your Cloudflare API token in the domain settings, and Panelica will automatically sync DNS records — including mail-related records like SPF, DKIM, and DMARC.
Q: Does Panelica support Let's Encrypt?
A: Yes. SSL certificates are automatically issued via Let's Encrypt when you create a domain with SSL enabled. Auto-renewal runs daily and renews certificates 30 days before expiry. No manual intervention needed.
Q: Can I use my own SSL certificate?
A: Yes. Go to Domain Edit > SSL tab > Upload Custom Certificate. Panelica supports
.crt or .pem certificate files, .key private key files, and an optional CA bundle for intermediate certificates.Q: Why did my Let's Encrypt certificate fail?
A: The most common reason is that DNS is not yet pointed to your server. The A record for your domain must resolve to your server's IP address before Let's Encrypt can verify ownership. DNS propagation can take up to 48 hours after making changes. Check your DNS with
dig yourdomain.com +short — it should return your server's IP.Q: Does Panelica include email hosting?
A: Yes. Panelica includes a full email stack: Postfix (SMTP), Dovecot (IMAP/POP3), Roundcube (webmail), OpenDKIM (email signing), and SpamAssassin (spam filtering). All included at no extra cost on every plan.
Q: Is email enabled by default?
A: No. Mail services (Postfix, Dovecot) are disabled by default to keep the server lightweight. Enable them from the Services page when you're ready to host email.
Q: Will my emails reach Gmail and Outlook inboxes?
A: If your server has a clean IP address with a proper PTR (reverse DNS) record, and SPF/DKIM/DMARC are configured correctly (Panelica sets these up automatically when you create email accounts), then yes. Note: some cloud providers (AWS, GCP, Azure) block outbound port 25 by default — check with your provider and request unblocking if needed.
Q: What ports does email use?
A: SMTP:
25 (server-to-server), 465 (SSL), 587 (STARTTLS for mail clients). IMAP: 143 (plain), 993 (SSL). POP3: 110 (plain), 995 (SSL). For mail clients, use port 587 for sending and 993 for receiving.Q: Which PHP versions are available?
A: PHP 8.1, 8.2, 8.3, 8.4, and 8.5. All versions are pre-installed and available. Each domain can use a different PHP version independently.
Q: Can I change the PHP version per domain?
A: Yes. Go to Edit Domain > PHP tab and select the desired version. You can also use the quick PHP version dropdown directly on the domain list page for fast switching.
Q: Where is php.ini?
A: Each domain has its own isolated PHP-FPM pool with individually configurable settings. Edit PHP settings via Domain > PHP > php.ini Editor, which provides a built-in CodeMirror editor with syntax highlighting. No need to SSH in and edit files manually.
Q: Which databases does Panelica support?
A: MySQL 8 and PostgreSQL 17. Both are pre-installed and running out of the box. You can create databases and users for either engine from the Databases page.
Q: How do I access phpMyAdmin?
A: Go to Databases > click the phpMyAdmin button. ROOT and ADMIN users get automatic single sign-on (SSO) — no password needed. Other user roles use manual login with their database credentials.
Q: Can I connect to MySQL remotely?
A: Yes. Go to Databases > Remote MySQL and add the IP address that needs remote access. This creates a firewall rule allowing that IP to connect to MySQL on port
3306.Q: What security features are built in?
A: Panelica includes 5-layer user isolation:
- Cgroups v2 — CPU, memory, I/O, and process limits per user
- Namespaces — PID and mount isolation (CageFS-style)
- SSH Chroot — Jailed SFTP and shell access
- PHP-FPM Pools — Per-user, per-version pools with open_basedir
- Unix Permissions — UID/GID isolation, home directories with 700 permissions
Q: Is user isolation enabled by default?
A: Yes. Every user account automatically gets its own cgroup slice, namespace, PHP-FPM pool, and home directory with strict permissions. No configuration needed — isolation is active from the moment a user is created.
Q: Does Panelica have backup support?
A: Yes. Panelica supports full server backups, per-domain backups, and incremental backups. Storage options include local disk, remote SFTP, Google Drive, AWS S3, and FTP.
Q: Can I schedule automatic backups?
A: Yes. Go to Backup > Schedules and create a schedule. Options include daily, weekly, monthly, or a custom cron expression for fine-grained control.
Q: Does Panelica support Docker?
A: Yes. Panelica includes a built-in Docker manager for containers, images, networks, and volumes. App templates allow one-click deployment of popular applications like WordPress, Redis, MongoDB, OpenVPN, and more. Available on Business and Enterprise plans.
Q: Can I migrate from cPanel, Plesk, or DirectAdmin?
A: Yes. Panelica has built-in migration tools that support cPanel, Plesk, CyberPanel, DirectAdmin, and Panelica-to-Panelica transfers. The migration wizard guides you through the entire process.
Q: Does migration preserve passwords?
A: Yes. MySQL user password hashes are transferred directly, so users keep their existing database passwords. No password resets needed after migration.
Q: How many domains and users can I host?
A: There is no software limit. Panelica does not restrict the number of domains, users, or email accounts on any plan. Your server's hardware (CPU, RAM, disk) is the only practical limit.
Q: Is there an API?
A: Yes. Panelica provides 246 REST API endpoints with JWT authentication. The API covers all panel functionality — users, domains, DNS, email, databases, SSL, backups, and more. API access is available on Business and Enterprise plans.
Q: Does Panelica have a mobile app?
A: Yes. Open the panel on desktop, go to your profile, and scan the QR code with the Panelica mobile app. Available for both iOS and Android.
Q: How do I update Panelica?
A: Go to Panel Settings > Updates > Check for Updates > Apply. Updates are applied with a single click from the panel interface. The update process takes about 30 seconds and includes automatic backup of replaced files.
Q: Where are the log files?
A: All logs are stored under
/opt/panelica/var/logs/. The main backend log is at /opt/panelica/var/logs/backend/backend.log. You can also view logs directly in the panel at Monitoring > Logs without SSH access.- Server Requirements — Hardware and OS requirements
- Installation Guide — Step-by-step installation
- Setup Wizard — Initial configuration walkthrough
- First Steps After Setup — What to do after installation
Still have questions? Ask in General Discussion or report issues in Bug Reports.
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