Webmin is a web-based system administration tool that can be used to manage Unix systems. Instead of using the command line or terminal console, one can install Webmin to manage various aspect of the system, including creating and managing user accounts, services and installing tools and modules.
For some new users who are not comfortable using the command console, using Webmin instead may get them started easily and painlessly.
Webmin also allows administrators to manage their servers remotely, from a console using any modern web browser. It’s that simple. Just install, open a web browser and begin managing your systems.
This brief tutorial is going to show you how to install and use Webmin on Ubuntu servers.
To get started, you should already have root access to the server. You’ll need root permissions to install software and packages on Ubuntu systems. When you’re ready, continue below to get started.
Logon to your Ubuntu server via SSH or terminal console. Once there, run the commands below to create a separate repository file for Webmin. To do that, run the commands below.
sudo vi /etc/apt/sources.lists.d/webmin.list
Next, copy and paste the lines below into the file and save the file. The lines below provide tools and packages to install Webmin. There are other methods one can use, but this might be the easiest.
deb http://download.webmin.com/download/repository sarge contrib
deb http://webmin.mirror.somersettechsolutions.co.uk/repository sarge contrib
After saving the file, use the commands below to download and install the repository key you’ve added above. Doing this allows Ubuntu to trust the above repository.
wget -q http://www.webmin.com/jcameron-key.asc -O- | sudo apt-key add -
After that, run the commands below to update your system. The update command tell Ubuntu to fetch all installed repositories on the system to look for updated packages and software.
sudo apt-get update
If there are newer packages available, Ubuntu then prompts you if you wish to upgrade the installed packages to the newer versions available through the repositories.
After running the update, command, run the commands below to install Webmin
sudo apt-get install webmin
When prompted, type y to accept and begin the installation.
After the installation, open any modern web browser and browse to the server using its IP address or hostname. The default port number the Webmin communicates on is 1000.
So type https://server_IP_address:10000 to access Webmin.
Because the certificate being is self-signed, you’ll be prompted with a warning that the certificate may not be trusted. Go ahead and proceed. When prompted with a logon screen, enter your username and password to sign in.
That’s it! Webmin is installed and ready to sue. Browse around and take notes of all the links on the right.
The System Information page shows you the overall system’s resources and other information. You can also view available updates from this page. Again, you can manage almost every aspect of your system from Webmin.
To create user, go to the Users and Groups page. There you’ll be able to easily create and manage user accounts.
So, look around and explore the various features and services that are available through Webmin and begin setting up and customizing your systems.
There are many functions available through Webmin.. from restart servers and servers to managing services and VPN to using CD burner and printers and more. It’s just a wonderful software to have installed.