How to Install Webmin on Ubuntu 20.04

Want to learn how to install Webmin on Ubuntu 20.04 LTS?

For those having no clue what Webmin is, it’s basically a browser-based program responsible for remotely managing Linux-based servers.

Normally, processes that involve managing users and packages, file sharing, backups, etc., are done with the help of the Command Terminal. This can be a long and excruciating task. Webmin provides a safe and easy-to-understand web-based GUI that gets the job done without the use of complicated commands, making it an essential tool to learn.

As is the case for any other application, installing Webmin doesn’t seem like the easiest of tasks at first. 

If you’re someone having a hard time navigating through the installation process of this application, then this guide is meant for you. Here, we will take you through the step-by-step process of learning how to install Webmin on Ubuntu 20.04 LTS.

Now, let’s begin!

Step 1: Adding the Webmin repository.

Webmin is not available in the standard list of Ubuntu repositories, which is why you need to add it in manually. You can do so with the help of a text editor like nano, gedit, etc.

Follow these steps for adding the Webmin repository to your system:

1. Start by opening the Command Terminal by pressing Ctrl + Alt + T on your keyboard.
2. Next, type the following in the Command Terminal:

$ sudo apt update

This will update all available packages along with the dependencies.

3. Once that finishes, proceed to type the following in the Command Terminal:

$ sudo nano /etc/apt/sources.list

This will open the list for repositories in the nano editor.

4. Next, add the following at the end of the newly opened file:

deb http://download.webmin.com/download/repository sarge contrib

Furthermore, this will add Webmin to the available repositories list for Ubuntu.

5. The last step involves saving the file and closing the editor. If you’re using nano, you can achieve this by pressing Ctrl + X, selecting Y, then pressing the Enter key.

With the steps followed correctly, you should now have added the Webmin repository to the default package list. Now, we proceed to the next step.

Step 2: Adding the Webmin PGP key. 

Our next step involves adding the Webmin PGP key to the list of the available keys. This will make sure that your system accepts the newly added repository.

Follow these steps for adding this key:

1. Start by opening the Command Terminal by pressing Ctrl + Alt + T on your keyboard.
2. Next, type in the following in the Command Terminal:

$ wget -q -O- http://www.webmin.com/jcameron-key.asc | sudo apt-key add

With this, the Webmin key will get included in the available keys list.

3. The next step involves updating the packages by typing the following in the Command Terminal:

$ sudo apt update

With the steps followed correctly, you should now have added the Webmin PGP key successfully.

Alternatively, you can do another method that skips step 1 altogether. To achieve this, follow these steps:

1. Start by opening the Command Terminal by pressing Ctrl + Alt + T on your keyboard.
2. Next, type this command in the Terminal:

$ sudo apt update

Moreover, this will update all available packages along with the dependencies.

3. Once that’s done, type the following in the Command Terminal:

$ sudo apt install software-properties-common apt-transport-https wget

4. Lastly, type in these commands in the Terminal to ensure the package is configured correctly:

$ wget -q -O- http://www.webmin.com/jcameron-key.asc | sudo apt-key add

$ sudo add-apt-repository "deb [arch=amd64] http://download.webmin.com/download/repository sarge contrib"

With the steps followed correctly, you are now ready to learn how to install Webmin on Ubuntu 20.04 LTS.

Step 3: Installing Webmin.

Now that you’re done with the previous steps, you can now install the Webmin packages. Simply type the command below in the Terminal:

$ sudo apt install webmin

This will proceed to install the Webmin packages on your system.

Step 4: Configuring Webmin.

With Webmin installed on your system, all that’s left is to configure it to ensure that it runs properly. Here’s how to do that:

1. First and foremost, ensure that you allow port 10000 through your firewall, as it is the port through which Webmin operates. In case you’re using UFW, type this command in the Terminal:

$ sudo ufw allow 10000/tcp

This will open up the port and, as a result, allow Webmin to operate smoothly.

2. Next, open up your browser and type the following in the search bar:

https://<Server/IP/hostname>:10000/

Replace <server/ip/hostname> with your actual hostname or (Public) IP.

If this is the first time you’re logging in, a warning message should appear on your screen, claiming the website to be dangerous. Worry not, as this is just a result of an invalidated CA certificate. 

3. Lastly, click on Advanced, and then Continue to <Server/IP/hostname>

This will navigate to a login page of sorts. Type in your sudo user details and proceed to click the Sign in button.

You should see a webpage displaying all essential details regarding users, groups, etc.

Webmin allows you to achieve a lot through its sophisticated interface. It lets you add or remove users, create groups, update packages and repositories, manage files that are on your system, and more. Even better, Webmin ensures that you can achieve all this in a fast, simple, and efficient manner.

While we’re on the topic of packages, it’s fair to assume that most of you reading this guide is familiar with how package installation works on Ubuntu 20.04 LTS and other Linux distributions. The process of package installation isn’t perfect, so learning how to fix it may be of use to you as it’ll save you from encountering this in the future.

We hope this guide helped you learn how to install Webmin on Ubuntu 20.04 LTS. If you are still facing some problems, or wish for an in-depth guide on the Webmin panel, let us know in the comment section down below. With that said, we wish you all the best on your journey to mastering Linux.