Install BlueOnyx Hosting Panel on Rocky 9 / AlmaLinux 9

A hosting panel or web hosting control panel or hosting management panel, can be defined as a web-based interface that makes it easier for users to manage various resources of their web hosting environment. It provides a GUI which makes the management of resources such as websites, email accounts, domains, databases, and other server-related functionalities easier. This empowers system admins and other users to manage their hosting environments without the need for deep technical knowledge. Popular hosting panels include ISPConfig, Webmin, DirectAdmin, Plesk, cPanel, Virtualmin etc.

BlueOnyx is an open-source web hosting control panel developed and maintained by SOLARSPEED.NET. It exists as a modern fork of BlueQuartz. The main aim of BlueOnyx is to provide a fully-integrated Internet hosting platform that provides a range of services such as web, email, DNS and file transfer services from a simple and easy-to-use web-based interface.

There are several features offered by BlueOnyx. They include the following:

• Enterprise Linux Support: It provides support for virtual hosting on enterprise Linux distributions, including RHEL9, RHEL8, and RHEL7 clones such as AlmaLinux, RockyLinux, or CentOS 7 (not ‘CentOS Stream’).
• Optional Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) for SSH: you have the option to enable Two-Factor Authentication for secure SSH access in BlueOnyx 5211R, BlueOnyx 5210R, and BlueOnyx 5209R.
• MTA (Mail Transfer Agent) Selection: it allows users to choose between Postfix or Sendmail as the MTA in BlueOnyx. The MTA can be changed at any time.
• Mailbox Format: it allows one to choose between Mbox or Maildir format for mailboxes in BlueOnyx 5211R and BlueOnyx 5210R. Older versions use the Mbox format by default.
• OpenDKIM Integration: it can be integrated with OpenDKIM, to allow users to sign outgoing emails with DKIM signatures in BlueOnyx 5211R and BlueOnyx 5210R.
• Server Name Indication (SNI) for Email: The recent versions, BlueOnyx 5211R and BlueOnyx 5210R support Server Name Indication (SNI) for email in Postfix and Dovecot.
• IPv4, IPv6, and Dual-Stack Support: BlueOnyx 5209R or newer versions support IPv4, IPv6, and dual-stack configurations.
• CalDAV/CardDAV Integration: BlueOnyx 5211R offers integration with CalDAV and CardDAV, enabling users to manage calendars and contacts.
• Reseller Management: it also allows resellers to create virtual sites and manage their own users, enhancing the hosting reseller capabilities.
• Unlimited Virtual Sites, Mailing Lists, and Users: it allows the hosting of an unlimited number of virtual sites, mailing lists, and users.
• Docker Integration: From BlueOnyx 5209R onwards Docker integration is enabled through the GUI, simplifying the management of Docker containers.
• Multiple PHP Implementations: It supports various PHP implementations, including mod_php, suPHP, PHP+mod_ruid2, and PHP-FPM (5209R or newer), allowing users to choose the preferred option.
• SSL Certificate Management: Through the GUI users can install and manage SSL certificates and intermediate certificates for secure website communication.
• Let’s Encrypt Integration: BlueOnyx 5207R, 5208R, and 5209R provide the ability to generate and auto-renew free Let’s Encrypt SSL certificates.
• Automatic MySQL Database and DNS Record Management: BlueOnyx automatically creates and manages MySQL databases for virtual sites and generates DNS records for seamless configuration.

This tutorial provides a detailed demonstration of how to install the BlueOnyx Hosting Panel on Rocky 9 / AlmaLinux 9

Setup pre-requisites

The recommended method to install BlueOnyx Hosting Panel is by using the ISO image. But here, we will do a manual installation of the BlueOnyx Hosting Panel on Rocky 9 / AlmaLinux 9.

Update system and reboot

sudo dnf -y update
sudo dnf -y install wget curl

To achieve that, you need a system that meets the below requirements:

• A minimal/Server edition of AlmaLinux, RockyLinux.
• sudo access
• Working network connection and pre-configured network settings
• SELinux must be disabled.

Disabling SELinux is not recommended for security purposes. But now configuring the contexts can be hard for some users. So for this guide, we choose to disable it to make it easier for all. Disable SELinux, temporarily using the command:

sudo setenforce 0
sudo sed -i 's/^SELINUX=.*/SELINUX=permissive/g' /etc/selinux/config

You can make that persistent:

$ sudo vim /etc/selinux/config
SELINUX=permissive

Set a hostname:

sudo hostnamectl set-hostname hosting.example.com

Map the entry in /etc/hosts:

$ sudo vim /etc/hosts
192.168.1.55 hosting.example.com

Verify the settings made:

$ hostname -f
hosting.example.com

Install BlueOnyx Hosting Panel

Download the latest release of BlueOnyx for your distribution.

wget http://devel.blueonyx.it/pub/5211R.rpm

Once the system has been configured as above, you can then install BlueOnyx 5211R using the command:

sudo yum localinstall ./5211R.rpm

Sample Output:

....
Transaction Summary
==============================================================================================
Install  194 Packages
Upgrade   17 Packages

Total size: 145 M
Total download size: 145 M
Is this ok [y/N]: y

You all need to install all the dependency packages for BlueOnyx.

sudo yum groupinstall blueonyx

This will take a while as several packages are being installed(800-1200 packages). However, that depends on your base installation.

Once complete, you need to run the command below to initialize services:

sudo /usr/sausalito/scripts/initServices.sh

Sample Output:

Disabling unneeded services ...
Remount /tmp to be non-executable
Fixing /etc/profile and /root/.bashrc
find: ‘/usr/sausalito/codb/objects/’: No such file or directory
Initial setup has not been finished yet! Editing /root/.bashrc
Setting Mailbox environment in /etc/profile
Applying various post-install fixes
Enabling all needed services ...
Setting up MariaDB ...
....
Applying Swatch hotfixes ...
Resetting CODB database ...
Enabling NetworkManager ...

All changes applied. Please revise your network settings 
to see if it is still configured correctly. After you have done so please reboot
and then login as 'root' via SSH or the command line to finish the setup.

Once complete, you need to reboot the system for all the changes to take effect.

sudo reboot now

Once the system restarted, you will see the login window below.

Initial BlueOnyx system Configuration

Log in with the creds below:

Username: root
Password: blueonyx

Once logged in, you will see this,

Once complete, you need to configure IPV4.

Set a preferred hostname.

The the IP address for your system

Set the netmask

Provide th gateway for your network

Set the DNS server.

You can also configure IPV6 if you wish to.

A preview of the made settings will be granted.

Now the settings will be applied.

Once complete, you will see this.

Access and Use BlueOnyx Hosting Panel Web UI

Now the BlueOnyx web UI can be accessed using http://IP_address:444/login or https://IP_adrress:81/login

Select the preferred language and proceed. Accept the Licence Terms.

Make the desired system settings. Here you set a password for the BlueOnyx admin user and MariaDB user

Finish the configuration.

You will be directed to the dashboard below.

Now here, you can now manage your server, sites and software updates on your system. For example, you can add another administrator other than the default admin user.

Under Network services, you can configure your web server.

Enable subdomains.

In the sites tab, you can manage your different sites on the system,

To add a site proceed as shown.

Once created the site will be available.

Preview the site:

Closing Thoughts

We can all agree this guide has provided an end-to-end demonstration of how to install BlueOnyx Hosting Panel on Rocky 9 / AlmaLinux 9. I hope this worked for you too.

See more:

• Manage Rocky Linux 9 / AlmaLinux 9 using Cockpit Dashboard
• Install and Configure ISPConfig Control Panel on Ubuntu 22.04
• Install Python 3.11 on Rocky Linux 9 / AlmaLinux 9