How to Install and Configure OpenLiteSpeed on Ubuntu 22.04/20.04

OpenLiteSpeed is a lightweight and high-performance open-source web server that can be a great alternative to the more commonly used web servers like Apache or Nginx. It’s known for its speed, scalability, and ease of use. In this tutorial, we’ll guide you through the process of installing and configuring OpenLiteSpeed on Ubuntu 22.04 or 20.04.

Prerequisites

Before we get started, make sure you have the following:

1. An Ubuntu 22.04 or 20.04 server.
2. SSH access to your server with sudo privileges.
3. A domain name pointed to your server’s IP address (optional).

Let’s begin with the installation.

Step 1: Update Your System

First, it’s a good practice to ensure that your system’s package list is up to date. Open a terminal and run the following commands:

$ sudo apt update
$ sudo apt upgrade -y

This will update your system’s package database and upgrade installed packages to their latest versions.

Step 2: Install OpenLiteSpeed

Now, let’s install OpenLiteSpeed. OpenLiteSpeed provides its own repository for Ubuntu, so we’ll add it to your system and then install the server.

# Add the OpenLiteSpeed repository
$ sudo wget -O - http://rpms.litespeedtech.com/debian/lst_repo.gpg | sudo apt-key add -
echo "deb http://rpms.litespeedtech.com/ubuntu/ $(lsb_release -sc) main" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/lst_repo.list

# Install OpenLiteSpeed
$ sudo apt update
$ sudo apt install openlitespeed -y

Step 3: Start and Enable OpenLiteSpeed

Once OpenLiteSpeed is installed, you can start and enable it to run automatically on system boot with these commands:

$ sudo systemctl start lsws
$ sudo systemctl enable lsws

Step 4: Access the OpenLiteSpeed WebAdmin Console

OpenLiteSpeed comes with a web-based administration panel called WebAdmin Console. To access it, open a web browser and navigate to your server’s IP address or domain name followed by port 7080, like this:

http://your_server_ip:7080

You’ll be prompted to log in. The default username and password are both set to “admin.” Make sure to change these credentials after logging in for security reasons.

Step 5: Configure Virtual Hosts (Optional)

You can host multiple websites on your OpenLiteSpeed server by configuring virtual hosts. Here’s how you can create a basic virtual host:

1. In the WebAdmin Console, go to “Virtual Hosts” on the left sidebar.
2. Click on the “+Add” button to create a new virtual host.
3. Fill in the necessary details, including the domain name, document root, and any other configurations you need.
4. Click “Save” to create the virtual host.
5. Don’t forget to add DNS records pointing to your server’s IP address for the domains you configure.

Step 6: Test Your Configuration

To test if everything is working correctly, create an HTML file in the document root of your virtual host and try accessing it through your domain name or IP address in a web browser.

$ sudo nano /usr/local/lsws/Example/html/index.html

Add some content to this file and save it. Then, access it in your web browser using your domain name or IP address.

Step 7: Secure Your Server (Optional)

For better security, you should consider setting up a firewall, enabling HTTPS using Let’s Encrypt, and following other best practices for securing your server. This goes beyond the scope of this tutorial but is crucial for a production environment.

Conclusion

Congratulations! You’ve successfully installed and configured OpenLiteSpeed on your Ubuntu 22.04 or 20.04 server. You now have a high-performance web server ready to host your websites and applications. If you have specific use cases or advanced configurations, refer to the OpenLiteSpeed documentation for more information and guides.

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