Install from Repository

LiteSpeed maintains official package repositories for RPM-based and Debian-based distributions. This is the recommended installation method.

AlmaLinux / Rocky Linux 9

Add the Repository

rpm -Uvh https://rpms.litespeedtech.com/centos/litespeed-repo-1.3-1.el9.noarch.rpm

Install OpenLiteSpeed

dnf install openlitespeed

Install PHP (Optional)

dnf install lsphp83 lsphp83-common lsphp83-mysqlnd lsphp83-opcache

Ubuntu 22.04 / 24.04

Add the Repository and Install

wget -O - https://rpms.litespeedtech.com/debian/enable_lst_debian_repo.sh | bash
apt update
apt install openlitespeed

Install PHP (Optional)

apt install lsphp83 lsphp83-common lsphp83-mysql lsphp83-opcache

Debian 12

The same repository script works for Debian:

wget -O - https://rpms.litespeedtech.com/debian/enable_lst_debian_repo.sh | bash
apt update
apt install openlitespeed

Post-Installation Setup

Set WebAdmin Password

After installation, set the admin password for the WebAdmin GUI:

/usr/local/lsws/admin/misc/admpass.sh

This prompts for a username and password. The credentials are stored in /usr/local/lsws/admin/conf/htpasswd.

Alternatively, the randomly generated initial password can be found at:

/usr/local/lsws/adminpasswd

Start and Stop the Server

# Start
/usr/local/lsws/bin/lswsctrl start

# Stop
/usr/local/lsws/bin/lswsctrl stop

# Restart
/usr/local/lsws/bin/lswsctrl restart

# Check status
/usr/local/lsws/bin/lswsctrl status

On systems using systemd:

systemctl start lsws
systemctl stop lsws
systemctl restart lsws
systemctl enable lsws   # Start on boot

Access the WebAdmin GUI

Open your browser and navigate to:

https://your-server-ip:7080

Accept the self-signed certificate warning and log in with the credentials you set above. The WebAdmin interface lets you manage listeners, virtual hosts, SSL, and modules through a graphical interface.

Verify the Installation

The default site is served on port 8088. Open:

http://your-server-ip:8088

You should see the OpenLiteSpeed congratulations page.

Firewall Configuration

If you use firewalld (AlmaLinux/Rocky):

firewall-cmd --permanent --add-port=7080/tcp
firewall-cmd --permanent --add-port=80/tcp
firewall-cmd --permanent --add-port=443/tcp
firewall-cmd --reload

If you use ufw (Ubuntu/Debian):

ufw allow 7080/tcp
ufw allow 80/tcp
ufw allow 443/tcp

Next Steps

• Basic Configuration — understand the main config file.
• Virtual Hosts — set up your first site.
• SSL / TLS — enable HTTPS.