How to Install Webmin on Ubuntu 24.04

Webmin can be installed on Ubuntu 24.04 by downloading its setup-repo.sh file and running apt-get install webmin --install-recommends afterwards. This guide details this procedure along with how to access the program in a browser and the certificate warning that is frequently encountered after the installation.

How do I install Webmin on Ubuntu 24.04?

Install the software on your Ubuntu 24.04 machine by downloading its setup-repo.sh script with curl and running it, followed by apt-get install webmin --install-recommends command. The script configures the machine to have access to Webmin's apt repository.

$ curl -o webmin-setup-repo.sh https://raw.githubusercontent.com/webmin/webmin/master/webmin-setup-repo.sh
$ sh webmin-setup-repo.sh
$ apt-get install webmin --install-recommends

These are exactly the instructions presented on Webmin's official download page — the setup script configures Webmin's apt repository, which makes the apt-get install webmin command work.

How do I access Webmin after installing it?

Access Webmin through https://your-server-ip:10000 in your browser. Webmin comes with its own embedded web server that listens on port 10000.

https://203.0.113.10:10000

The port number used is directly stated in Webmin's documentation. After the installation, Webmin prompts you to "check that your firewall configuration allows access through port 10000" — precisely what the next section discusses.

Why does my browser warn about an untrusted certificate when I open Webmin?

Webmin installs its own self-signed SSL certificate during installation, but browsers do not trust such certificates by default. Your browser warns you of an untrusted connection; however, the connection is encrypted anyway.

As one Webmin installation guide explains, "Webmin generates a self-signed SSL certificate, which browsers do not recognize". You can get rid of the warning later by replacing the self-signed certificate with "an SSL certificate issued by a certificate authority" after logging into Webmin.

How do I open the firewall for Webmin's default port?

Add an entry in your ufw configuration: sudo ufw allow 10000/tcp. Without this, you would not be able to connect to Webmin despite the service being active.

$ sudo ufw allow 10000/tcp

This is the documented ufw command to open Webmin's port. It is quite easy to install Webmin successfully, verify its presence on the machine, and yet get a connection timeout while trying to access it via browser just because of omitting one step.

What login credentials does Webmin use?

Use root as the username and enter your current root password, or create a new password specifically for Webmin with changepass.pl. Webmin authenticates against system accounts.

$ sudo /usr/share/webmin/changepass.pl /etc/webmin root [new_password]

As one installation guide mentions, this command "only works for existing users and cannot be used to create new users" — it sets a new password for a user that already exists on the system.

Both our VPS plans and Bare Metal servers provide root access and ufw control, allowing you to configure Webmin according to these instructions right away.