Using Virtualmin

Virtualmin is the panel that lets you manage your hosting (files, databases, server-local backups). This guide covers the everyday tasks.

This note is about working on domains or virtual servers through the web interface, not about administering them (use this other note to administer domains).

Logging in to Virtualmin

The login URL looks like: https://min-xxxx-x.netadm.ovh:10000

Use the login you were given, which then lets you manage the websites.

Managing your domain/virtual server

In the Virtualmin world, the virtual server is what Plesk calls a domain. The name comes from the word vhost (virtual host) used by Apache. We will use the word domain, which is less confusing.

Important

Important: after logging in, the interface puts you on the first domain in alphabetical order. Do not work on a domain before switching to its identity, to avoid nasty surprises.

1. Select the domain you want to work on in the drop-down menu:
2. Switch to the domain identity, which simplifies the menu and adds access to the file manager and the terminal:

Databases

phpMyAdmin is installed and reachable at the URL already provided, which looks like: https://tools.min-xxxx-x.netadm.ovh/xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx/phpmyadmin/

The list of databases, their user and their password are visible in the " Edit Databases " menu:

Online file manager

The built-in file manager is a handy alternative to FileZilla or SSH/sFTP for managing files.

Here is what it looks like for a WordPress type application:

Important

The file manager starts in the public_html directory by default (you can see it in the text to the right of the little house icon).

Warning

The home directory (the little house) is read only, to protect the server.

The important directories:

• The data directory is meant to let the application store data.
• The public_html directory holds the public directory of the application, reachable from the internet.
• The virtualmin-backup directory is the local backup directory. It may map to an extra disk added to the server.

Transferring files with FileZilla

If you have not done it yet, your public SSH key must first be installed in the .ssh/authorized_keys file of the website account.

Then open FileZilla, add a site in the site manager and set the hosting host name and its login:

On the first connection, you have to accept the host SSH key:

After that, you can list the domain directory on the server:

Backups

Local backups are not the same as the incremental backups of the server. The server is backed up in full remotely, independently of the Virtualmin internal backup.

Backups are scheduled under the name of the domain owner.

To download a backup, use the file manager, browse to virtualmin-backup and download the tar.zst file.

Scheduled tasks

A dedicated module has been added so you can manage your own scheduled tasks:

Scheduled tasks run inside the jailed environment of the website.

Example of a cron job running the WordPress tasks:

wp cron event run --due-now --path=/home/xxxxx/public_html