Cpanel Back End Files

Introduction

This document provides an overview of backend files, directories, services, and configurations used in cPanel and WHM. The content is preserved exactly as provided, with only formatting improvements for better readability.

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Prerequisites

• Root or SSH access to the server
• Basic knowledge of the Linux file system
• Familiarity with cPanel / WHM

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Implementation

WHM: Web Host Manager

http://IPaddress:2086
http://IPaddress/whm

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WHM-related files

/var/cpanel – whm files

• bandwidth/ – rrd files of domains
• username.accts – reseller accounts are listed in this file
• packages – hosting packages are listed here
• root.accts – root-owned domains are listed here
• suspended – suspended accounts are listed here
• users/ – cpanel user file – theme, bwlimit, addon, parked, sub-domains all are listed in this file
• zonetemplates/ – dns zone template files are taken from here

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Cpanel

http://domainname:2082
http://IP:2082
http://domainname/cpanel

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Mail

The important sections under the Mail are defined below.

Email Accounts: In this area, you can manage the email accounts associated with your domain(s).

Webmail: Webmail allows you to check your email from a web browser as opposed to a desktop mail application such as Outlook Express or Thunderbird. This means that you can check your email from any web browser

BoxTrapper: BoxTrapper protects your inbox from spam by forcing all people not on your white list to reply to a verification email before they can send mail to you.

Spamassassin: SpamAssassin is an automated email filtering system that attempts to identify spam messages based on the content of the email’s headers and body.

Autoresponders: You can use autoresponders to send a message back automatically to anyone who sends an email to a certain account.

Forwarders: Forwarders allow you to send a copy of all mail from one email address to another.

Default Address: The default email address will “catch” any mail that is sent to an invalid email address for your domain. All mail that is sent to an address that does not exist will go to the default email address. To send all default mail to the main mail account, type the user name of your cPanel account in the email address input field.

User-level Filtering: In this area, you can manage filters for each user. Each user filter is processed after the main account filters.

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Exim back-end files

Conf: /etc/exim.conf – exim main configuration file
/etc/localdomains – list of domains allowed to relay mail

Log : /var/log/exim_mainlog – incoming/outgoing mails are logged here
/var/log/exim_rejectlog – exim rejected mails are reported here
/exim errors are logged here

Mail queue: /var/spool/exim/input

Cpanel script to restart exim – /scripts/restartsrv_exim

Email forwarders and catchall address file – /etc/valiases/domainname.com
Email filters file – /etc/vfilters/domainname.com

POP user authentication file – /home/username/etc/domainname/passwd

catchall inbox – /home/username/mail/inbox
POP user inbox – /home/username/mail/domainname/popusername/inbox
POP user spambox – /home/username/mail/domainname/popusername/spam

Program : /usr/sbin/exim (suid – -rwsr-xr-x 1 root root )
Init Script: /etc/rc.d/init.d/exim

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FILES

Backup and BackUp Wizard: Backups allow you to download (to your computer) a zipped copy of either your entire site (your home directory, databases, email forwarders configuration, email filters configuration) or one of the previously mentioned parts of your site.

File Manager: Helps you to download, upload and create new files and give permission to the folders and files listed inside it.

WebDisk: You can create a Web Disk login and access your Web Disk below. Once your Web Disk is configured, you can then drag and drop files to it just like they are part of your home computer. You can also navigate through the files in your hosting account just as you do the files on your local computer.

FTP Accounts: FTP Accounts allow you to access your website’s files through a protocol called FTP. You will need a third-party FTP program to access your files.

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ProFTPD

Program:/usr/sbin/proftpd
Init Script :/etc/rc.d/init.d/proftpd
Conf: /etc/proftpd.conf
Log: /var/log/messages, /var/log/xferlog

FTP accounts file – /etc/proftpd/username – all ftp accounts for the domain are listed here

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Pure-FTPD

Program: /usr/sbin/pure-ftpd
Init Script :/etc/rc.d/init.d/pure-ftpd
Conf: /etc/pure-ftpd.conf

Anonymous ftp document root – /etc/pure-ftpd/ip-address

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LOGS

Bandwidth: This function allows you to see the bandwidth usage for your site. It shows the current month’s bandwidth usage as well as your total bandwidth usage. This will include all HTTP (web) and POP (mail) bandwidth usage and may include FTP bandwidth usage if your system administrator has enabled FTP bandwidth logging

Webalizer Stats: Webalizer is a complex stats program that produces a variety of charts and graphs about who has visited your site.

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SECURITY

IP Deny Manager: This feature will allow you to block a range of IP addresses to prevent them from accessing your site. You can also enter a fully qualified domain name, and the IP Deny Manager will attempt to resolve it to an IP address for you.

SSL/TLS Manager: The SSL/TLS Manager will allow you to generate SSL certificates, signing requests, and keys.

HotLink Protection: HotLink protection prevents other websites from directly linking to files (as specified below) on your website.

Leech Protect: Leech Protect allows you to prevent your users from giving out or publicly posting their passwords to a restricted area of your site.

Password Protect: You can limit access to certain resources of your website by password-protecting the directories they are in. While doing the applying the password protection, you required a username and password to access those directories from the web.

/home/username/.htpasswd … where the username and encrypted password is stored.

Put the .htaccess file in the directory of the file that you wish to be protected.

AuthName “Member Only”
AuthType Basic
AuthUserFile /home/username/.htpasswd
require valid-user

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DOMAINS

Subdomains: Subdomains are URLs for different sections of your website

Addon Domains: An addon domain allows you to reach a sub-domain when entering the name of the addon domain into a browser

Parked Domains: Parked Domains (Domain pointers) allow you to “point” or “park” additional domain names to your existing hosting account.

Redirects: Redirects allow you to make a specific web page redirect to another page and display the contents of that page.

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DATABASES

MySQL Databases: MySQL database and the corresponding users can be created here.

MySQL Database wizard: For the creation of the database and giving the privileges.

phpMyadmin: phpMyAdmin is a third-party tool included with cPanel, used for manipulating MySQL databases over the Internet. Using phpMyAdmin, you can add and drop databases, create, alter, and delete tables, add, edit, and delete fields, execute SQL statements, and manage users, keys, and permissions.

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MySQL backend files

Program: /usr/bin/mysql
Init Script : /etc/rc.d/init.d/mysql
Conf: /etc/my.cnf, /root/.my.cnf

Data directory – /var/lib/mysql – Where all databases are stored.

Database naming convention – username_dbname (eg: john_sales)

Permissions on databases – drwx 2 mysql mysql

Socket file – /var/lib/mysql/mysql.sock, tmp mysql.sock

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Software/Services

CGI Centre: Short for “Common Gateway Interface,” CGI lets a web server run pieces of software called scripts. cPanel’s CGI Centre provides CGI scripts that can do many useful things for your website, like create a guestbook, clock, hit counter, countdown clock, and banner ads.

Site Software: This interface allows you to add useful software to your website. Your web host controls what software is available.

PHP PEAR Packages: Using these features, you can add and manage PHP packages.

PHP Configuration — This feature allows you to view specific information about your server’s PHP configuration.

Perl Modules: This feature provides an interface for you to add and manage Perl modules.

Optimise Website — This feature can automatically compress content on your website, when that content is requested by visitors.

Deploying a Ruby on Rails Environment: To create and deploy a Ruby on Rails application.

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ADVANCED

Apache Handlers: This interface allows you to add and manage Apache handlers.

Image Manager: cPanel includes 3 tools to help you manage the images you use on your website.

Index Manager: This interface allows you to configure how a directory index will appear.

Error Pages: This interface allows you to customise error pages.

Cron Jobs: Scheduled tasks on the server.

FrontPage Extensions: Allows publishing from Microsoft FrontPage.

Network Tools: Tools for retrieving network information.

Submit a Support Request: Submit support tickets (if enabled).

MIME Types: Manage file handling types.

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Apache

/usr/local/apache

• bin – apache binaries (httpd, apachectl, apxs)
• conf – configuration files (httpd.conf)
• cgi-bin
• domlogs
• htdocs
• include
• libexec
• logs – access_log, error_log, suexec_log
• man
• proxy
• icons

Init Script :/etc/rc.d/init.d/httpd
Cpanel script to restart apache – /scripts/restartsrv_httpd

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Exim

Conf: /etc/exim.conf
/etc/localdomains

Log: /var/log/exim_mainlog
/var/log/exim_rejectlog

Mail queue: /var/spool/exim/input

Cpanel script to restart exim – /scripts/restartsrv_exim

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Frontpage Extensions

Program – /usr/local/frontpage/version5.0/bin/owsadm.exe

FP files: _vti-bin, _vti-pvt, _vti-cnf, vti-log

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SSHD

Program:/usr/local/sbin/sshd
Init Script :/etc/rc.d/init.d/sshd
/etc/ssh/sshd_config
Log: /var/log/messages

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Perl

Program:/usr/bin/perl
Directory :/usr/lib/perl5/5.6.1/

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PHP

Program:/usr/local/bin/php, /usr/bin/php
ini file: /usr/local/lib/php.ini
PHP can be recompiled using /scripts/easyapache

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Named(BIND)

Program: /usr/sbin/named
Init Script: /etc/rc.d/init.d/named
/etc/named.conf
db records:/var/named/

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Cpanel installation directory structure

/usr/local/cpanel

• 3rdparty/
• addons/
• base/
• bin/
• cgi-sys/
• logs/
• whostmgr/

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WHM-related files

/var/cpanel

• bandwidth/
• username.accts
• packages
• root.accts
• suspended
• users/
• zonetemplates/

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Common CPanel scripts

Located in /scripts

Includes: addns, addpop, adduser, easyapache, pkgacct, restorepkg, restartsrv, upcp, updatenow, suspendacct, unsuspendacct and others.

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Important cPanel/WHM files

/etc/httpd/conf/httpd.conf
/etc/exim.conf
/etc/named.conf
/etc/proftpd.conf
/etc/pure-ftpd.conf
/etc/aliases/domainname
/etc/vfilters/domainname
/etc/userdomains
/etc/localdomains
/var/cpanel/users/username
/var/cpanel/cpanel.config
/etc/my.cnf
/etc/resolv.conf
/etc/ips
/etc/ipaddrpool
/var/spool/exim
/var/spool/cron
/root/cpanel3-skel

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Conclusion

All original content has been preserved and presented in a clean, readable format for easier understanding and usage in cPanel and WHM environments.