How to Change cPanel Account Package and Owner from the Backend

Introduction

Sometimes, we will have the SSH root access without WHM access. If suppose, you want to change the package, owner, etc., for an account. In WHM, you can edit the settings easily. Here is the post to explain, how to change the account settings in backend.

Prerequisites

Before proceeding, ensure that:

  • You have SSH access to the cPanel server.
  • You have root access to the server.
  • You know the cPanel username of the account that needs to be modified.
  • You have permission to modify cPanel account configuration files.

Implementation

Step 1: Login to the Server as Root

Login to the server using SSH as the root user.

Step 2: Change the Working Directory

Change the working directory to /var/cpanel/users.

cd /var/cpanel/users/

Step 3: Access the cPanel Account File

Access the cPanel account file using the following command:

vi cpanelacc

The following content will be shown.

# cPanel — If you edit this file directly you must run /usr/local/cpanel/scripts/updateuserdomains afterwards to rebuild the system caches.
# If you edit MAX_EMAIL_PER_HOUR or MAX_EMAIL_PER_HOUR-[domain] you must run /usr/local/cpanel/scripts/updateuserdomains
BWLIMIT=unlimited
CONTACTEMAIL=youremail@domain.tld
CONTACTEMAIL2=
DBOWNER=username
DEMO=0
DNS=domainname.tld
DNS1=ns1.domainname.tld
FEATURELIST=default
HASCGI=1
HASDKIM=0
HASSPF=0
IP=1.1.1.1
LOCALE=en
MAXADDON=2
MAXFTP=unlimited
MAXLST=unlimited
MAXPARK=unlimited
MAXPOP=unlimited
MAXSQL=unlimited
MAXSUB=unlimited
MTIME=1338330534
OWNER=root
PLAN=default
RS=x3
STARTDATE=1338330534
USER=username

From the above, if you want to change the package then edit PLAN or else if you want to change the ownership then edit OWNER.

Step 4: Update cPanel User Domains

After completing the above step, you would need to run the following command in order to change the reflects to WHM.

/usr/local/cpanel/scripts/updateuserdomains

Conclusion

Using the above method, the package and ownership settings of a cPanel account can be modified from the backend when SSH root access is available but WHM access is not available. After modifying the account configuration, running the updateuserdomains script updates the required cPanel system caches.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Can I change a cPanel account package without WHM access?

Yes. If you have SSH root access to the cPanel server, the account configuration can be modified from the backend.

2. Which setting is used to change the cPanel package?

The PLAN setting in the cPanel account file is used to specify the package associated with the account.

3. Which setting is used to change the account owner?

The OWNER setting in the cPanel account file specifies the owner of the cPanel account.

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Writes about Cloud & AWS at Pheonix Solutions.

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