Install OpenLiteSpeed On Ubuntu

Post Date: March 21, 2019
Last Updated: October 11, 2026

Introduction

OpenLiteSpeed is an open-source web server developed by LiteSpeed Technologies. It is designed to deliver high performance, efficient resource utilization, and reliable website hosting. OpenLiteSpeed includes a user-friendly web administration interface that allows administrators to manage server settings, configure virtual hosts, and integrate PHP applications. In this tutorial, we will explain how to install and configure OpenLiteSpeed on an Ubuntu server, enable PHP processing, configure rewrite rules, and make the web server accessible through the standard HTTP port.

Prerequisites

Before installing OpenLiteSpeed on Ubuntu, ensure that you have the following:

• An Ubuntu server with a supported version of Ubuntu.
• Root or sudo privileges to install packages and modify server configurations.
• A stable internet connection to download the required packages and dependencies.
• Basic knowledge of Linux commands and web server configuration.
• Sufficient disk space and memory to install and run OpenLiteSpeed.
• Firewall access to the required ports: 80 for HTTP, 443 for HTTPS if SSL is configured, 7080 for the administration interface, and 8088 for the default web server listener during initial setup.
• A compatible PHP version and the required PHP modules if you plan to host PHP-based applications.

Implementation

Installation step for OpenLiteSpeed

1. The first update ubuntu server using the following commands.

sudo apt update
sudo apt dist-upgrade 
sudo apt autoremove

2. Install required dependencies for OpenLiteSpeed.

apt install build-essential libexpat1-dev libgeoip-dev libpcre3-dev libudns-dev zlib1g-dev libssl-dev libxml2 libxml2-dev rcs libpng-dev libpng-dev openssl

3.Go and fetch the latest version of OpenLiteSpeed. The commands below will download version 1.4.45 to your server.

cd /tmp/ 

wget https://openlitespeed.org/packages/openlitespeed-1.4.45.src.tgz

4. Next, run the commands below to extract the downloaded package.

tar -xvzf openlitespeed-1.4.45.tgz

5. Switch into the directory extracted directory

cd openlitespeed-1.4.45

6. Run the commands below to install OpenLiteSpeed.

sudo ./configure
sudo make
sudo make install

7. Configure the administrative password for the web interface. Run the commands below to do that.

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

8. Once setup is completed then start the webserver.

sudo /etc/init.d/lsws start

9. Access your browser and browse to the server IP or hostname followed by 8088 to view the default page page.

http://localhost:8088

10. Access the admin panel using the port number.

https://xxx.xxx.xxx:7080

11. Install PHP 7.2 and Modules

sudo ln -sf /usr/local/lsws/lsphp72/bin/lsphp /usr/local/lsws/fcgi-bin/lsphp72

12. After that, open your browser and browse to OpenLiteSpeed backend portal.

http://example.com:7080

13. Go to the Dashboard and select Server Configuration==>External App then click Edit as shown in the image below

14. Change the command to reflect the symbolic link created above for PHP 7.2 and save.

$SERVER_ROOT/fcgi-bin/lsphp72

15. Go to Virtual Hosts ==> General page…. and click edit of the Index File section and add index.php to the list as shown below.

16. Rewrite tab and turn on Rewrite Control

17. Edit the Rewrite Rules and replace the below code , then save..

RewriteRule ^index\.php$ - [L]
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-f
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-d
RewriteRule . /index.php [L]

18. Click on the Listeners from the left menu, then edit to change the current port from 8088 to 80.

19. Restart the server from the top right corner and open the URL in browser.

http://localhost/phpinfo.php

Conclusion

In this tutorial, we covered the steps to install and configure OpenLiteSpeed on an Ubuntu server, including installing dependencies, setting up the administration interface, configuring PHP processing, enabling rewrite rules, and changing the listener port. OpenLiteSpeed provides a lightweight and efficient web server solution for hosting websites and PHP-based applications. Before deploying it in a production environment, ensure that the server software and PHP version are supported, configure SSL certificates, secure the administration interface, and verify that the firewall allows only the necessary ports.

FAQs

1. What is OpenLiteSpeed?

OpenLiteSpeed is a free, open-source web server known for its high performance, lightweight architecture, and efficient resource utilization. It supports PHP applications, virtual hosts, URL rewriting, and web-based server administration.

2. How do I install OpenLiteSpeed on Ubuntu?

You can install OpenLiteSpeed on Ubuntu by updating the system, adding the required repository or downloading the appropriate package, installing the web server, configuring the administrative password, and starting the service. Refer to the official OpenLiteSpeed documentation for instructions compatible with your Ubuntu version.

3. What are the default ports used by OpenLiteSpeed?

OpenLiteSpeed commonly uses port 8088 for its default HTTP listener and port 7080 for the web administration interface. Production websites typically use port 80 for HTTP and port 443 for HTTPS.

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Need Help with OpenLiteSpeed?

Need help with OpenLiteSpeed installation, configuration, PHP integration, or web server security? Our experts can assist with OpenLiteSpeed administration, website migration, server optimization, Linux server management, DevOps, cloud solutions, and other infrastructure requirements. Get in touch with our team here.