Frequently asked questions about Sentora web hosting control panel.
Sentora is an open-source web hosting control panel forked from ZPanel and maintained by the original ZPanel development team. It provides a web-based interface for managing web hosting services including domains, email accounts, databases, DNS, and FTP.
Yes, Sentora is completely free and open-source software licensed under GPL-3.0. There are no licensing fees or hidden costs.
Current Stable Version: 2.0.2 (released May 4, 2024)
Development Version: 2.1.0 (PHP 8.2, NOT for production use)
Check the GitHub releases page for the latest version information.
Yes, Sentora is actively maintained by the original ZPanel team (TGates, Me.B, and Jettaman). The project has:
Sentora supports multiple Linux distributions:
Minimum Requirements:
See our comprehensive Sentora Setup Guide for detailed installation instructions.
Quick summary:
Not recommended. The Sentora installer expects a clean OS installation without pre-installed web server packages (Apache, Nginx, MySQL, PHP). Installing on an existing server may cause conflicts and installation failures.
If you must install on an existing server:
There is no official Sentora Docker image. Community images exist but are outdated and not recommended for production use.
See Sentora Docker Setup for details and alternatives.
Recommended approach: Native installation or Ansible automation.
Yes, see Sentora Ansible Setup for automated installation using Ansible playbooks.
Typical installation time: 15-30 minutes depending on:
After installation, access Sentora via:
URL: https://sentora.example.com/ or http://sentora.example.com:8080/
Username: admin (or email set during installation)
Password: (password set during installation)
Via Panel:
Via MySQL (if locked out):
mysql -u root -p sentora
UPDATE x_accounts SET ac_pass_vc = PASSWORD('YourNewPassword123!') WHERE ac_email_vc = 'admin@sentora.com';
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
See Sentora Configuration for detailed guidance.
Using Let’s Encrypt:
sudo apt install certbot python3-certbot-apache
sudo certbot --apache -d example.com -d www.example.com
Sentora also has built-in Let’s Encrypt support in newer versions.
Yes, but ensure proper configuration:
See Sentora Security for reverse proxy configuration examples.
Sentora uses Apache as the default web server. Nginx is not natively supported in the standard installation but can be configured as a reverse proxy.
Sentora uses MySQL or MariaDB for data storage. The installer will install and configure the database automatically.
Sentora v2.0.2 uses PHP 7.4 system-wide. Multi-PHP support is limited compared to commercial panels. For multiple PHP versions, consider:
Yes, Sentora supports unlimited domains, subdomains, and addon domains (resource permitting).
Yes, you can install WordPress manually or use the built-in application installer (ZModule) if available.
Sentora has limited reseller functionality compared to commercial panels. For serious reseller hosting, consider:
Sentora v2.0.2 addresses historical vulnerabilities. However, follow these best practices:
Critical:
Recommended:
Historical vulnerabilities (patched in v2.0.2):
See Sentora Security for comprehensive security guidance.
Edit /etc/sentora/panel/inc/init.inc.php line 99:
// Change from:
ac_resethash_tx = ''
// To:
ac_resethash_tx = NULL
Sentora v2.0.2 is suitable for production use with proper hardening. However, consider:
For new deployments, also evaluate HestiaCP, CyberPanel, or commercial options.
Check the following:
systemctl status apache2 mysql/var/log/apache2/error.logCommon fixes:
# Restart services
sudo systemctl restart apache2 mysql named proftpd
# Check Apache configuration
sudo apache2ctl configtest
# Check firewall
sudo ufw status
Possible causes:
Solutions:
Check:
systemctl status postfix dovecot/var/log/mail.logCheck:
systemctl status named/etc/bind/zones/sudo mysql_secure_installation
Or manually:
sudo systemctl stop mysql
sudo mysqld_safe --skip-grant-tables &
mysql -u root
UPDATE mysql.user SET authentication_string=PASSWORD('newpassword') WHERE User='root';
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
Migration from cPanel requires manual steps:
Consider using migration tools or professional services for large migrations.
Since HestiaCP is the actively maintained VestaCP fork, consider migrating to HestiaCP instead of Sentora for easier transition.
Yes, Sentora is designed as a ZPanel successor. Migration should be straightforward, but backup everything first and test thoroughly.
Sentora is licensed under GPL-3.0 (GNU General Public License v3.0).
Sentora offers:
Primary Resources:
This Wiki:
Yes, Sentora has a modular architecture. See the Module Documentation for development guides.
Source code is hosted on GitHub: https://github.com/sentora/sentora-core
Contributions welcome via:
Sentora has limited API functionality. For extensive API needs, consider:
Last Updated: March 11, 2026
Have more questions? Visit the Sentora Forums or contact us via our contact page.