FlashPanel

OpenLiteSpeed ​

OpenLiteSpeed is an open-source web server from LiteSpeed Technologies, known for its high performance and built-in LiteSpeed Cache, which makes it a great fit for WordPress. Each server uses one web server only: Nginx, Apache, or OpenLiteSpeed.

Install OpenLiteSpeed ​

  1. Open the server's Applications page and choose the Not Installed tab.
  2. Find OpenLiteSpeed and click the Install button (download icon).
  3. Enter the Admin Password for the OpenLiteSpeed admin panel (the default account is admin), then click Install.

OpenLiteSpeed is installed together with one LSPHP version (for example lsphp83) and its default extensions. You can install other LSPHP versions afterwards, see PHP versions. When you create a new server, you can also select OpenLiteSpeed and the LSPHP versions you need in Choose pre-installed apps.

Manage OpenLiteSpeed ​

After installation, choose OpenLiteSpeed in the server menu. This page has:

  • The WebAdmin button: opens the OpenLiteSpeed admin panel at https://SERVER_IP:7080, or through a domain once a website is linked (see Option 2).
  • The Access via Domain section: links WebAdmin to a website so you can open it on a domain with SSL.
  • The service status and buttons to start, restart, stop, and view the configuration and logs.
  • The Update LiteSpeed Admin card: change the admin panel's Admin Username and Admin Password. Click the refresh icon to generate a random password, then click Update.

PHP versions ​

OpenLiteSpeed runs PHP through LSPHP. The server's Applications page lists the LSPHP versions (for example lsphp83) available for the server's Ubuntu release and CPU architecture. From there you can:

  • Install a version: it is installed together with its default extensions.
  • See the installed version, and update it when a newer patch release is available.
  • Manage its extensions or uninstall it.

PHP extensions ​

Extensions belong to a single PHP version. To install or remove them, open the version's page (for example PHP > PHP 8.3) or find the version on the Applications page, then click the puzzle button (PHP Extensions). The list only shows extensions that the LiteSpeed repository publishes for the server's Ubuntu release and CPU architecture.

PHP configuration ​

Each installed PHP version appears under the server's PHP menu (for example PHP > PHP 8.3). Each version's page has an Update php.ini configuration form for settings such as memory_limit, upload_max_filesize, post_max_size, and max_execution_time:

  1. Click Recommended to fill in recommended values, or adjust each option yourself.
  2. Click Update to save.

Click Open php.ini to view the whole configuration file. The options mean the same as in Update PHP.ini Configuration.

413 Request Entity Too Large ​

This error appears when uploading a file larger than PHP's limit. Open PHP > the PHP version your website uses, increase upload_max_filesize and post_max_size, then click Update.

Access OpenLiteSpeed WebAdmin ​

Click the WebAdmin button on the OpenLiteSpeed page (or open https://SERVER_IP:7080) and log in with the Admin Username/Admin Password.

On first access, your browser warns that the connection is not secure (for example Your connection is not private, NET::ERR_CERT_AUTHORITY_INVALID). This is expected because WebAdmin uses a self-signed certificate by default. You can bypass the warning, access WebAdmin through a domain, or install a real SSL certificate for WebAdmin.

Option 1: Bypass the warning ​

  • Chrome, Edge: click Advanced, then click Proceed to ... (unsafe).
  • Safari: click Show Details, click the visit this website link, then click Visit Website to confirm.
  • Firefox: click Advanced..., then click Accept the Risk and Continue.

Option 2: Access WebAdmin through a domain ​

This puts WebAdmin behind one of your websites and uses that website's SSL certificate, so there is no browser warning and no need to type port 7080.

  1. Point the domain you want to use for WebAdmin (for example admin.example.com) to the server IP.

  2. On the OpenLiteSpeed page, in the Access via Domain section, click Link to Website.

  3. Choose one of the two options:

    • Select Existing Website: pick a website on this server, then click Link. That website will only show WebAdmin and no longer serve its previous content.
    • Create New Website: create a new website with the domain from step 1.

  4. Install SSL for that website if it does not have one yet.

  5. Click the WebAdmin button (it now opens https://admin.example.com) and log in with the Admin Username/Admin Password.

  6. Once you can log in through the domain, the OpenLiteSpeed page suggests Close port 7080. Click it to remove the rule allowing port 7080 from the Firewall, so the WebAdmin login page is not exposed to the Internet.

To go back to https://SERVER_IP:7080, click Unlink on that website. If port 7080 is blocked, the OpenLiteSpeed page shows an Open port 7080 button to reopen it.

Option 3: Install an SSL certificate for WebAdmin ​

  1. Create a website in FlashPanel on this server with the domain you want to use for WebAdmin (for example admin.example.com), and point the domain to the server IP.

  2. Install SSL for that website. In the certificate table on the SSL page, note the number in the ID column (for example 101082).

  3. Open a terminal as root and run the commands below (replace 101082 with your certificate ID):

    bash
    CERT_DIR=/root/.flashpanel/certificates/101082
ls $CERT_DIR/server.key $CERT_DIR/server.crt
sed -i "s#[^[:space:]]*admin/conf/webadmin#$CERT_DIR/server#" /usr/local/lsws/admin/conf/admin_config.conf
/usr/local/lsws/bin/lshttpd -t && systemctl restart lsws

    The ls command must list both files. If it reports they are missing, the certificate may be stored in /usr/local/lsws/conf/cert/101082; in that case set CERT_DIR to that path.

  4. Open WebAdmin at https://admin.example.com:7080.

TIP

When the certificate is renewed, restart OpenLiteSpeed (on the OpenLiteSpeed page) so WebAdmin uses the new certificate.

LiteSpeed Cache for WordPress ​

LiteSpeed Cache (LSCache) is built into OpenLiteSpeed. It significantly speeds up PHP pages, serves static files more efficiently, and reduces server load. To use it with WordPress:

  1. In the WordPress dashboard, go to Plugins > Add New.
  2. Search for LiteSpeed Cache, click Install Now, then Activate.
  3. Check that caching works at Check LSCache.

Redirects on OpenLiteSpeed ​

OpenLiteSpeed automatically reads rewrite rules from the .htaccess file in the website's root folder, so the simplest and most durable approach is to add rules there. Example redirecting /index.html to /admin.html (301):

apache
RewriteEngine On
RewriteRule ^index\.html$ /admin.html [R=301,L]

If the change does not take effect, restart OpenLiteSpeed on the OpenLiteSpeed page.

WARNING

Avoid editing the website's Virtual Host configuration in WebAdmin. FlashPanel regenerates this configuration when you change the website (for example installing SSL or changing the PHP version), so manual changes can be lost.