Updated: 3 November 2026 · Applies to: CloudLinux Ruby Selector, Redmine
To run Redmine on a CloudLinux server with Ruby Selector, create a MySQL database and a Ruby application slot in cPanel, download Redmine into that application's environment, configure its database connection, then run its setup tasks. Check Redmine's own download page for the current stable version and the Ruby version it requires before you start, since both move forward over time and an outdated combination here will simply fail to install.
Step 1: create the database in cPanel
As the cPanel user, create a MySQL database, create a MySQL user, and add that user to the database with all privileges.
Step 2: create the Ruby application
In cPanel, open Setup Ruby App and create a new application, choosing a current Ruby version. Either the domain root or a subdirectory works as the application's location.
Once the application exists, add the modules Redmine needs (bundle, bundler, and rails, each at a version compatible with the Redmine release you are installing) and click Update. This takes a couple of minutes while dependencies install.
Step 3: install the ImageMagick development package
Needed for the rmagick gem, which Redmine uses for image handling:
dnf install -y ImageMagick-devel
Step 4: download and unpack Redmine
Log in as the application's user (over SSH, or with su -l appuser), then download the current release from the URL you confirmed on Redmine's download page:
wget https://www.redmine.org/releases/redmine-X.Y.Z.tar.gz
Unpack it and move its contents into your application's directory (here, a directory named redmine):
tar xzf redmine-X.Y.Z.tar.gz cp -rp redmine-X.Y.Z/* redmine/
Step 5: configure the database connection
cd redmine cp config/database.yml.example config/database.yml vi config/database.yml
Fill in the database name, username and password you created in Step 1.
Step 6: activate the Ruby environment and install dependencies
source ~/rubyvenv/redmine/*/bin/activate
bundle install --without development test
Step 7: generate a secret token and build the database structure
Redmine stores session data in cookies, which requires a generated secret token:
bundle exec rake generate_secret_token
bundle exec rake db:migrate RAILS_ENV="production"
First login
Open your Redmine application's URL in a browser. The default administrator account is:
login: admin password: admin
Change this password immediately after your first login. A default admin/admin login left in place on an internet-reachable Redmine install is a real, common way installations get compromised.
After logging in and changing the password, go to Administration, choose your preferred language, and load the default configuration to finish initial setup.
