Updated: 28 September 2026 · Applies to: cPanel & WHM 138 installer
The cPanel & WHM installer writes its progress to /var/log/cpanel-install.log. The installation takes a while; the log shows what it is doing and, if it stops, why.
Watch the installation
Log in to the server as root over SSH and run:
tail -f /var/log/cpanel-install.log
Press Ctrl + C to stop watching. The installation keeps running.
Know when it has finished
A successful installation ends with a line like Thank you for installing cPanel & WHM followed by the version number. Just before it, the log prints a one-time login link for WHM (port 2087). When that link expires, run whmlogin as root for a new one, or open https://your-server-ip:2087 and log in as root.
Find errors
grep -iE "error|fail" /var/log/cpanel-install.log | tail -n 20
If the installation stopped, the last lines of the log usually name the cause, for example a missing package or a network problem. Include them when you open a support ticket.
