DirhamHost Setup Guide

Quick start

On a fresh server, run the installer as root. It detects your OS, installs the full stack, and starts a 14-day trial automatically. Set your panel hostname and an email for SSL.

# fresh AlmaLinux 9 or Ubuntu 24.04 server, as root
curl -fsSL https://get.dirhamaday.ae | DH_HOSTNAME=panel.yourdomain.ae DH_EMAIL=you@yourdomain.ae bash

That is it. In a few minutes the installer prints your panel URL, an admin username and a one-time password. Open https://panel.yourdomain.ae:8443 and sign in. Your server immediately appears in the Dirham A Day owner console as a new install on a 14-day trial.

Requirements

What gets installed

One command lays down the whole hosting stack, hardened and wired together, plus the three DirhamHost services.

First login

/opt/dirhamhost/bin/dh-api passwd 'a-strong-new-password'

dhctl op system.info
systemctl status dh-agent dh-api nginx mariadb pdns csf

Licence & 14-day trial

Every fresh install starts a 14-day free trial automatically (up to 5 hosting accounts) — no key needed. When you are ready, activate a paid licence; there are no per-account fees.

Check your licence state

dhctl op license.status

Activate a paid key

APPLY=1 dhctl op license.activate key=DH-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX

The add-ons

Four add-ons extend DirhamHost. They are entitlements on your licence — once granted, they light up in the panel automatically after the next check-in (within a few minutes).

Turn an add-on on

Buy or comp the add-on from the owner console (it is added to your licence's entitlements). On the node, confirm it is live:

dhctl op license.status        # "features" lists your granted add-ons
systemctl restart dh-api       # pick up a just-granted add-on immediately

Accounts & packages

A package defines the limits; an account is a hosting customer. Create a package once, then spin up accounts against it. Every op is dry-run by default — add APPLY=1 to execute.

Create a hosting package

APPLY=1 dhctl op package.save name=starter disk_gb=10 bandwidth_mb=100000 \
  php_memory_mb=256 php_max_children=12 max_databases=10 max_email=25 sites=5

Create an account

APPLY=1 dhctl op account.create username=acme domain=acme.ae package=starter
dhctl op account.list

Everyday account actions

APPLY=1 dhctl op account.setphp username=acme version=8.3
APPLY=1 dhctl op account.changepackage username=acme package=pro
APPLY=1 dhctl op account.suspend username=acme
APPLY=1 dhctl op account.backup username=acme

Migrate sites in

DirhamHost imports from cPanel/WHM and CentOS Web Panel (CWP), by uploaded archive or a live SSH pull, at full fidelity — files, databases, email, DNS and SSL.

From cPanel (live pull)

# authorise this node's key on the old server, then pull + import
dhctl op import.remote.key
APPLY=1 dhctl op import.remote.pull host=OLD_IP ssh_user=root account=cpuser
APPLY=1 dhctl op import.cpanel archive=/var/lib/dirhamhost/imports/cpmove-cpuser.tar.gz \
  username=cpuser package=starter domain=cpuser-domain.ae

From CentOS Web Panel (CWP)

APPLY=1 dhctl op import.cwp.test host=OLD_IP ssh_user=root
APPLY=1 dhctl op import.cwp.pull host=OLD_IP ssh_user=root account=cwpuser
dhctl op import.cwp.status

SSL, DNS & email

Free SSL (auto-renewing)

APPLY=1 dhctl op ssl.issue username=acme     # issues + installs for acme.ae and www

Certificates renew themselves via acme.sh four times a day. The domain must resolve to this server and port 80 be reachable.

DNS

dhctl op dns.list domain=acme.ae
APPLY=1 dhctl op dns.add domain=acme.ae name=blog type=A content=1.2.3.4

Email

APPLY=1 dhctl op mail.mailbox.create address=info@acme.ae password='...'   # see dhctl ops for exact op names

Mailboxes get a setup email automatically; webmail (Omnio) opens already signed-in from the panel. SPF/DKIM/DMARC records are generated for each domain.

Branded client area

With DirhamBill you get a customer-facing client area and store at my.yourdomain.com — sign-up, the store, domains, invoices, card payments and tickets — all under your brand.

• Point a subdomain — an A record for my.yourdomain.com to this server.
• Provision it — set up the client-area vhost + certificate for that host.
• Connect Stripe — paste your Stripe secret in the panel's billing settings (AED).
• Go live — customers buy hosting & domains; accounts provision automatically on payment.

Security & backups

Firewall (CSF)

csf -r                 # reload rules
csf -a 1.2.3.4         # allow an IP
csf -d 5.6.7.8         # deny an IP
csf -x                 # disable (recovery); csf -e to re-enable

Backups (DirhamVault)

dhctl op backup.list
APPLY=1 dhctl op account.backup username=acme
APPLY=1 dhctl op account.restore username=acme archive=/path/to/backup.tar.gz

Updates

dhctl op system.info                 # current version
systemctl restart dh-agent dh-api    # after an update lands

Command reference

Everything the panel does is a named, allow-listed operation you can also run from the shell with dhctl. List them all, inspect one, or run it. Dry-run is the default; APPLY=1 executes.

dhctl ops                              # list every operation
dhctl op account.create username=x domain=x.ae package=starter   # dry-run
APPLY=1 dhctl op account.create username=x domain=x.ae package=starter

Troubleshooting

• Panel won't load — systemctl status dh-api nginx; check journalctl -u dh-api -n 50.
• Install failed part-way — re-run the installer; completed steps are skipped, so it resumes safely.
• SSL didn't issue — confirm the hostname resolves to this server and port 80 is open, then APPLY=1 dhctl op ssl.issue username=....
• Licence says invalid — dhctl op license.status; a node binds to one machine, ask us to rebind if you moved servers.
• A site is slow / "resource limit" — check DirhamGuard usage for that account and raise its package limits.
• Locked out by the firewall — provider console → csf -x.

Files & ports

Need a hand, a licence, or a migration done for you? Talk to the Dirham A Day team — support@dirhamaday.ae or WhatsApp +971 58 553 6767.