Contabo
Install HF Panel on a VPS at Contabo: the server to create, the firewall, reverse DNS, outgoing mail and the install.
These steps take you from a new Contabo account to a running HF Panel. Providers change their menus and rules from time to time — if a step looks different, Contabo's own documentation or support has the current way.
1. Create the server
Create a VPS with:
- System: Ubuntu 24.04 LTS (or Ubuntu 22.04, Debian 12 or 13, Rocky Linux or AlmaLinux 9 or 10), x86-64.
- Size: 2 GB of memory or more (1 GB works with the swap file the installer adds), 20 GB of disk or more.
- Access: your SSH key, or a root password.
Note its public IPv4 address.
2. Point your domain at it
Create the DNS records DNS setup lists — at least srv., cp. and mail. your domain,
pointing at the server's address. They can take a few minutes to work.
3. The firewall
Contabo VPSs have no cloud firewall in front of them: the ports the installer opens on the server are enough.
| Port | Protocol | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| 22 (or your SSH port) | TCP | SSH and SFTP |
| 80, 443 | TCP | websites, Mail, Files, DB Studio, Let's Encrypt |
| 8443 | TCP | the panels (srv., cp., rs.) |
| 21, 40000–40100 | TCP | FTP with TLS |
| 25, 465, 587, 993, 995 | TCP | email (not with --no-mail) |
| 53 | TCP and UDP | the DNS server (not with --no-dns) |
4. Reverse DNS
Mail from the server is trusted more when its address points back to its name. In the Contabo customer panel, under Reverse DNS management, set the PTR record of the server's IP to its full host name.
5. Outgoing mail (port 25)
Outgoing port 25 is usually open on Contabo VPSs. Websites and panels work either way; only sending email needs it.
6. Check, then install
Sign in to the server as root, check it, then install with the command from your licence page:
cd /home && curl -o latest -L https://cdn.hostfog.com/latest && bash latest --check
cd /home && curl -o latest -L https://cdn.hostfog.com/latest/licence/YOUR-KEY && bash latest
The check marks each item ✔, ! or ✘ and changes nothing; fix anything marked ✘ first. Then carry on with After installation.