UpCloud
Install HF Panel on an UpCloud server: the system, the firewall, reverse DNS in Network settings, outgoing port 25 (closed by default), and the install.
These steps take you from a new UpCloud account to a running HF Panel. Providers change their menus and rules from time to time — if a step looks different, UpCloud's own documentation or support has the current way. The general advice for any VPS is in Choose a VPS and prepare it.
1. Create the server
Deploy a Cloud Server with:
- System: a plain Ubuntu 24.04 LTS (or Ubuntu 22.04, Debian 12 or 13, Rocky Linux or AlmaLinux 9 or 10), x86-64, with no control panel or application preinstalled.
- 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
UpCloud has firewalls you can turn on for each server (a public network firewall and an SDN firewall). On a new server the SDN firewall drops incoming and accepts outgoing traffic by default. If you turn a firewall on, add an accept rule for each port below; both directions must be allowed on the stateless public firewall.
| 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. Each public IP address has a generated reverse DNS name. Change it either in the public network list or on the Network tab of the server's settings, to the full host name. The server does not need to be shut down.
5. Outgoing mail (port 25)
UpCloud closes outgoing port 25 on all new accounts. It shows in the server's firewall settings and cannot be changed there. Contact UpCloud support, complete identity verification, add a payment method and explain what the server will send. Websites and the panels work either way; only sending email needs port 25. Where port 25 cannot be opened, set an outgoing mail relay (Server Admin › Email › Server mailboxes): a mail service you connect to on port 587 or 465.
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.