How to Use LiteSpeed on Linux Server in 2026? – Step by Step Guide

To use LiteSpeed on a Linux server, pick OpenLiteSpeed (free) or LiteSpeed Enterprise (commercial), install it via your distro’s package manager or a script, secure the WebAdmin console, create listeners and virtual hosts, connect PHP (LSAPI), enable TLS/HTTP/3, configure LSCache for your apps, then benchmark and tune for your workload.

Looking for a fast, secure web stack? This step by step guide shows you exactly how to use LiteSpeed on a Linux server installation, initial configuration, SSL/HTTP/3, PHP, caching, optimization, and troubleshooting.

Whether you deploy OpenLiteSpeed or LiteSpeed Enterprise, you’ll learn practical, real-world techniques that we use at YouStable to deliver high-performance hosting.

What is LiteSpeed and Why Use it on Linux?

LiteSpeed Web Server (LSWS) is a drop in Apache replacement known for its event-driven architecture, built in caching (LSCache), and native HTTP/3/QUIC support.

It excels at handling high concurrency with low CPU/RAM, making it ideal for WordPress, WooCommerce, Magento, and any PHP-based application.

OpenLiteSpeed vs LiteSpeed Enterprise

• OpenLiteSpeed (OLS): Free, open source, great for custom setups and single-tenant sites. Manual vhost management via WebAdmin.
• LiteSpeed Enterprise (LSWS): Commercial, full Apache config compatibility (httpd.conf/htaccess), cPanel/DirectAdmin/WHMCS integrations, ESI, advanced WAF, and enterprise support.
• Shared hosting or cPanel stack: choose Enterprise. Single VPS or developer stack: OLS is usually enough.

Prerequisites and System Requirements

• Linux distro: Ubuntu 20.04/22.04/24.04, Debian 11/12, AlmaLinux/Rocky 8/9, or RHEL 8/9.
• Root or sudo access, public IP, configured DNS (A/AAAA), and open firewall ports (80, 443, 7080).
• Minimum 1 vCPU and 1–2 GB RAM for light sites; 4+ vCPU and 8+ GB RAM for busy WordPress/WooCommerce.
• Time sync enabled (chrony or systemd-timesyncd) for TLS and ACME issuance.

Install Options: OpenLiteSpeed and LiteSpeed Enterprise

Option A: Install OpenLiteSpeed on Ubuntu/Debian

# Ubuntu/Debian - OpenLiteSpeed + PHP
sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y software-properties-common curl
wget -O - https://repo.litespeed.sh | sudo bash
sudo apt install -y openlitespeed lsphp81 lsphp81-common lsphp81-mysql lsphp81-curl lsphp81-xml lsphp81-zip

# Set WebAdmin password
sudo /usr/local/lsws/admin/misc/admpass.sh

# Start and enable
sudo systemctl enable --now lsws

# UFW firewall (if enabled)
sudo ufw allow 80,443,7080/tcp

Option B: Install OpenLiteSpeed on AlmaLinux/Rocky/RHEL

# RHEL-based - OpenLiteSpeed + PHP
sudo dnf install -y epel-release curl
bash <(curl -Ss https://repo.litespeed.sh)
sudo dnf install -y openlitespeed lsphp81 lsphp81-mysql lsphp81-common

sudo /usr/local/lsws/admin/misc/admpass.sh
sudo systemctl enable --now lsws

# firewalld
sudo firewall-cmd --permanent --add-service=http
sudo firewall-cmd --permanent --add-service=https
sudo firewall-cmd --permanent --add-port=7080/tcp
sudo firewall-cmd --reload

Option C: Install LiteSpeed Enterprise (LSWS)

Use LiteSpeed’s installer to add LSWS with a trial license. Enterprise works seamlessly with Apache-style configs and popular control panels.

# Enterprise LSWS installer
wget https://www.litespeedtech.com/packages/5.0/lsws-6.3.1-ent-x86_64-linux.tar.gz
tar -xzf lsws-*.tar.gz && cd lsws-*
sudo ./install.sh

# During setup: choose trial license, admin user, ports, and PHP edition.
# Start service:
sudo /usr/local/lsws/bin/lswsctrl start
sudo systemctl enable lsws

Option D: Use a Control Panel

• cPanel/WHM: Install LSWS Enterprise via the LiteSpeed WHM plugin; keeps Apache compatibility.
• CyberPanel: Ships with OpenLiteSpeed, one-click WordPress + LSCache + SSL.
• DirectAdmin: Official LSWS integration with per-user vhost management.

Initial Configuration and WebAdmin Basics

Access the WebAdmin console at https://YOUR-IP:7080. Log in with the credentials you set using admpass.sh. Always change defaults, use a strong password, and restrict access to your IP when possible.

Create Listener and Virtual Host

• Listener: Bind to 0.0.0.0:80 and 0.0.0.0:443.
• Virtual Host: Create a vhost with a document root (e.g., /var/www/example.com/public).
• Map domain to vhost: Under Listener > Virtual Host Mappings, add example.com and www.example.com.

Connect PHP via LSAPI

Install lsphp packages matching your PHP version. In WebAdmin, go to Server Configuration > External App and add an LSAPI app for lsphp81. Then set a Script Handler for suffix “php” to your LSAPI app.

# Typical lsphp binary path (Ubuntu/Debian)
sudo ls -l /usr/local/lsws/lsphp81/bin/php

# Reload LSWS after changes
sudo /usr/local/lsws/bin/lswsctrl reload

Enable HTTPS and HTTP/3 (QUIC)

LiteSpeed supports TLS 1.3 and HTTP/3 out of the box. Use Let’s Encrypt with Certbot or acme.sh, then point your vhost listener to the certificate and key files. Ensure UDP/443 is open for HTTP/3/QUIC if your firewall allows service-based rules.

# Issue Let's Encrypt cert (example.com)
sudo snap install core && sudo snap refresh core
sudo snap install --classic certbot
sudo certbot certonly --webroot -w /var/www/example.com/public -d example.com -d www.example.com

# Cert paths (Debian/Ubuntu default)
# /etc/letsencrypt/live/example.com/fullchain.pem
# /etc/letsencrypt/live/example.com/privkey.pem

# firewalld: allow HTTP/3 (UDP/443)
sudo firewall-cmd --permanent --add-port=443/udp
sudo firewall-cmd --reload

Turn On HTTP/3 in WebAdmin

• Listener > SSL: Load the certificate and key.
• Server Configuration > Tuning: Enable QUIC and set HTTP/3 support to On.
• Restart LSWS to apply changes.

Install and Configure LSCache

LSCache is LiteSpeed’s built-in, rewrite-aware caching engine. For WordPress and other CMSs, use an official plugin to auto-generate cache rules, minify assets, and offload image/webP optimization via QUIC.cloud.

WordPress + LiteSpeed Cache Plugin

• Install the LiteSpeed Cache plugin from the WordPress repository.
• Enable cache, set TTLs, and turn on object cache (Redis/Memcached) for dynamic sites.
• Use ESI for personalized fragments (cart, account boxes) on WooCommerce.
• Connect QUIC.cloud for image optimization, CDN, and page-level cache warmup.

Performance Tuning for Real Workloads

Core Server Settings

• Max Connections: Size for expected concurrency (e.g., 2–4x typical concurrent users).
• Worker Processes: Usually 1–2 per CPU socket; avoid oversubscription on small VPS.
• Memory and Buffering: Increase if you serve large responses or high concurrency.
• Gzip/Brotli: Enable for text assets; combine with HTTP/3 for best latency.

PHP and Database

• OPcache: Turn on OPcache with adequate memory (128–256 MB for busy WordPress).
• PHP Workers: Set LSAPI children by measuring peak requests and response times.
• Object Cache: Use Redis/Memcached for WooCommerce, LMS, forums.
• Database: Tune innodb_buffer_pool_size and query cache equivalents (if applicable) for MySQL/MariaDB.

Security Hardening

• Limit WebAdmin by IP and enforce strong passwords.
• Enable reCAPTCHA, anti-DDoS connection throttling, and request/response body limits.
• WAF: Use ModSecurity with a reputable ruleset on LSWS Enterprise.
• OS Security: Keep kernel and packages updated; use Fail2ban for SSH, and SELinux/AppArmor appropriately configured.

Monitoring, Logs, and Maintenance

• Logs: /usr/local/lsws/logs/error.log and access.log (paths may vary per distro).
• Real-Time Stats: WebAdmin > Server Monitor for connections, requests, cache hits.
• System Tools: top/htop, iostat, vmstat, and ss/netstat for sockets and load.
• Backups: Version your vhost configs and back up certificates and WebAdmin config.

Essential Commands and Paths

# Service control
sudo systemctl status lsws
sudo systemctl restart lsws
sudo /usr/local/lsws/bin/lswsctrl restart

# WebAdmin password
sudo /usr/local/lsws/admin/misc/admpass.sh

# Logs (common)
sudo tail -f /usr/local/lsws/logs/error.log
sudo tail -f /usr/local/lsws/logs/access.log

# Firewall quick refs
sudo ufw allow 80,443,7080/tcp
sudo firewall-cmd --permanent --add-service=http --add-service=https
sudo firewall-cmd --permanent --add-port=7080/tcp --add-port=443/udp
sudo firewall-cmd --reload

Troubleshooting Common Issues

503 Service Unavailable

• Cause: PHP LSAPI crashed or hit limits.
• Fix: Increase LSAPI children, check PHP error logs, ensure OPcache enabled, restart lsws and php.

403/404 Errors After Deployment

• Cause: Wrong document root, permissions (www-data or nobody), or missing rewrite rules.
• Fix: Correct docroot, set file perms (644/755), ensure .htaccess or rewrite rules exist (Enterprise reads .htaccess; OLS needs rules added in WebAdmin).

SSL Padlock Missing

• Cause: Mixed content or incomplete chain.
• Fix: Serve HTTPS-only assets and use fullchain.pem; clear LSCache and browser cache.

OpenLiteSpeed or LiteSpeed Enterprise: Which Should You Choose?

• Choose OpenLiteSpeed if you manage a single VPS, prefer WebAdmin-managed vhosts, and want a free, high-performance stack.
• Choose Enterprise if you need Apache compatibility, a hosting panel (cPanel/DirectAdmin), per-user isolation, ESI, WAF, and vendor support.

Real-World Workflow Example (WordPress)

• Provision a VPS (2 vCPU/4 GB RAM) on Ubuntu 22.04.
• Install OpenLiteSpeed + lsphp81 and set WebAdmin password.
• Create vhost for example.com, set docroot, and map domains.
• Install MariaDB, create database and user for WordPress.
• Issue Let’s Encrypt cert, enable TLS/HTTP/3 in Listener.
• Install WordPress, add LiteSpeed Cache plugin, enable object cache (Redis), and tweak TTLs.
• Benchmark with k6 or wrk and adjust LSAPI children, cache settings, and Brotli.

When Managed Hosting Saves Time

If you’d rather skip server administration, YouStable offers LiteSpeed-optimized hosting and VPS plans with pre-tuned LSWS/OLS, LSCache, Redis, HTTP/3, and proactive monitoring. You get the performance benefits without the maintenance overhead—ideal for agencies, ecommerce, and busy publishers.

FAQ’s