How to Create LiteSpeed on Linux Server in 2026? – Beginner Friendly Guide

To create LiteSpeed on a Linux server, choose OpenLiteSpeed (free) or LiteSpeed Enterprise (commercial), install via the official repository or one-line installer, open required firewall ports (80, 443, 7080), set the WebAdmin password, configure a virtual host, add PHP (lsphp), enable HTTPS, and tune caching with LiteSpeed Cache for maximum speed.

In this guide, I’ll show you how to create LiteSpeed on a Linux server step by step, whether you prefer OpenLiteSpeed (OLS) or LiteSpeed Web Server Enterprise (LSWS). We’ll cover installation on Ubuntu/Debian and RHEL-based distros, security, HTTPS, WordPress optimization, performance tuning, and troubleshooting—all in beginner-friendly language.

What is LiteSpeed and Which Edition Should You Use?

LiteSpeed Web Server is a high‑performance, event‑driven web server with built‑in HTTP/3 (QUIC), advanced caching, and Apache compatibility. There are two editions:

OpenLiteSpeed (Free) vs LiteSpeed Enterprise (Paid)

• OpenLiteSpeed (OLS): Free, blazing fast, ideal for standalone sites. Not fully .htaccess compatible; rewrite rules are applied at vHost level.
• LiteSpeed Enterprise (LSWS): Drop‑in replacement for Apache, reads httpd.conf/.htaccess, integrates tightly with cPanel/WHM, Plesk, and DirectAdmin; supports advanced enterprise features and support.

• Use OLS for single VPS setups and budget projects.
• Use LSWS Enterprise for cPanel servers, multi‑tenant hosting, or when you need direct Apache compatibility.

Prerequisites

• Fresh Linux server (Ubuntu 20.04/22.04/24.04, Debian 11/12, AlmaLinux/Rocky/CloudLinux 8/9, CentOS Stream).
• Root or sudo access.
• A domain pointed to your server’s public IP (A/AAAA records).
• Firewall access to ports 80 (HTTP), 443 (HTTPS), 7080 (WebAdmin), and optionally 8088 (OLS default test site) and UDP/443 for HTTP/3.
• Updated packages: run your distro’s update before installation.

# Ubuntu/Debian
sudo apt update && sudo apt -y upgrade

# RHEL/AlmaLinux/Rocky
sudo dnf -y update

Option A: Install OpenLiteSpeed (Free)

Ubuntu/Debian

# Add LiteSpeed repo and install OpenLiteSpeed
wget -O - https://repo.litespeed.sh | sudo bash
sudo apt install -y openlitespeed

# Install PHP (choose one version; 81/82/83 available)
sudo apt install -y lsphp83 lsphp83-common lsphp83-mysql lsphp83-curl lsphp83-zip lsphp83-opcache

# Point lsphp symlink to chosen version
sudo ln -sf /usr/local/lsws/lsphp83/bin/lsphp /usr/local/lsws/fcgi-bin/lsphp

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

# Start & enable service
sudo systemctl enable --now lsws

RHEL/AlmaLinux/Rocky

# Add LiteSpeed repo and install OLS + PHP
wget -O - https://repo.litespeed.sh | sudo bash
sudo dnf install -y openlitespeed lsphp83 lsphp83-common lsphp83-mysql lsphp83-curl lsphp83-zip lsphp83-opcache

sudo ln -sf /usr/local/lsws/lsphp83/bin/lsphp /usr/local/lsws/fcgi-bin/lsphp
sudo /usr/local/lsws/admin/misc/admpass.sh
sudo systemctl enable --now lsws

By default, OpenLiteSpeed serves a test page on port 8088 and the WebAdmin panel on 7080.

Option B: Install LiteSpeed Web Server Enterprise (Paid/Trial)

LSWS Enterprise offers a 15‑day trial and reads Apache configs, making migration painless. Use the official one‑line installer:

bash <( curl -sk https://get.litespeed.org/lsws )

The installer guides you through license (trial or key), admin credentials, and port selection. On cPanel/WHM servers, use the LiteSpeed WHM plugin to switch from Apache to LSWS in minutes.

Open Firewall Ports and SELinux Rules

UFW (Ubuntu/Debian)

sudo ufw allow 80,443/tcp
sudo ufw allow 7080/tcp
sudo ufw allow 8088/tcp   # OLS test site (optional)
sudo ufw allow 443/udp    # HTTP/3 QUIC
sudo ufw reload

firewalld (RHEL/AlmaLinux/Rocky)

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 --permanent --add-port=8088/tcp
sudo firewall-cmd --permanent --add-port=443/udp
sudo firewall-cmd --reload

If SELinux is enforcing, allow web connections and set writable paths (for caches/uploads) as needed:

sudo setsebool -P httpd_can_network_connect 1
sudo chcon -R -t httpd_sys_rw_content_t /path/to/your/site

Access WebAdmin and Create a Virtual Host

Open your browser:

• OpenLiteSpeed WebAdmin: https://your-server-ip:7080
• LiteSpeed Enterprise WebAdmin: https://your-server-ip:7080

Log in with the admin credentials you set. Then:

• Create a Listener for ports 80/443 (with your IP or ANY).
• Create a Virtual Host for your domain (document root like /var/www/example.com/public).
• Map the domain to the vHost via a Listener > Virtual Host Mapping.
• For OLS, add rewrite rules at the vHost level (not .htaccess).

Enable HTTPS (Let’s Encrypt)

OpenLiteSpeed Built‑in ACME

OLS provides a helper script to issue Let’s Encrypt certificates fast:

sudo /usr/local/lsws/admin/misc/letsencrypt.sh -d example.com -d www.example.com

Assign the generated cert and key in your 443 Listener or vHost SSL tab, then restart LSWS.

Certbot (Generic)

# Webroot method (replace paths/domains)
sudo certbot certonly --webroot -w /var/www/example.com/public -d example.com -d www.example.com

# Point LSWS/OLS SSL fields to:
# /etc/letsencrypt/live/example.com/fullchain.pem
# /etc/letsencrypt/live/example.com/privkey.pem

sudo systemctl restart lsws

Add an HTTP→HTTPS redirect either in Listener > Rewrite or in your vHost rewrite rules.

Install PHP and WordPress (Best‑Practice Path)

Create Database and User

# MySQL/MariaDB secure install (if not done)
sudo mysql_secure_installation

# Create DB/user
mysql -u root -p -e "CREATE DATABASE wpdb DEFAULT CHARACTER SET utf8mb4 COLLATE utf8mb4_unicode_ci;"
mysql -u root -p -e "CREATE USER 'wpuser'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'StrongPass!';"
mysql -u root -p -e "GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON wpdb.* TO 'wpuser'@'localhost'; FLUSH PRIVILEGES;"

Download and Configure WordPress

sudo mkdir -p /var/www/example.com/public
cd /var/www/example.com/public
sudo wget https://wordpress.org/latest.tar.gz
sudo tar -xzf latest.tar.gz --strip-components=1
sudo chown -R nobody:nogroup /var/www/example.com   # OLS default user (or lsadm)
sudo find /var/www/example.com -type d -exec chmod 755 {} \;
sudo find /var/www/example.com -type f -exec chmod 644 {} \;

Visit https://example.com to finish the WordPress setup wizard.

Enable LiteSpeed Cache for WordPress

• Install the “LiteSpeed Cache” plugin in WordPress.
• In LSWS/OLS WebAdmin, enable server/vHost cache and set a cache root.
• Set Object Cache (Redis/Memcached) in the plugin for dynamic sites.
• Connect QUIC.cloud CDN for image optimization, critical CSS, and global caching.

Performance Tuning Checklist

• Enable HTTP/3 (QUIC): open UDP/443 and toggle QUIC in Listener/Server settings.
• Compression: enable Brotli (if available) or Gzip for text assets.
• TLS 1.3: ensure TLS 1.3 is enabled for faster handshakes.
• PHP Opcache: ensure lsphp opcache is enabled and tuned (memory, revalidate_freq).
• Keep‑Alive: use Smart Keep‑Alive; tune connection/worker limits based on RAM.
• Caching rules: respect WooCommerce/Carts/Logged-in exemptions in LSCache.
• Image/WebP and CDN: use QUIC.cloud or a CDN for global delivery.
• Benchmarks: use wrk, ab, or k6; monitor with top/htop and LSWS Real‑Time Stats.

Security Hardening

• Change WebAdmin defaults: strong admin password, restrict 7080 to your IP, or move the port.
• Auto‑update: keep LSWS/OLS, PHP, WordPress, and plugins updated.
• ModSecurity (Enterprise/OLS): enable ModSecurity with the OWASP Core Rule Set.
• File permissions: minimal write access; separate system users per site on multi‑tenant servers.
• Backups: automate daily off‑server backups and test restores.

Migrating from Apache or Nginx

Apache → LiteSpeed Enterprise (Easiest)

• LSWS Enterprise reads Apache configs and .htaccess files directly.
• On cPanel/WHM servers, install the LiteSpeed plugin and switch with one click.
• Roll back to Apache anytime if needed (safe testing path).

Nginx/Apache → OpenLiteSpeed

• Port rewrite rules into vHost context (OLS ignores .htaccess at runtime).
• Recreate server blocks/listeners and SSL bindings in WebAdmin.
• Test redirects, pretty permalinks, and cache behavior before going live.

Troubleshooting and Logs

• Service status: sudo systemctl status lsws, restart with sudo systemctl restart lsws.
• Logs (default): /usr/local/lsws/logs/error.log, access.log, and per‑vHost logs if configured.
• WebAdmin won’t open: check port 7080 firewall and rerun admpass.sh.
• SSL errors: verify fullchain/key paths and permissions; reload LSWS.
• High CPU: inspect Real‑Time Stats, disable abusive bots, tune cache and PHP workers.

Real‑World Tips from Production

• Size your server for PHP concurrency, not just CPU clocks; LSCache reduces PHP hits drastically.
• Use Redis for object caching on dynamic WordPress and WooCommerce.
• Enable ESI in LiteSpeed Cache for personalized fragments (carts, account menus).
• Schedule image optimization and Critical CSS generation during low traffic windows.
• Monitor QUIC adoption in logs; it can significantly reduce TTFB on mobile networks.

When to Choose Managed LiteSpeed Hosting

If you’d rather avoid the sysadmin work, a managed LiteSpeed stack can save hours. At YouStable, our LiteSpeed‑optimized VPS and WordPress plans come pre‑tuned with HTTP/3, LSCache, Redis, and real‑time monitoring—plus hands‑on support for migrations and performance tuning. It’s the fastest path to a production‑ready LiteSpeed environment.

Command Quick Reference

# Install OLS + PHP (all distros)
wget -O - https://repo.litespeed.sh | sudo bash
sudo apt install -y openlitespeed lsphp83 lsphp83-mysql || sudo dnf install -y openlitespeed lsphp83 lsphp83-mysql
sudo ln -sf /usr/local/lsws/lsphp83/bin/lsphp /usr/local/lsws/fcgi-bin/lsphp
sudo /usr/local/lsws/admin/misc/admpass.sh
sudo systemctl enable --now lsws

# Install LSWS Enterprise
bash <( curl -sk https://get.litespeed.org/lsws )

# WebAdmin
https://SERVER_IP:7080

# Logs
tail -f /usr/local/lsws/logs/error.log

FAQ’s

Conclusion

That’s how to create LiteSpeed on a Linux server the right way—from installation to HTTPS, caching, and hardening. Whether you choose OpenLiteSpeed or Enterprise, you’ll gain lower TTFB, better concurrency, and a simpler path to high Core Web Vitals. Need it done for you? YouStable’s LiteSpeed‑ready hosting can get you live in minutes.