How to Install LiteSpeed Web Server on a Dedicated Server

If you have been running Apache or Nginx on your dedicated server and hitting performance walls during traffic spikes, LiteSpeed is worth a serious look. This guide walks you through the complete installation of OpenLiteSpeed, the free, open-source edition, on a dedicated server running Ubuntu 22.04 or 24.04.

No filler. Just the exact steps you need, with explanations where they matter.

OpenLiteSpeed vs LiteSpeed Web Server Enterprise: Which One Do You Need?

Before touching a single command, it helps to understand what you are actually installing.

OpenLiteSpeed (OLS) is the open-source version released under the GPL v3 license. It is free, actively maintained by LiteSpeed Technologies, and more than capable of handling production workloads on a dedicated server. Most users start here.

LiteSpeed Web Server Enterprise (LSWS) is the commercial product. The key differentiator is its ability to act as a drop-in replacement for Apache. It reads Apache httpd.conf files natively, which makes migration from an existing Apache setup near seamless. It also supports cPanel and Plesk integration. LSWS requires a paid license, though LiteSpeed Technologies offers a free trial.

This guide covers OpenLiteSpeed. If you are on a cPanel stack or migrating from Apache at scale, look into the LSWS Enterprise trial at litespeedtech.com.

Step 1: Update Your System

Always start with a clean, updated package list. This avoids dependency conflicts during installation.

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

Then install a few dependencies OpenLiteSpeed needs:

sudo apt install wget curl software-properties-common ca-certificates lsb-release -y

Step 2: Add the LiteSpeed Repository

OpenLiteSpeed is not in Ubuntu's default repositories. You need to add LiteSpeed's official repo using their setup script, which handles GPG key registration automatically.

sudo wget -O - https://rpms.litespeedtech.com/debian/enable_lst_debian_repo.sh | sudo bash

Once complete, update your package list again to pull in the new repo index:

sudo apt update

Step 3: Install OpenLiteSpeed

With the repository added, installation is a single command:

sudo apt install openlitespeed -y

OpenLiteSpeed installs to /usr/local/lsws by default. That is where your config files, virtual host data, and logs will live.

Step 4: Configure the Firewall

Your dedicated server needs four ports open to function correctly with LiteSpeed:

Allow them through UFW:

sudo ufw allow 80/tcp
sudo ufw allow 443/tcp
sudo ufw allow 8088/tcp
sudo ufw allow 7080/tcp
sudo ufw reload

If you are using iptables instead, adjust the rules accordingly. Port 8088 is used by OpenLiteSpeed's built-in default virtual host. You can change it to port 80 later in the admin console, which we will cover shortly.

Step 5: Start and Enable the Service

OpenLiteSpeed runs as lshttpd under systemd. Start it and enable it to launch automatically on reboot:

sudo systemctl start lshttpd
sudo systemctl enable lshttpd

Confirm it is running:

sudo systemctl status lshttpd

You should see active (running) in the output. If it shows failed, check /usr/local/lsws/logs/error.log for the specific error.

Step 6: Set the Admin Console Password

The Web Admin Console requires credentials. Set them by running the admin password script:

sudo /usr/local/lsws/admin/misc/admpass.sh

The script will prompt you to create an admin username and password. Choose something strong because this console has full control over your web server configuration.

Step 7: Access the Web Admin Console

Open your browser and navigate to the following address using your server's IP:

http://YOUR_SERVER_IP:7080

Log in with the credentials you just set. The admin dashboard gives you a clean GUI to manage virtual hosts, listeners, SSL certificates, caching rules, and PHP handlers. No config file editing required for most tasks.

Note: If you cannot reach the console, double-check that port 7080 is open in your firewall and that your server IP is correct.

Step 8: Install PHP (LSPHP)

OpenLiteSpeed uses its own PHP binaries called LSPHP, which are optimized specifically for LiteSpeed's event-driven architecture. Standard PHP-FPM will not work the same way here.

Install PHP 8.3 (current stable as of 2025):

sudo apt install lsphp83 lsphp83-common lsphp83-mysql lsphp83-opcache lsphp83-curl -y

Next, connect LSPHP to OpenLiteSpeed through the admin console:

1. Go to Server Configuration → External App.
2. Look for the lsphp entry and confirm the path points to /usr/local/lsws/lsphp83/bin/lsphp.
3. Under Script Handler, make sure .php files are mapped to that handler.
4. Save your changes and click Graceful Restart at the top of the admin console to apply them.

Step 9: Create Your First Virtual Host

In the admin console, navigate to Virtual Hosts → Add.

Fill in the required details:

• Virtual Host Name: your site name (e.g., example.com)
• Virtual Host Root: the directory where your site files will live (e.g., /var/www/example.com)
• Config File: $SERVER_ROOT/conf/vhosts/example.com/vhconf.conf

Then go to Listeners, select the default listener on port 8088 (or create a new one on port 80), and map it to your new virtual host.

Create your web root directory and drop a test index.html in it via SSH:

sudo mkdir -p /var/www/example.com
echo "<h1>LiteSpeed is working</h1>" | sudo tee /var/www/example.com/index.html

Visit http://YOUR_SERVER_IP (or port 8088 if you have not switched the listener yet). You should see your test page.

Why LiteSpeed Performs Better on Dedicated Hardware

On a dedicated server, you have full control over system resources with no noisy neighbors and no shared CPU or RAM constraints. LiteSpeed makes the absolute most of that environment.

A few things that make a real difference at the dedicated server level:

• Event-driven architecture: LiteSpeed handles concurrent connections through an event-driven model, similar to Nginx. Unlike Apache's process-per-request model, this means your dedicated server's RAM isn't consumed by hundreds of idle worker processes during sudden traffic spikes.
• Built-in LSCache: LiteSpeed Cache is a server-level full-page cache with official plugins for WordPress, Joomla, Magento, and other platforms. No separate Varnish or Redis setup is needed for incredible basic caching.
• HTTP/3 and QUIC support: LiteSpeed has had native HTTP/3 support since before it became an official standard. On high-bandwidth dedicated hardware, this translates to measurably faster page loads for users on modern browsers.
• Zero downtime restarts: When you update config or PHP settings, LiteSpeed restarts gracefully without dropping active connections. This is highly important for production servers handling live traffic.

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