Webmin facts for kids
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| Developer(s) | Jamie Cameron Ilia Rostovtsev and the Webmin community |
|---|---|
| Initial release | October 5, 1997 (version 0.1) |
| Stable release | Lua error in Module:Wd at line 1575: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). (Lua error in Module:Wd at line 1571: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).; Error: first parameter cannot be parsed as a date or time.) [±] |
| Written in | Perl |
| Operating system | Linux (RHEL, Fedora, CentOS, AlmaLinux, Rocky Linux, Oracle Linux, Debian, Ubuntu), FreeBSD, OpenSUSE and other Unix-like operating systems |
| Available in | English, and other 41 languages |
| Type | Control panel |
| License | BSD 3-clause "New" or "Revised" License |
Webmin is a tool that helps people manage computer servers using a website-like interface. Think of it as a control panel for a powerful computer. It works on Unix-like operating systems, which are common for servers.
With Webmin, a server administrator can easily set up user accounts, manage how much disk space people can use, and control important software. For example, they can manage programs like Apache HTTP Server (which runs websites), PHP (a programming language for websites), and MySQL (a database for storing information).
Contents
What is Webmin?
Webmin is a program that runs on its own small web server. It uses the Perl programming language. By default, you can access it by going to a special web address on port 10000. For extra security, it can use SSL to encrypt the connection, keeping the information safe.
The tool is made of many small parts called modules. Each module is designed to control a specific part of the server, like managing users or a web server. Because it's modular, programmers can easily create new plugins to add more features.
Using Webmin, an administrator can manage many different computers from one screen. They can also easily switch between controlling different servers on the same network.
What if a feature is missing?
If there isn't a plugin for a certain job, Webmin has a built-in terminal. This lets the administrator type commands directly to the server, just like they would if they were using a tool like SSH. This is very useful for doing advanced tasks.
The History of Webmin
Webmin was created by Jamie Cameron and first released in October 1997. He built it because he needed an easy way to manage a DNS server (a server that directs internet traffic). He wanted to let people make changes without giving them full control of the entire server.
Over the years, Webmin has received many updates. It now has a dashboard with cool gauges that show how much of the computer's power (CPU), memory (RAM), and storage is being used.
A Security Problem in 2019
In 2019, a serious security flaw was found in some versions of Webmin. This flaw, called a "backdoor," could have allowed an attacker to run harmful commands on the server. The developers believe that someone secretly added the bad code to the project's files on a code-hosting website called SourceForge.
The problem was fixed, and the developers have made Webmin more secure since then. For example, newer versions use stronger security policies to protect users.
Other Software Related to Webmin
Webmin's features can be expanded with other related programs:
- Usermin: This is a simpler version of Webmin for regular users, not administrators. It lets them do basic tasks like checking their email.
- Virtualmin: This is a tool for managing web hosting. It helps server owners set up and manage many different websites on one server.
In 2013, a module for managing Minecraft servers was also released for Webmin. It gives a simple interface to help run a Minecraft world.
See also
In Spanish: Webmin para niños
- Virtualmin
- Usermin
- YaST
Images for kids
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Webmin can be used to edit complex configuration files, like for the BIND DNS server.
