How to Use the Terminal in cPanel

cPanel includes a browser-based Terminal that gives you command-line access to your hosting account without needing to connect via SSH. This is useful for running commands, managing files, or troubleshooting directly from your browser. dotCanada's cPanel includes Terminal access for eligible accounts.

Accessing the Terminal

1. Log in to cPanel and scroll to the Advanced section.
2. Click Terminal.
3. A security notice will appear - read it and click I understand and want to proceed to continue.
4. The Terminal will open in your browser, giving you a shell session logged in as your cPanel user.

What You Can Do with the Terminal

• Navigate your file system using commands like ls, cd, and pwd.
• Edit files using command-line editors like nano.
• Run PHP scripts or check the PHP version: php -v
• Manage files and directories: mkdir, rm, cp, mv
• Use composer or npm if available on your plan.
• Check MySQL/MariaDB from the command line: mysql -u username -p

Things to Keep in Mind

• The Terminal session runs as your cPanel user, not as root - some system-level commands will not be available.
• Be careful with destructive commands like rm -rf. There is no undo in the terminal.
• If you prefer SSH access instead, dotCanada supports SSH connections - contact our support team to enable it for your account.
• Terminal sessions may time out after a period of inactivity.

The Terminal is a powerful tool - use it with care and reach out to us if you need guidance.