Manual Server Setup (Without cPanel)

Setting up the SaaS module on a VPS or dedicated server without cPanel. This guide covers Apache and Nginx configurations.

If your server doesn't have cPanel (for example, you're using a VPS from DigitalOcean, AWS, Linode, Vultr, etc.), you'll need to configure your web server manually. Don't worry — we'll walk you through every step.

What is a VPS? A VPS (Virtual Private Server) is like having your own mini-server in the cloud. It gives you full control over your server settings, which is actually better for running a SaaS platform because you have no limitations on databases, domains, etc.

Before You Start

Make sure you have:

• SSH access to your server (you'll need to run commands in the terminal)

• Root or sudo access (to edit server configuration files)

• Perfex CRM already installed and working

• The SaaS module already installed (follow the Installation guide first)

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Step 1: Identify Your Web Server

First, figure out which web server you're running. Connect to your server via SSH and run:

# Check if Apache is running:
apache2 -v
# or
httpd -v

# Check if Nginx is running:
nginx -v

Now follow the section that matches your web server.

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Apache Configuration

If you're running Apache (the most common web server for PHP applications):

For Subdirectory Mode (/ws/tenant-name)

Subdirectory mode usually works out of the box with Apache if mod_rewrite is enabled. Verify it's enabled:

sudo a2enmod rewrite
sudo systemctl restart apache2

Make sure your Perfex CRM's .htaccess file exists in the root directory. The module adds its own rewrite rules automatically.

For Subdomain Mode (tenant-name.yoursite.com)

You need to configure Apache to handle wildcard subdomains:

1. Edit your Apache virtual host configuration:

sudo nano /etc/apache2/sites-available/yoursite.conf

1. Add or modify the ServerAlias to include a wildcard:

<VirtualHost *:80>
    ServerName yoursite.com
    ServerAlias *.yoursite.com
    DocumentRoot /var/www/html/perfex

    <Directory /var/www/html/perfex>
        AllowOverride All
        Require all granted
    </Directory>

    ErrorLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/error.log
    CustomLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/access.log combined
</VirtualHost>

1. Restart Apache:

sudo systemctl restart apache2

What does ServerAlias *.yoursite.com mean? It tells Apache: "Any request that comes to ANY subdomain of yoursite.com should be handled by this virtual host." So whether someone visits acme.yoursite.com or bigco.yoursite.com, Apache knows to send it to your Perfex CRM, and the SaaS module figures out which tenant to show.

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Nginx Configuration

If you're running Nginx:

For Subdirectory Mode

Subdirectory mode usually works with the standard Nginx configuration for Perfex CRM. Make sure your location block includes the try_files directive:

server {
    listen 80;
    server_name yoursite.com;
    root /var/www/html/perfex;
    index index.php;

    location / {
        try_files $uri $uri/ /index.php?$query_string;
    }

    location ~ \.php$ {
        fastcgi_pass unix:/run/php/php8.1-fpm.sock;
        fastcgi_param SCRIPT_FILENAME $document_root$fastcgi_script_name;
        include fastcgi_params;
    }
}

For Subdomain Mode

For wildcard subdomain support in Nginx:

server {
    listen 80;
    server_name yoursite.com *.yoursite.com;
    root /var/www/html/perfex;
    index index.php;

    location / {
        try_files $uri $uri/ /index.php?$query_string;
    }

    location ~ \.php$ {
        fastcgi_pass unix:/run/php/php8.1-fpm.sock;
        fastcgi_param SCRIPT_FILENAME $document_root$fastcgi_script_name;
        include fastcgi_params;
    }
}

The key change is adding *.yoursite.com to the server_name directive.

After editing, test and restart Nginx:

sudo nginx -t          # Test configuration (should say "OK")
sudo systemctl restart nginx   # Apply changes

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Step 2: Configure MySQL (No cPanel)

Since you don't have cPanel, you need to ensure your MySQL user has the right privileges:

# Connect to MySQL as root:
sudo mysql -u root -p

# Create a dedicated user for the SaaS module (recommended):
CREATE USER 'saas_admin'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'your-strong-password-here';

# Grant all necessary privileges:
GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON *.* TO 'saas_admin'@'localhost' WITH GRANT OPTION;

# Apply the changes:
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;

# Exit MySQL:
EXIT;

Security tip: Replace 'your-strong-password-here' with an actual strong password! Use a password generator if needed. And NEVER use root as your MySQL user for the SaaS module in production.

Now go to your SaaS Settings and enter these MySQL credentials:

Field	Value
I have cPanel	No
MySQL Host	localhost
MySQL Port	3306
MySQL Root Username	saas_admin
MySQL Password	The password you set above

Click "Click here to verify server settings" to confirm everything works.

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Step 3: Set Up DNS

Follow the DNS & Domain Configuration guide to set up your DNS records based on which URL structure you chose.

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Step 4: File Permissions

Make sure the following directories are writable by the web server:

# Set proper ownership (replace www-data with your web server user):
sudo chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www/html/perfex/modules/saas/

# Set proper permissions:
sudo chmod -R 755 /var/www/html/perfex/modules/saas/

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Testing Your Setup

1. Create a test plan in SaaS Management → Plans

2. Visit your landing page URL

3. Register a test tenant

4. Check that the tenant's database was created (look in MySQL: SHOW DATABASES;)

5. Access the tenant's CRM URL and verify it works

If everything works — congratulations! Your manual server setup is complete.

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Common Issues on VPS/Dedicated Servers

Issue	Cause	Fix
Subdomains show "404 Not Found"	Apache/Nginx not configured for wildcard	Add ServerAlias *.yoursite.com (Apache) or server_name *.yoursite.com (Nginx)
"Access denied" MySQL errors	MySQL user lacks privileges	Run the GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES command above
File upload errors	Directory permissions too restrictive	Run the chown and chmod commands above
Blank white page	PHP error — check logs	Check /var/log/apache2/error.log or /var/log/nginx/error.log

All set? Next, configure SSL certificates to secure your platform with HTTPS.