OpenLiteSpeed (OLS) is a high-performance, event-driven open-source web server from LiteSpeed Technologies. It supports PHP via LiteSpeed SAPI (LSPHP) and includes a built-in WebAdmin GUI. It is significantly faster than Apache for PHP workloads and is a popular choice for WordPress hosting. This guide installs and configures OLS on Ubuntu 26.04 LTS.

Tested and valid on:

  • Ubuntu 26.04 LTS

Prerequisites

  • Ubuntu 26.04 LTS server
  • A user with sudo privileges
  • Ports 80, 443, and 7080 open in UFW

Step 1 – Add the OpenLiteSpeed Repository

sudo apt update
sudo apt install curl gnupg -y
curl -fsSL https://repo.litespeed.sh | sudo bash

Step 2 – Install OpenLiteSpeed

sudo apt install openlitespeed -y

Step 3 – Install LSPHP 8.4

sudo apt install lsphp84 lsphp84-mysql lsphp84-mbstring lsphp84-xml lsphp84-curl -y

Step 4 – Set the Admin Password

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

Enter a username and strong password for the WebAdmin panel.

Step 5 – Open Firewall Ports

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

Step 6 – Start and Enable OLS

sudo systemctl start lshttpd
sudo systemctl enable lshttpd
sudo systemctl status lshttpd

Step 7 – Access the WebAdmin GUI

Open https://your_server_ip:7080 in your browser (accept the self-signed cert), then log in with the credentials you set in Step 4.

Step 8 – Set PHP Version

In WebAdmin: Server Configuration → External App, edit the LiteSpeed SAPI app and set the PHP binary path to:

/usr/local/lsws/lsphp84/bin/lsphp

Conclusion

OpenLiteSpeed is now installed on Ubuntu 26.04 LTS and ready to serve web traffic. Pair it with LSPHP 8.4 and a caching plugin (e.g., LiteSpeed Cache for WordPress) for outstanding WordPress performance.