# Softaculous on cPanel: Install, ionCube Fix, Licence, Update, CLI and Uninstall

Source: https://srvscripts.com/guides/softaculous-cpanel-install-license-update-uninstall/
Updated: 2026-10-11
Publisher: srvScripts (https://srvscripts.com/)

**Short answer:** first make sure cPanel’s own PHP loads ionCube:

```
whmapi1 set_tweaksetting key=phploader value=ioncube
/usr/local/cpanel/bin/install_php_inis
```

Then install with:

```
wget -O install.sh https://files.softaculous.com/install.sh
chmod 755 install.sh
./install.sh
```

Refresh the licence with `/usr/local/cpanel/3rdparty/bin/php /usr/local/cpanel/whostmgr/docroot/cgi/softaculous/cli.php --refresh-license` and update Softaculous with `--upgrade-core` on the same script. There is no uninstall script: Softaculous documents a list of files to remove and AppConfig entries to unregister.

We installed Softaculous on our cPanel lab server (cPanel & WHM 138.0 build 15, AlmaLinux 9.8) on 11 October 2026. We hit the ionCube error and fixed it, refreshed the licence, ran `--upgrade-core`, and removed Softaculous again. The app install and remove commands need the cPanel account’s password, so we did not run them; they are from Softaculous’s CLI documentation.

## Before you install: “ionCube Loader is not loaded”

Softaculous runs inside cPanel’s own PHP (`/usr/local/cpanel/3rdparty/bin/php`, PHP 8.4 on cPanel 138), and that PHP must load ionCube. On our lab the installer stopped with:

```
ionCube Loader is not loaded. Please enable it to continue installation
```

The fix is WHM → Server Configuration → Tweak Settings → cPanel PHP loader = `ioncube`. From the command line, set it and then rebuild the PHP configuration. The second command matters: setting the value alone did not load ionCube on our lab.

```
whmapi1 set_tweaksetting key=phploader value=ioncube
/usr/local/cpanel/bin/install_php_inis
/usr/local/cpanel/3rdparty/bin/php -v      # should show: with the ionCube PHP Loader v14.4.1
```

If your firewall limits outgoing connections, also allow the Softaculous download mirrors listed in its documentation.

## Install Softaculous on cPanel

```
wget -O install.sh https://files.softaculous.com/install.sh
chmod 755 install.sh
./install.sh                          # standard install
./install.sh --quick                  # finish fast, download app packages in the background
./install.sh --no-backuply-server     # skip the Backuply backup server
./install.sh --nocpphp                # use cPanel's default PHP setting
./install.sh proxy proxy_ip=IP:PORT proxy_auth=USER:PASS   # behind a proxy
```

We used `--quick --no-backuply-server`. The installer printed `// INSTALLING SOFTACULOUS` and `// FETCHED THE LICENSE`, and ended with `Thank you for using Softaculous` in under three minutes. Softaculous then appears in WHM → Plugins → Softaculous – Instant Installs, and in every cPanel account.

**About --quick:** it keeps working after the installer exits. On our lab, app packages were still being downloaded to `/var/softaculous` two minutes after the Thank you message. Wait for that to finish before you benchmark the server or remove Softaculous again.

## Licence: free, premium and refresh

```
/usr/local/cpanel/3rdparty/bin/php /usr/local/cpanel/whostmgr/docroot/cgi/softaculous/cli.php --refresh-license
```

Without a paid licence, our lab got a free licence automatically during the install. `--refresh-license` printed (licence number removed):

```
Your license has been refreshed !
Updated license details are as follows :
Softaculous License : xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx
Type : Free
Expires (DD/MM/YYYY) : Never
License IP :