Install on DirectAdmin

Check prerequisites

Open Advanced Features → Nginx Unit. If it is missing, ask the host to enable Nginx Unit and Node.js 24. PHP-only or static hosting cannot run OAuth and protected server-side API calls.

Upload and build

Create panel.example.com, point DNS to the server, and connect over SSH as your DirectAdmin user.

cd /home/DA_USER/domains/panel.example.com
git clone https://github.com/vektor-interactive/vektor-central-panel.git vektor-panel
cd vektor-panel
cp deploy/directadmin/panel.env.example .env
npm ci
npm run lint
npm run build:directadmin
chmod +x app.js

Replace DA_USER and the domain. Keep the application outside public_html when allowed.

Configure environment

Edit .env without sharing it. The bot API must be reachable from DirectAdmin.

DISCORD_CLIENT_ID=your_application_id
DISCORD_CLIENT_SECRET=your_oauth_secret
DISCORD_REDIRECT_URI=https://panel.example.com/api/auth/callback
SESSION_SECRET=use_a_64_character_random_value
BOT_API_URL=https://bot-api.example.com
BOT_API_KEY=must_match_the_bot_INTERNAL_API_KEY
NODE_ENV=production
HOSTNAME=0.0.0.0
FORCE_HTTPS=true

BOT_API_KEY must exactly match the bot's INTERNAL_API_KEY.

Create the Nginx Unit app

1. Open User Level → Advanced Features → Nginx Unit.
2. Create a Node.js application using Node.js 24.
3. Set the working directory to the absolute vektor-panel path.
4. Set entry script to app.js and process count to 1.
5. Create the suggested route for the panel domain at /.

Enable SSL and OAuth

Request an ACME/Let's Encrypt certificate and force HTTPS. Add this exact callback in Discord:

https://panel.example.com/api/auth/callback

It must exactly match DISCORD_REDIRECT_URI.

Verify

• Sign in through the HTTPS panel.
• Confirm OAuth returns to /dashboard.
• Confirm shared Discord servers appear.
• Save a module and check the bot audit log.
• Confirm .env and .git are not public.

Update

cd /home/DA_USER/domains/panel.example.com/vektor-panel
git pull --ff-only
npm ci
npm run lint
npm run build:directadmin

Restart the Nginx Unit application after building.

Troubleshooting

Unit menu missing

The host must enable it for the server, package, and user.

503 response

Check Node 24.17+, ownership, permissions, environment, and /var/log/unit/unit.log.

Assets return 404

Run npm run build:directadmin again and restart Unit.

OAuth mismatch

Make the Discord callback and environment URL identical.

Bot API 401

Match BOT_API_KEY to INTERNAL_API_KEY.