~2 min read • Updated Mar 1, 2026
1. DirectAdmin Main Directory
The core of DirectAdmin is located at:
/usr/local/directadmin/
This directory contains binaries, configuration files, data folders, templates, scripts, and service components.
---2. Primary Configuration Files
| Path | Description |
|---|---|
/usr/local/directadmin/conf/directadmin.conf |
Main configuration file for DirectAdmin |
/usr/local/directadmin/conf/my.cnf |
MySQL connection settings for mysqldump, mysql_upgrade, etc. |
/usr/local/directadmin/custombuild/ |
CustomBuild directory for software installation and management |
Example usage of my.cnf:
mysql --defaults-extra-file=/usr/local/directadmin/conf/my.cnf
mysqldump --defaults-extra-file=/usr/local/directadmin/conf/my.cnf database > backup.sql
3. Main Data Directories
All DirectAdmin data is stored under:
/usr/local/directadmin/data/
Important subdirectories:
| Path | Description |
|---|---|
data/admin/ |
Admin settings (blacklist, brute force logs, etc.) |
data/sessions/ |
Active login sessions |
data/skins/ |
Panel skins (Evolution, Enhanced) |
data/templates/ |
System templates (DNS, Apache/Nginx, email, messages) |
data/tickets/ |
Message System tickets |
data/users/ |
All user-specific configuration and usage data |
User directory structure:
- user.conf → main user configuration
- domains/domain.com.conf → domain settings
- domain.com.cust_apache / .cust_nginx → custom webserver configs
- domains.list → list of domains
- httpd.conf / nginx.conf → per-user webserver config
- user.usage → usage statistics
- user_ip.list → dedicated IPs
4. Important Templates
All templates are stored in:
/usr/local/directadmin/data/templates/
To customize them, copy to the custom/ directory.
DNS templates:
- dns_a.conf
- dns_aaaa.conf
- dns_caa.conf
- dns_cname.conf
- dns_mx.conf
- dns_ns.conf
- dns_srv.conf
- dns_tlsa.conf
- dns_txt.conf
- dns_https.conf
- dns_svcb.conf
- named.db → main DNS zone template
Webserver templates:
Apache:
- virtual_host2.conf
- virtual_host2_secure.conf
Nginx:
- nginx_server.conf
- nginx_server_secure.conf
- nginx_redirect.conf
OpenLiteSpeed:
- openlitespeed_vhost.conf
- openlitespeed_listener.conf
Message templates:
- lost_password_email.txt
- message_footer.txt
- suspension_reason.txt
- user_limit.txt
- per_email_limit_message.txt
5. Important Log Paths
DirectAdmin logs:
/var/log/directadmin/
- error.log
- access.log
- login.log
- security.log
- system.log
Apache logs:
/var/log/httpd/
Nginx logs:
/var/log/nginx/
Email logs (Exim/Dovecot):
- /var/log/exim/mainlog
- /var/log/maillog
FTP logs:
- /var/log/pureftpd.log
- /var/log/proftpd/access.log
MySQL/MariaDB logs:
- /var/lib/mysql/hostname.err (RedHat)
- /usr/local/mysql/data/hostname.err (Debian)
CustomBuild logs:
/usr/local/directadmin/custombuild/custombuild.log
6. Important System & Third Party Paths
Virtual email system:
/etc/virtual/
Webservers:
- /etc/httpd/conf/
- /etc/nginx/
- /etc/openlitespeed/
DNS:
- /etc/named.conf
- /etc/bind/named.conf
- /var/named/
- /etc/bind/
CSF/LFD:
- /etc/csf/csf.conf
- /var/log/lfd.log
MySQL:
- /var/lib/mysql/
- /home/mysql/
7. Final Notes
- Always back up files before modifying or deleting them.
- Double check paths before making changes.
- Use the following command to view updated paths:
da paths
Written & researched by Dr. Shahin Siami