How to Create a Demo cPanel Account and WHM Reseller Without a Domain

1. Create a Demo cPanel Account

Demo accounts allow potential customers or internal users to explore the cPanel interface without being able to modify files or settings. You may enable demo mode on an existing account or create a new one.

1.1 Select or Create an Account

You cannot use reseller accounts as demo accounts. To create a new account:

• Go to WHM » Account Functions » Create a New Account.
• Enter a domain name.
• Choose or edit the auto‑generated username.
• Create a password or use the Password Generator.
• Enter a contact email.
• Click Create.

1.2 Enable Demo Mode

After selecting the account, enable Demo Mode to convert it into a demo account. Users will be able to browse features but cannot make changes.

1.3 Delete a Demo Account

• Go to WHM » Account Functions » Terminate Accounts.
• Select the demo account.
• Click Remove.

2. Create a WHM Reseller Without an Associated Domain

WHM allows you to create administrative users who can access WHM without root privileges. These accounts do not correspond to cPanel accounts and are useful for employees or delegated administrators.

Warning: Some WHM interfaces will not function correctly for reseller accounts without a domain.

2.1 Create via WHM API 1

This is the fastest method.

• Connect via SSH as root.
• Run the following command:

whmapi1 createacct username=user password=password reseller_without_domain=1

Note: Replace user with the desired username and ensure the reseller_without_domain parameter is included.

After creation, follow the URL in the output to assign privileges, or use the setacls API function.

Warning: The account will have no privileges until you assign them manually.

2.2 Create Manually

To manually create a reseller without a domain:

• SSH into the server as root.
• Create the user:

useradd -Um username

• Set the password:

passwd username

• Set home directory permissions:

chmod -v 711 /home/username

• Add the user to the reseller file:

echo "username:" >> /var/cpanel/resellers

• Check for /var/cpanel/users/username:

If it exists, remove the DNS= line. If not, create it:

echo USER=username > /var/cpanel/users/username
chmod 0640 /var/cpanel/users/username
chgrp username /var/cpanel/users/username

• Log in to WHM as root.
• Go to WHM » Resellers » Edit Reseller Nameservers and Privileges.
• Select the username and assign privileges.

2.3 Change Password for This Account Type

You cannot change the password through WHM interfaces. Use SSH:

passwd username

2.4 Remove a WHM Reseller Without a Domain (API)

• SSH into the server as root.
• Run:

whmapi1 removeacct username=user

2.5 Remove Manually

• SSH into the server.
• Remove the user file:

rm /var/cpanel/users/username

• Edit /var/cpanel/resellers and remove the username.
• Delete the system user:

userdel username

2.6 Known Limitations

• Some WHM interfaces fail to load (e.g., File and Directory Restoration, SSL CSR generator).
• Password cannot be changed via WHM interfaces.
• No contact email; notifications do not work.
• Cannot be backed up using pkgacct.

Important: Run the following after creating the account:

/usr/local/cpanel/scripts/updateuserdomains

3. How to Disable Filesystem Quotas

Filesystem quotas limit disk usage per account. While useful for hosting providers, disabling them may improve performance in certain environments.

Quotas are enabled by default during installation. You may disable them afterward.

3.1 Disable Quotas on Root XFS Filesystem

• SSH into the server as root.
• Edit /etc/default/grub and remove:

rootflags=uquota

• Update GRUB:

grub2-mkconfig --output=/boot/grub2/grub.cfg

• Disable quotas:

xfs_quota -x -c 'off' -c 'remove' /

• Reboot the server.
• Verify:

mount | grep ' / '

The output should include noquota.

3.2 Disable Quotas on Non‑Root XFS Filesystems

• Edit /etc/fstab and remove uquota from the mount entry.
• Disable quotas:

xfs_quota -x -c 'off' -c 'remove' path_to_mount

• Remount the filesystem:

mount -o remount path_to_mount

No reboot is required for non‑root filesystems.

Conclusion

This guide covers demo account creation, WHM reseller accounts without domains, account removal, and disabling filesystem quotas. These tools help administrators manage access, delegation, and performance on cPanel & WHM servers.