The Statistics Software Configuration File, Uninstalling Legacy Ruby, Understanding Domain TLS, the License Callback Mechanism, and the cpanelsync.exclude File in cPanel & WHM

This guide explains several advanced system components in cPanel & WHM, including the statistics software configuration file, how to uninstall legacy Ruby installations, how the Domain TLS system works, how the license callback mechanism communicates license changes, and how to use the cpanelsync.exclude file to prevent updates to specific cPanel-distributed files.

stats.conf cPaneluninstall Ruby WHMDomain TLS cPanellicense callback mechanismcpanelsync.exclude

1. The Statistics Software Configuration File

The /etc/stats.conf file stores configuration settings from WHM’s Statistics Software Configuration interface:

WHM » Home » Server Configuration » Statistics Software Configuration

Important: Do not edit this file manually.

1.1 File Options

Name	Description	Example
ALLOWALL	Allows all users to choose their statistics generator	no
BLACKHOURS	Hours during which statistics processing is disabled	10,11
DEFAULTGENS	Default statistics generators	ANALOG,WEBALIZER
allow_awstats_include	Allows users to define AWStats include files	0

1.2 Example File

ALLOWALL=no
BLACKHOURS=10,11
DEFAULTGENS=ANALOG,WEBALIZER
allow_awstats_include=0

2. Uninstalling Legacy Ruby Installations

Warning: The legacy Ruby codebase was deprecated in cPanel & WHM version 66. The following interfaces are no longer supported:

cPanel » Software » Ruby on Rails
cPanel » Software » RubyGems
WHM » Software » Module Installers (Ruby Gem installer)

To install Ruby on modern systems, follow the How to Create Ruby Web Applications documentation.

2.1 Manual Compilation Removal

If Ruby was manually compiled, run:

make uninstall

Then archive leftover files:

mv /usr/bin/ruby /usr/bin/ruby.bak`date +%F`
mv /usr/lib/ruby /usr/lib/ruby.bak`date +%F`
mv /usr/bin/gem /usr/bin/gem.bak`date +%F`
mv /usr/bin/rails /usr/bin/rails.bak`date +%F`

2.2 Using rpm

Check installed Ruby packages:

rpm -qa | grep -i ruby

Remove a package:

rpm -e --nodeps packagename

2.3 Using yum

Find Ruby packages:

yum provides ruby

Remove a package:

yum erase packagename

3. What Is Domain TLS?

The Domain TLS system stores and manages verified SSL certificates in a domain-indexed repository. It improves SNI performance and certificate lookup efficiency.

3.1 Supported TLS Versions

cPanel & WHM supports TLS 1.2 and TLS 1.3
TLS 1.3 requires OpenSSL 1.1.1 or later

3.2 How Domain TLS Works

When a certificate is installed for an Apache virtual host, the system copies it into Domain TLS for each domain on that virtual host.

Domain TLS handles SNI for:

cpsrvd — cPanel, WHM, Webmail
cpdavd — Calendars, Contacts, Web Disk
exim — Mail transfer
dovecot — Mailbox service

3.3 Differences from Apache SSL Storage

Apache groups domains into virtual hosts
Domain TLS stores certificates per domain name
www.example.com and example.com are stored separately
Domain TLS does not store expired or invalid certificates

4. The License Callback Mechanism

The license callback mechanism immediately notifies a server when its license changes in Manage2 or the cPanel Store. It does not modify the server — it only alerts it.

4.1 Required Ports

At least one of the following ports must be open:

Service	Port
cPanel	2082
cPanel SSL	2083
WHM	2086
WHM SSL	2087
Webmail SSL	2096

4.2 Callback IP Ranges

208.74.121.0/24
208.74.123.0/24

5. The cpanelsync.exclude File

The /etc/cpanelsync.exclude file prevents updates to specific cPanel-distributed files during the cpanelsync process.

Important notes:

Only affects cpanelsync updates
Does not block runtime modifications
Cannot block updates to package-managed files

5.1 Check Whether a File Is Package‑Managed

On Red Hat systems:

rpm -qf /path/to/file

On Ubuntu:

dpkg -S /path/to/file

5.2 Adding Entries

Each entry must be an absolute path on its own line.

Example:

/usr/local/cpanel/scripts/pkgacct
/usr/local/cpanel/Cpanel/Logd.pm

Add entries with:

echo "/usr/local/cpanel/scripts/pkgacct" >> /etc/cpanelsync.exclude
echo "/usr/local/cpanel/Cpanel/Logd.pm" >> /etc/cpanelsync.exclude

Conclusion

This guide covers several advanced cPanel & WHM components, including statistics configuration, legacy Ruby removal, Domain TLS behavior, the license callback mechanism, and the cpanelsync.exclude file. Understanding these systems helps administrators maintain secure, stable, and predictable server environments.