does it really make it much easier to manage the server?
if without a control panel, how do i manage my server?

You can't tbh dude. Well you can but having a control panel is MUCH Easier.

Control panels are meant more for the end user than for the admin. You want an easy way for your customers to manage their sites. Additionally they do make it easier for an admin to manage sites. Without a control panel, you would have to implement the necessary security and access levels to prevent people from being able to access one another's data. You would also have to manually create all domains in the www/dns/mail/etc servers.
If the site server is just for your own needs, and you are comfortable without a panel, by all means don't get one. But if you are planning to sell it, a panel is pretty much a requirement these days.

Without a control panel you manage everything via SSH. If you don't mind command line then don't get a control panel, if you need a GUI then go control panel. Alternatively you can also install an OS with a GUI and just remote into the box and manage it that way.

I have to second what serve-you said. If you want you clients to do anything themselves you'll want a control panel. The server admin side isn't necessary if the server is just for yourself and you understand how to do things via ssh.

Control panels are definitely helpful. On *nix, among the good control panel options are cPanel and DirectAdmin.
-mike

does it really make it much easier to manage the server?
Yes. It provides simple user interfaces for most complex functions.
if without a control panel, how do i manage my server?
Depends on how competent you are. Have you ever managed a server via SSH? If not, then even with a control panel you may not be able to.

Definitely Cpanel is important aspect for the maintenance of the website and the web server.

does it really make it much easier to manage the server?
if without a control panel, how do i manage my server?
A Control panel software will help you manage account creating, account suspension, feature additions etc etc. Its makes your life easy. I would advice to go with a good control panel.
For linix, go for cpanel,directadmin or Plesk
For windows, go for Hosting controller or Plesk

does it really make it much easier to manage the server?
if without a control panel, how do i manage my server?
Its the way you look at it.
If you are comfortable managing everything through command line, you definitely dont need a CP. However if you are a newbie, i do suggest going with one of the popular CP's available.
Well its u r choice ;)

As I had to do a presentation for a event in France about open source, presenting our work, I pretty much thought about this topic. Why makes it obvious that a control panel is useful?
Well, this is NOT about one may think at first. This is NOT ONLY about easiness or anything, this is all about how much TIME you have.
For that presentation, I just made a quick example of what you would have to do to just create a mail account by hand, doing approximatively the same amount of things our panel would. That is a pretty impressive amount of work, just to have a mailbox. Here it is:
root@GPLHost:mx.example.com>_ # cd /var/www/sites/dtc/example.com/Mailboxs
root@GPLHost:mx.example.com>_ # mkdir toto
root@GPLHost:mx.example.com>_ # cd toto
root@GPLHost:mx.example.com>_ # maildirmake -q 1024000000S,1000S ./Maildir
root@GPLHost:mx.example.com>_ # cp ../ab/.mailfilter .
root@GPLHost:mx.example.com>_ # cd /etc/postfix
root@GPLHost:mx.example.com>_ # echo "toto@example.com toto@example.com" >>postfix_virtual
root@GPLHost:mx.example.com>_ # echo "toto@example.com 1001" >>postfix_virtual_uid_mapping
root@GPLHost:mx.example.com>_ # echo "toto@example.com /var/www/sites/dtc/example.com/Mailboxs/toto/Maildir/" >>postfix_vmailbox
root@GPLHost:mx.example.com>_ # postmap postfix_virtual
root@GPLHost:mx.example.com>_ # postmap postfix_virtual_uid_mapping
root@GPLHost:mx.example.com>_ # postmap postfix_vmailbox
root@GPLHost:mx.example.com>_ # /etc/init.d/postfix reload
root@GPLHost:mx.example.com>_ # saslpasswd2 -c -p -f /etc/sasldb2 -u mx.example.com toto@example.com
root@GPLHost:mx.example.com>_ # echo \
toto@example.com home=/var/www/sites/dtc/example.com/Mailboxs/toto|mail=/var/www/sites/dtc/example.com/Mailboxs/toto|uid=1001|gid=1001|quota=0
root@GPLHost:mx.example.com>_ # /usr/sbin/makeuserdb
root@GPLHost:mx.example.com>_ # ssh mx.backup.example.com
root@GPLHost:mx.backup.example.com>_ # cd /etc/postfix
root@GPLHost:mx.backup.example.com>_ # echo "toto@example.com OK" >>postfix_relay_recipients
root@GPLHost:mx.backup.example.com>_ # postmap postfix_relay_recipients
root@GPLHost:mx.backup.example.com>_ # /etc/init.d/postfix reload
If you think doing all this BY HAND and EACH TIME a customer (or yourself) needs a simple email address, then you don't need a control panel.
Note that this is only a simple example for a mail account, but same is truth for DNS, apache, mailing lists, etc. And I'm not talking about the necessary work to move a full domain that is already in production, or the amount of work needed to do the setup of a new server...
To make it short: let's be realistic, doing administration correctly without a control panel is simply impossible if you are a human. Also, there are all sorts of administration privileges and automation that you simply can't do.
I hope that gives you the big picture! :)
Thomas

control panels make your life easier.. save your time.. reduce the risk of mistake!! My favorite is CPanel..

You definately are going to want a control panel otherwise you will need a huge time investment. It is more important that you have a control panel then which control panel. I would argue personally that cPanel is the easiest and best overall for the masses however I have used other control panels that are also good. It often times boils down to your own personal preference when it comes to control panels. I would just make sure that whatever control panel you are using that it has been tested and has been around for a while. You don't want to be a control panel beta tester for a new control panel :)

If you are asking this question, I'd defiantly recommend going with WHM/cPanel or some sort of a control panel. You are going to be in for a world of not so nice things trying to administrate a server via SSH. It has a fairly steep learning curve.
cPanel/WHM is a huge time saver for the unexperienced and even the experienced in some cases.
Unfortunately cPanel does cause problems some times aka taking over the server....
It will be worth it for you however, I promise.

Well you will get accurate answer only by having some experience with any control panel. Or simple visit their online demo panel.
No doubt a control panel ease thing otherwise no body have much time to dig at server level for different issues.
But this all depend if you are using a good control panel, like Hosting controller , plesk and Cpanel.
FYI: Currently Hosting Controller offer huge discount on their products