Updates

The panel improves over time: every new version brings new features, improvements and fixes. The server operating system (Ubuntu) also receives updates, above all security ones. Administrators manage both from the Updates page.

Which version am I using?

The version is written at the bottom of the side menu (for example v0.7.0); on the phone you find it under More. Tapping it opens the News page.

The News page

In News you find every version, newest first, with the changes explained in plain words and a label for each change:

• New: a feature that was not there before;
• Improved: something that works better or is handier;
• Fixed: a problem solved;
• Security: one more protection.

When a version you have not seen yet arrives, a dot appears next to News. It disappears when you open the page. The news is shown in your language.

Updating the panel (administrators)

The Updates page shows the installed version, the latest available one with its news, the time of the last check and the update history.

Choose how to update:

• Automatic: the panel checks every 6 hours and installs new versions by itself in the time window you choose (for example from 03:00 to 05:00, server time);
• Notify only (initial choice): the panel checks every 6 hours and emails the administrators; you install with Update now;
• Off: no automatic check; you can always press Check now.

Updates come from an update channel: an address we give you. Until it is configured, the page says so and the panel does not look for new versions.

Before updating

When there is a new version the page shows the installed version and the new one, its news (the first four, with Show all for the others), the estimated duration, how many megabytes will be downloaded and the Update now button, which asks for a confirmation.

What happens when you press “Update now”

1. The panel downloads the new version and checks its digital signature and fingerprint: if something does not match, the update is refused and nothing changes.
2. It saves a copy of the current version and installs the new one.
3. It restarts in a few seconds. Sites, databases and files are not touched.
4. If the new version does not answer within a minute, the panel goes back to the previous version by itself and tells you.

The progress screen

After the confirmation a dedicated screen shows live:

• the percentage in the ring and the current step (Check, Download, Signature and integrity check, Test of the new version, Backup of the current version, Installation, Panel restart, Health check);
• what is happening right now, for example “Downloading version 0.8.1 · 4.2 of 11.8 MB · 3.1 MB/s”;
• the time remaining (“about 2 minutes”, “less than a minute”) and the elapsed time. The estimate uses the measured speed and how long the previous updates of your server took, so it gets more accurate over time;
• the list of steps, with the duration of those already completed.

During the restart the panel does not answer for a few seconds: the page shows “The panel is restarting…” with a counter, reconnects by itself as soon as the panel is back and shows you the result. No need to reload or log in again. You can also close the page: the update goes on anyway.

At the end you see “Updated to …” with the button to see the news or, if something went wrong, an explanation in plain words: if the new version did not pass the final check, the page confirms that the previous version is running again. The Technical details box, closed at first, holds the full log to send to support.

While an update runs, a small indicator with the percentage appears in the side menu (at the top on phones): tap it to reopen the progress screen from any page.

Administrators receive an email with the result and, right after, the one with the news of the version. The panel never installs a version older than the one in use; a failed version is not retried automatically.

Server updates (Ubuntu)

In the second part of the page you see:

• how many Ubuntu updates are pending and how many are security ones;
• whether a server reboot is needed (for example after a kernel update);
• when the last check was made (the panel checks by itself twice a day).

After a check, the Pending updates box sums up how many packages there are, how many are security ones, how much will be downloaded and the estimated duration; it warns when the server will probably need a reboot afterwards and which services (for example nginx, PHP-FPM, MariaDB) restart for a moment. Below is the package list with the current and the new version, with a search and a filter for the security ones.

The buttons:

• Update now: after a confirmation installs every update keeping the existing configuration files and opens the progress screen. The steps are: package list refresh, planning, download (with speed), installation and configuration, cleanup. The package list updates while it works (waiting, downloaded, installed) with the “12 of 24” count. At the end the page tells you whether a reboot is needed and offers the button to do it;
• Check now: refreshes the package list, with a small progress bar;
• Reboot server: to use when the page says “Reboot required”. For one or two minutes sites and panel are not reachable: choose a moment with few visits.

Automatic security updates

With Automatic security updates on (recommended, and on after installation) Ubuntu installs every day, by itself, only the security updates. You can also allow the automatic reboot when needed, at the time you choose: it is usually off, because it is better to decide yourself when to reboot.

Update history

At the bottom of the page the Update history lists the updates of the panel and of the server, newest first, with date, duration and result. Tap a row to reopen its progress screen with steps and technical details.