Lots of server software versions are outdated

[Judith@]

Hello,
We've got a new server with Plesk for almost a week now, but the PHP5 and PHP4 and MySQL and Python versions are outdated. Can somebody please tell us how we can update this versions with Plesk. At our old server with Cpanel, updating is easy. But we dont see an possibility in Plesk. Just update in windows could break the Plesk intergration we found out here in the Plesk forum.
But both the Plesk site and forum didt gave any clou about how it is supposed to do.

We need just the latest stable versions:
PHP 4.4.6
PHP 5.2.1
MySQL 5.0.37
Python 2.5
BIND 9.4.0
Tomcat 5.5.23
SpamAssassin 3.1.8

Thanks!

Kind regards,
Judith

 

[Nuno Mendes]

I would like to know how to do it too.

 

[taylort]

Me too.

 

[Data@]

So would I!

Information like this should be available in a sticky topic, or somewhere else easily located in my opinion.

I just installed Plesk 8.1 for Windows on a clean Win2k3 box. Also i'm using Nod32 as antivirus for the system itself and am planning to use ClamAV as antivirus for the mailboxes running on hMailServer.

However i can't find any information about what version of ClamAV is supported by Plesk and only old versions of hMailServer are supported.

I don't mind using old versions as long as they are secure, but what if something is unsecure? Does Plesk provide a hotfix asap? Also for external software like hmail or spamassasin, mysql etc? Or do we have to update those manually and will it then still work with Plesk?

I've seen a lot of horror stories on this forum about people getting their server hacked because of this. I'd sure like to see some success or 'no problems' stories.

Anyway.. some detailed information about updating software to newer versions would be very appreciated!

 

[taylort]

Originally posted by Data
So would I!

Information like this should be available in a sticky topic, or somewhere else easily located in my opinion.

I just installed Plesk 8.1 for Windows on a clean Win2k3 box. Also i'm using Nod32 as antivirus for the system itself and am planning to use ClamAV as antivirus for the mailboxes running on hMailServer.

However i can't find any information about what version of ClamAV is supported by Plesk and only old versions of hMailServer are supported.

I don't mind using old versions as long as they are secure, but what if something is unsecure? Does Plesk provide a hotfix asap? Also for external software like hmail or spamassasin, mysql etc? Or do we have to update those manually and will it then still work with Plesk?

I've seen a lot of horror stories on this forum about people getting their server hacked because of this. I'd sure like to see some success or 'no problems' stories.

Anyway.. some detailed information about updating software to newer versions would be very appreciated!

In the past, and apparently today judging from the lack of response to this topic and others, SW-Soft has been extremely slow in updating the bundled third party software that comes with Plesk. Even if they didn't want to host the updates themselves, at least post an announcement confirming that you're aware of the new versions of these software programs and that they will or will not work with Plesk 8.1.

Installation instructions would be nice too.

I think I'm dreaming though. None of this will happen anytime soon. Small things like this are why businesses are choosing to go elsewhere for their control panel needs. How SW-Soft doesn't see that is beyond me.

 

[Judith@]

Why doesn't someone from SWsoft respond???

 

[ramprage]

I have been doing manual updates for clients on Linux for things like PHP. The problem is that doing updates manually is usually something that takes a LOT of time and you always run into very technical issues when doing it.

If you're not very experienced with manaully compiling PHP then I wouldn't attempt it.

I may write a guide to updating PHP/Apache/MySQL in particular if there is enough demand.

 

[jluerken]

I also want to know how PHP and MySQL can be updated unter Plesk 8.1

I need to install a script that needs a newer MySQL version than installed but I don't want to break php or the plesk integration.

An Upgrade instruction or better a Plesk update with newer 3rd Party applications like php and mysql would be nice.

 

[taylort]

Originally posted by jluerken
I also want to know how PHP and MySQL can be updated unter Plesk 8.1

I need to install a script that needs a newer MySQL version than installed but I don't want to break php or the plesk integration.

An Upgrade instruction or better a Plesk update with newer 3rd Party applications like php and mysql would be nice.

You know what's funny about that? SW-Soft released version 8.1.1 of Plesk today but didn't bother to upgrade PHP 4 or PHP 5 to their newest versions. I think that's just incredible.

 

[Judith@]

I don't see any update under "updater" yet. But if what you say is true, then that's ridiculous.

 

[taylort]

Originally posted by Judith
I don't see any update under "updater" yet. But if what you say is true, then that's ridiculous.

Go here and scroll down to "What's New" and you'll see the fixes/changes/updates in the newest version. It shows up on the SW-Soft site under Plesk as the latest distribution too.

That's another thing - I don't see a mention anywhere on these forums about Plesk 8.1.1. Sometimes I wonder if drunk monkeys run SW-Soft.

 

[Judith@]

Yes, this is a weird way of running a company.

I had to manualy download a whole new Plesk installation (360MB) in order to update my current Plesk 8.1.0 to 8.1.1.

Why is there not a minor update possibility in the Plesk control panel?

 

[siren@]

I see a lot of people in this post who need to step back and question whether they should be administrating a server.

Plesk doesn't provide PHP, Spamassasin, and many other software packages.

Those are provided by the OS Vendors.

Either contact the OS vendor or do as we do and build the RPM's or packages yourself.

 

[Judith@]

This is the Plesk for Windows section. Microsoft does not provide PHP etc. This is installed with Plesk. It is not that hard to update PHP in common. But it is hard to update it manualy and keep it in sync with Plesk. So Plesk has to provide updates to PHP etc as they do sometimes, but way to little.

 

[henry@]

to upgrade your php, pyton etc installs just download the latest zip files from the php.net etc and replace them with the old plesk install files. This worked for me without any problems.

 

[siren@]

Originally posted by Judith
This is the Plesk for Windows section. Microsoft does not provide PHP etc. This is installed with Plesk. It is not that hard to update PHP in common. But it is hard to update it manualy and keep it in sync with Plesk. So Plesk has to provide updates to PHP etc as they do sometimes, but way to little.

We run Windows also. Just didnt' realize this was a different section, but the same thing applies to a large extent. Plesk is doing a courtesy by installing them.

PHP if you install both versions is plenty up to date for 99% of the servers out there considering it's 4.4.6 and 5.2.0 on 8.1.1.

As for Python, your complaining about that on a Windows box? We don't have a single customer using Python, and I don't believe the versions are kept up on the same track as Linux either for updates.

As for keeping it in sync with Plesk, if you know anything about Windows System Administration (which means you have to know something about how the programs operate) you can do it.

 

[siren@]

Honestly I hate giving out secrets, but oh well. Based off what I have seen here only 1/4 of the people might use these anyways.

Fix Spamassassin to better check:
\rootinstall\swsoft\plesk\additional\perl\etc\mail\spamassassin\

If you have done any research on SpamAssasin on Windows you will know this is where the configuration files are kept.

First File:
v310.pre
Load - DCC
Load - Pyzor
Load - Razor2
Load - SpamCop
load - AWL
load - AutoLearnThreshold
Load - TextCat
Load - WhiteListSubject
Load - MIMEHeader
Load - ReplaceTags

If any are commented with a # at the beginning remove it.

Now, go to \rootinstall\swsoft\plesk\additional\spamasassin\ at the command prompt:

run spamassassin --lint

If you did it right you should have no errors.

Now open local.cf add the following to the bottom:

use_bayes 1
bayes_auto_learn 1
skip_rbl_checks 0
use_razor2 1
use_dcc 1
use_pyzor 1
ok_languages en
ok_locales en

 

[IG0R]

"Plesk is doing a courtesy by installing them."

Do you think that someone will buy plesk if it dont come with php mysql ... ?

It is the CORE and swsoft need to update this or tell us how to because if you run plesk for Windows you know that upgrade php is easy, and broke plesk with this is easy x 2

tell us what version is 100% tested with plesk 7.6.1 and 8.1.1

 

[siren@]

People by Helm with none of this........

For that matter you have to install many of the "Optional" items yourself on Linux.

And for that matter Windows is known for ASP, ASP.NET, and MSSQL "NOT" php/mysql.

So I am sure, many, many people would by it without PHP/MYSQL

 

[bcscomp]

Originally posted by siren
People by Helm with none of this........

For that matter you have to install many of the "Optional" items yourself on Linux.

And for that matter Windows is known for ASP, ASP.NET, and MSSQL "NOT" php/mysql.

So I am sure, many, many people would by it without PHP/MYSQL

Well i for one wouldn't have, but i'm re-thinking that now as my box just got hacked, and the guys at the data center say it was due to vulnerable programs (applications) that were out of date.
Problem is i run my updater all the time and it says you have an up to date version...
so now after $300.00 at the data center (and they still aren't done)
I'm considering throwing out $1,000.00 worth of plesk and going to cpanel, or Interworx...
so i'm debating... several issues that i've actually had to pay SW-Soft to fix, $300+ bucks today and %25 a year against $14.95 a month for an unlimited domain package of interworx...

but hey what do i know huh?

don't pay me no mind, i'm just aggravated because my client's are all up in my 4$$ over their sites being down, and i don't even have a good excuse for it.. LOL


Bill