Plesk 12.5 preview feedback thread (Windows)

[custer]

We have been releasing Plesk 12.5 previews for quite some time, so let's have a thread for discussing Plesk 12.5 and accumulating all your feedback.

The goal of Plesk 12.5 is to make Plesk a better, more reliable, and more secure tool for both Web hosts and Website owners. Plesk 12.5 will offer improved database management, incremental backups, multiple PHP version support, improved Log Browser tool and many other improvements targeted for Web hosts and Web developers.

We need your feedback to make sure we're going the right way and addressing the actual needs of you and your customers. Please don't hesitate and let us know what you think -- whether it's something new you like or something missing that you really need.

To install the latest version of Plesk 12.5 preview, go here:
http://odin.com/products/plesk/preview/

To view the release notes for Plesk 12.5 preview, go here:
http://download1.parallels.com/Plesk/PP12/parallels-plesk-12.1-for-windows.html

To see the latest version of Plesk 12.5, visit our demo server here:
https://a93-91-167-252.ec.parallels-summit.com:8443/login_up.php3?login_name=admin&passwd=panel1Q&locale_id=en-US

Follow us on Twitter to get the latest information on Plesk previews and other cool stuff: https://twitter.com/Pleskdevelopers

 

[custer]

New stuff in 12.1.18 preview:

1. New left navigation menu in Control Panel.
   
   
2. WinCache extension for PHP 5.5 was integrated with Plesk.
   
   
3. Administrators can use the command <Plesk installation directory>\bin\repair.exe --installation to repair Plesk configuration after upgrade.
   
   
4. Administrators can use the <Plesk installation directory>\bin\repair.exe tool to resolve various issues at a domain level. For example repair.exe --all example.com will run all check and repair operations for the domain example.com. Running repair.exe --fs example.com will run all file system check and repair operations for that domain.
   
   
5. Administrators can use the repair.exe --mail command to resolve various issues with mail services at a domain or mailbox level.
   
   
6. Administrators can use the <Plesk installation directory>\bin\repair.exe tool to resolve inconsistencies between Plesk and MySQL or Microsoft SQL Server databases: restore databases, database users, and database users' credentials.
   
   
7. Multiple improvements in backup manager.
   
   
8. Security improvements.
   
   
9. Microsoft FrontPage Server Extensions are no longer supported by Plesk.
   
   
10. Descriptions of applications in Plesk were shown in English, even if users selected another language for the Plesk interface. (PPP-14195)
    
    
11. Users could not access applications by using the Plesk search function. (PPP-14435)
    
    
12. After administrators added wildcard host binding to the webmail (smartermail) site in IIS, users could no longer add domains in Plesk. (PPP-14398)
    
    
13. Languages on the Plesk login screen were not arranged in alphabetical order. (PPP-14186)
    
    
14. Entries in the list of webspaces were not arranged in alphabetical order. (PPP-13399)

What do you think about repair.exe utility and redesigned left navigation menu?

 

[custer]

12.1.19 preview contains mostly bugfixes:

1. Subscriptions could be suspended automatically due to the expiration date being reached or resource usage limits being exceeded even if Plesk was running in the Power User mode. (PPP-14533)
   
   
2. Password recovery emails were being tagged as spam by email providers due to the recipient's address being simultaneously used as the sender's address. (PPP-14475)
   

What would you like to see in the next Plesk 12.1 for Windows preview?

 

[custer]

12.1.20 preview is out with multiple PHP-related improvements:

1. Users can configure the PHP handlers and switch PHP support on or off in Websites & Domains > PHP Settings. They can also view the default settings for the selected PHP handlers. Administrators and resellers can view the default settings of PHP handlers, select PHP handlers, and switch PHP support on or off while configuring service plans (in Service Plans > plan name > PHP Settings tab).

2. Administrators can configure the global settings of PHP handlers in Tools & Settings > PHP Settings, and select which PHP handlers should be available on the server.

3. Users can access reports on PHP settings for websites (phpinfo output) from Websites & Domains tab > PHP Settings

4. The list of websites on the Websites & Domains tab is now loaded faster. (PPP-14536)

5. After installation of WordPress, users were prompted to add it to WordPress Toolkit, even if WordPress Toolkit was not available in Plesk. (PPP-14784)

6. In some cases, after a virtual machine was restarted, Plesk could not detect a virtual environment and the license was considered invalid. (PPP-14730)

7. Administrators could not remove IP addresses if site preview was switched on in Tools & Settings > Website Preview Settings. (PPP-14591)

8. Users could not update the Moodle application via Plesk. Updating failed with the error "Non-zero exit status returned by script". (PPP-14196)

More PHP-related changes are coming in next previews. What you think so far about the changes?

 

[custer]

Hey everyone, new 12.1.21 preview is out.

Highlights:

1. The plesk-ctl utility was implemented in Plesk for Windows.
2. The ability to manage PHP modules independently for each PHP handler was added.
3. The ability to manage PHP handlers via API and CLI was added.
4. The ability to enable direct access to phpMyAdmin was added.
5. Autocompletion logic for Plesk self-repair tools was improved.

For the full list of changes including bugfixes refer to release notes at http://download1.parallels.com/Plesk/PP12/parallels-plesk-12.1-for-windows-change-log.html

What are your thoughts on this preview?

 

[custer]

12.1.22 preview is now out.

Highlights:

1. New user interface theme and fully responsive design.
2. Security improvements.
3. Global PHP settings specified by administrators in Plesk's php.ini file were overwritten during upgrade. (PPP-12025)

Your opinion on new UI with responsive design?

 

[custer]

12.1.23 preview highlights:

1. Links for managing databases were added to Plesk navigation areas.
2. Odin branding was applied to the Plesk interface.
3. Administrators and resellers can define whether their customers will be able to select PHP versions and PHP handlers for their sites. The corresponding permission is available in service plans and subscription settings. It can be managed from the GUI, as well as by means of command-line tools and XML-API requests. The "Manage PHP version" permission does not depend on the "Hosting settings management" permission.
4. Multiple improvements to the GUI.
5. While backing up to an FTP storage, Plesk no longer consumes disk space at a local backups storage.

 

[K60]

Finally it looks like you guys have simplified the control panel to make it usable by end users - well done!

A few thoughts:

1. The customer view (smb view) looks great & easy to use (finally a cpanel competitor!)
2. Finally no iframes!!!
3. Do you really need the show more/show less button as all it does is confuse customers when they cannot find stuff when it is hidden?
4. Do MSSQL imports & export support the native MSSQL format?
5. There are duplicate php setting in "Hosting Settings" & "Php Settings" - why not just keep all PHP settings in 1 area (no need to duplicate settings - it confuses people)
6. Can you do Plesk > Plesk imports & exports that actually work (handy if your buying/selling/moving clients)?
7. Would be nice if we could brand plesk properly (ex-specially the login page - like https://login.fasthosts.co.uk/)?
8. I think these changes are to big to be called Plesk 12.1 - should be called Plesk 13..

Keep up the good work

 

[Nik K]

Thank you for feedback.

3. It should be no problem to find needed domain operation since now they all are shown by default. They are hidden only if someone deliberately clicked on "show less" - it might be useful for some cases when more compact view is preferred for multiple domains.

5. yes, we're going to re-organize all these "... Settings" screens in more logical and understandable way.

 

[custer]

12.1.24 preview is out:

1. Users can specify database user roles while creating or editing MySQL or Microsoft SQL Server database users.
2. Users can improve the performance of PHP applications by switching on the PHP accelerator module in the website's PHP settings. By default, the APC module is activated for PHP versions earlier than 5.5, xcache for PHP 5.4.x, and Zend OPcache for PHP 5.5 or later. WinCache is activated for all PHP version on Plesk for Windows.
3. The ability to log in to Plesk automatically from external resources was implemented.
4. Administrators can view and manage the list of Plesk interface languages by using the new locales command-line tool.
5. Administrators can retrieve information about existing mail accounts and their aliases by using the command-line calls mail --list and mail --info.
6. Now administrators can propagate the changes to the Plesk server's IP address by using the ipmanage.exe tool instead of Plesk Reconfigurator.
7. A new user interface theme was applied to Plesk Installer.
8. The Perigon Control Suite extension was updated to the latest version.

 

[custer]

12.1.25 preview highlights:

1. Developers of Plesk extensions can retrieve information about the features available in Plesk license keys by means of SDK methods.
2. Administrators can adjust global settings for scheduled backups via the XML-API.
3. Administrators can switch on automatic upgrade of Plesk extensions in Server Management > Extensions > Settings.
4. Multiple user interface improvements.
5. Security improvements.
6. New permissions were added to service plans: "Allow customers to back up and restore data related to their account", and "Allow customers to back up and restore data related to their subscription".
7. CodeEditor is now integrated with File Manager. A new option to edit files with CodeEditor is available from the File Manager's context menu.
8. phpMyAdmin was updated to version 4.4.9.
9. Customers and resellers are no longer required to specify a telephone number upon the first login to Plesk.
10. Customers who did not have the permission to switch on hosting features such as SSI support, could switch them on by means of the web.config configuration file. Now administrators can restrict this by using the option "Prohibit the ability to override handlers via web.config" in Home > Tools & Settings > Security Policy.

 

[custer]

We have Plesk 12.1 survey up (more info here: http://talk.plesk.com/threads/participate-in-plesk-12-1-survey.333431/) and we'd really appreciate if you guys could take it. Thanks!

 

[custer]

Cool stuff added in 12.1.26 preview:

1. Users can now manage FastCGI PHP settings from the Plesk interface.
2. Support for the Composer PHP dependency manager was added.
3. Microsoft SQL Server can no longer be used to house the Plesk database. It can still be used to house customers' databases.
4. Instead of private IP addresses, Plesk behind NAT now displays the corresponding public IP addresses in its interface.
5. Support for the wincache module was added in PHP version 5.5.
6. The "Allow activating APS apps using license keys from the Plesk license pool" permission was removed.
7. The "Use FTP storage" checkbox was added to the "FTP Storage Settings" screen.

 

[custer]

Hi everyone,

Due to significant amount of large-scale changes in upcoming Plesk release we have decided to change its version number from 12.1 to 12.5. We believe this new version number better reflects the scope of our latest work. This change will be already visible in the next Plesk preview build and in our public communication channels like our forum or our twitter. Stay tuned for the release date announcement!

 

[K60]

"Microsoft SQL Server can no longer be used to house the Plesk database. It can still be used to house customers' databases."

Why? A lot of us Windows hosters rely on being able to host the Plesk database on MSSQL.. Will this also affect the Control Suit addon?

"Stay tuned for the release date announcement!"

Any update on the release date

 

[custer]

"Microsoft SQL Server can no longer be used to house the Plesk database. It can still be used to house customers' databases."

Why? A lot of us Windows hosters rely on being able to host the Plesk database on MSSQL.

There's a lot of technical issues and a big maintenance overhead when it comes to supporting Plesk running on MSSQL. As for the popularity, according to our stats, less than 100 servers with Plesk 11.5 and 12.0 run Plesk on MSSQL database. I'm sure you understand that we'd rather focus our resources on features needed by a majority of our users.

Will this also affect the Control Suit addon?

It should not affect the Control Suite addon.

"Stay tuned for the release date announcement!"

Any update on the release date

Not yet, but very soon

 

[custer]

New stuff in Plesk 12.5.27 preview:

1. Administrators and resellers can switch between Power User view and Service Provider view by clicking Change View in the navigation pane.
2. Multiple API improvements.
3. During Plesk upgrade, unsupported extensions are disabled.

 

[custer]

Since Plesk 12.5 RTM is out and no more 12.5 previews will be coming, this topic is closed. All further Plesk 12.5 discussion should continue in separate topics.