Plesk 12.5 preview feedback thread

[danami]

Just a note that "common access" custom buttons don't work at all on 12.1.20 CentOS 6 1201150410.19. It just gives a "ReferenceError: openScreen is not defined" javascript error. Also I realize that the new skin doesn't have frames but I'm wondering how the compatibility of the custom button option "open frame in new window" is supposed to work. Can it load in an iframe instead so we can still have the sidebar for custom apps? Otherwise I like what I see.

 

[Faris Raouf]

12.1.20 -- even more improvement! The devs have been very hard at work!

However:

In the new PHP settings boxes, when you click in a box to make a change, in IE11 at least, the cursor jumps to the far left, no matter where you originally clicked.

e.g. if the setting is, say: [128M], if you click to the right of the M, the cursor ends up to the left of the 1. I don't think this is great.

In addition, I think it might be possible to improve the php version and type box:

As the moment, it might say "Run PHP as [5.3.3 FastCGI application]".
This is perfectly clear really. But because of the contrast in the colours (white box taking preference), the brain just sees [5.3.3 FastCGI application] which is not ideal.

I feel it would be improved if it said [php (version) - (type)]. e.g. "Run as: [php 5.3.3 - FastCGI application]" (i.e. putting the php in the white box, and adding a hyphen to separate the version from the type.

Finally, I think some improvements to the wording that appears regarding backup encryption would be a good idea. This is my suggestion (green to be removed, red to be added)

"For security reasons, we recommend that you protect the data contained in backups using encryption. By default, all backups are encrypted with [the] Plesk's internal encryption key, which is unique for each Plesk installation. [Note that the] Backups encrypted with [such a] this key can only be restored [only] in the Plesk installation where they were created, and cannot be restored in another Plesk installation. [Therefore...] We therefore recommend that you specify your own choice of password for protecting backup files, allowing you to restore on any compatible system."

A similar change to the warning line about this matter on the Home page would be good too.

 

[Sergey_Ugdyzhekov]

I wrote a guide https://www.ming-block.de/2014/01/php-5-5-8-mit-mariadb-kompilieren/ (german) and worked very well.

For fpm i added '--enable-fpm' '--with-fpm-user=www-data' '--with-fpm-group=www-data' and added with

plesk bin php_handler --update -id d23c33aa71b42ba83d6c2d781fae8267bbfd0943 -displayname PHP56-FPM -path /usr/local/php56-fpm/sbin/php-fpm -type fpm -phpini /usr/local/lib/php56/php.ini -poold /usr/local/php56-fpm/etc/pool.d/ -service php56-fpm -clipath /usr/local/php56-fpm/bin/php

(first i used --add but i had to change something)

Could you show your php.ini, fpm pool conf, last_nginx.conf and nginx_vhost.conf? Pastebin is more preferable than plain text

 

[redhell]

php fpm conf http://pastebin.com/VYpALUSV
pool conf http://pastebin.com/MWV7ZCJa
nginx ip default http://pastebin.com/WLAAUUpG
httpd conf http://pastebin.com/Np2pfdHB
php.ini http://pastebin.com/tQdHc4fx

Have fun

 

[Chris_Hess]

Database management appears to be missing a important feature. I do not see the option to rename, delete, or changing a database that's used by an installed application like WordPress. Currently if you change the database or rename it, Plesk still thinks the "old" database is being used by WordPress. The only way to get Plesk to update to the new database is to uninstall WordPress, make sure the old database is deleted, and reinstall WordPress. I really hope this is improved in this 12.1 release.

 

[custer]

Hi Chris,

The limitations you describe affect applications installed via APS. If you rename, delete or change the database assigned to application by APS, the application will stop working and it's highly unlikely that you'll be able to repair it by yourself. Thus it is a conscious limitation that prevents APS apps from being broken.

Can you tell us more about the scenario you're trying to solve with renaming/deleting/changing APS app databases?

 

[Chris_Hess]

Below I have outlined different scenarios where renaming and/or changing the database for an installed application is needed. Lower level developers should be able to do this easily without a application re-installation or involving system admin. If Plesk will simply allow someone to change the database and/or the database server for an installed application that would be enough. Right now our developers can easily setup a new database, populate it with data, and change the applications config file. But Plesk will not acknowledge the new database is used by the application and therefore it will not allow you to delete the old database, etc.

Just some of the scenarios:
1. Low level developers moving a website from one server to another where the database name is already in use.
2. Moving a website from one server to another where the database naming schema needs to be consistent
3. Consolidating application databases on to a new dedicated database server
4. Moving a website from a development environment to a live environment
5. Made a typo in the database name when installing WordPress that was not caught until after the site launched
6. Changing database server naming schema

I'm not the only one asking for this, I've seen others discuss a way around this problem in developer forums, online tech forums and colleagues in other companies have all needed a feature like this. Please let me know if you have questions and I really hope this feature can be added soon.

 

[custer]

Hey everyone, new 12.1.21 preview is out.

Highlights:

1. The PHP handler for websites using nginx+PHP-FPM is automatically switched to the most suitable one after nginx is disabled.
2. The ability to manage PHP modules independently for each PHP handler was added.
3. The ability to disable logging in to Plesk using the system user 'root' credentials was added.
4. The ability to manage PHP handlers via API and CLI was added.
5. The ability to enable direct access to phpMyAdmin was added.
6. 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-linux-change-log.html.

What are your thoughts on this preview?

 

[redhell]

2. The ability to manage PHP modules independently for each PHP handler was added.

Does not work. It switches automatically back to apache if you want to handle it with nginx.

My problem with php is still there. But now i get 404 on every apache access

404 GET /index.php/apps/files/ HTTP/1.0 6.29 K Apache-Access

 

[custer]

2. The ability to manage PHP modules independently for each PHP handler was added.

Does not work. It switches automatically back to apache if you want to handle it with nginx.

My problem with php is still there. But now i get 404 on every apache access

404 GET /index.php/apps/files/ HTTP/1.0 6.29 K Apache-Access

Thanks for letting us know, redhell. Can you please provide specific step-by-step explanation of what you've been doing so that we could reproduce the issue and fix it? Thank you in advance!

 

[redhell]

Ok.
1.) Open a domain in the control panel and go to php settings.
2.) Select your PHP handler and chose served by nginx, press ok
3.) Go back to php settings Expected result: php is serverd by nginx. Result: php is still served by apache

If you check the vhost settings from nginx/apache everything is still the same.

Is there an status update related to my custom php fpm handler or maybe you can provide some information how you compile your php fpm.

 

[SibProgrammer]

Can you provide the output of the following command (under root via ssh)?
plesk version

 

[redhell]

Product version: 12.1.21
Build date: 2015/04/24 19:00
Build target: Ubuntu 14.04
Revision: 340590
Architecture: 64-bit
Wrapper version: 1.2

 

[SibProgrammer]

Unfortunately I can't reproduce the problem in our test environment. I can take a look at your server if you provide the credentials via private message.

 

[custer]

Hey everyone, new 12.1.22 preview is out. Highlights:

1. New user interface theme and fully responsive design.
2. Users can enable and disable the Fail2Ban service by using the ip_ban command-line utility.
3. FastCGI Process Manager (FPM) for PHP versions 5.4, 5.5, and 5.6 is now shipped with Plesk.
4. A new jail rule for Fail2Ban and ModSecurity (Web Application Firewall) was added. Fail2Ban will now block suspicious connections detected by Web Application Firewall.
5. On CentOS 7 and Ubuntu 14 with Apache 2.4 or later, administrators can select multi-processing modules (MPMs) for Apache in Tools & Settings > Apache Web Server.
6. Dovecot IMAP mail server is offered by default for new Plesk installations.

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

We are particularly interested in your thoughts on new Plesk responsive UI, multiple FPM versions and MPM for Apache support.

 

[BoiseComputer]

Hey Jason,

OK, I'm gonna have a stern talk with our demo server... thanks for letting me know!

You can schedule incremental backups in 12.1, but not to a cloud storage, unfortunately:

Thanks a lot for your feedback, Jason - please keep it coming!

With my Google Drive and Dropbox backup scripts you could set it to save the last weeks worth of backups and it would always have a "full" backup and then all the changes. This allows users to have a nightly backup off-site with much less bandwidth and storage usage. I am looking forward to this update.

 

[danami]

Hey everyone, new 12.1.22 preview is out. We are particularly interested in your thoughts on new Plesk responsive UI, multiple FPM versions and MPM for Apache support.

.

I like the new UI but one thing I've noticed is that when you have a custom button and your session times out. When you go to login again you are taken to the custom application but the left bar is missing. This is because the custom application is being loaded in an iframe instead of in frames. Is it possible to load the left frame properly?

 

[Igor_B]

In my testing of Plesk 12.1.22 on Centos 6.6 I find this issues:

1. PHP-FPM pool configuration is generated when I choose PHP handler for website using nginx+PHP-FPM and is removed if I switch the PHP handler for website using nginx+PHP-FPM to different PHP version or to PHP as FastCGI served by Apache. Because of this, if the last configured PHP-FPM pool is removed, PHP-FPM service is terminated. For every version of PHP, should there be default PHP-FPM pool, which cannot be removed.
2. In Service Plans > PHP Setting > PHP handler is set to PHP as FPM served by nginx, but when I create new customer and I login as that customer, in PHP settings the PHP handler is set to PHP as FastCGI served by Apache. Same happened when customer is creating new domain.

It would be nice
- if PHP-FPM pool settings are included in PHP settings. In the latest version of Plesk 12.1.22 there is no way to configure this type of settings.
- and if nginx settings (Smart static files processing; Serve static files directly by nginx) are included in Service Plans > Web server. This settings are available only in Subscriptions > subscription for created customer > Web server settings.

 

[custer]

Plesk 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. Administrators can manage SSL cyphers and protocols for all services by means of the server_pref command-line tool. For example: server_pref --update -ssl-protocols 'TLSv1 TLSv1.1 TLSv1.2' -ssl-ciphers 'HIGH:!aNULL:!MD5'.
5. Multiple improvements to the GUI.

For the full list of changes including bugfixes refer to Release Notes at http://download1.parallels.com/Plesk/PP12/parallels-plesk-12.1-for-linux-change-log.html#12123

 

[custer]

In my testing of Plesk 12.1.22 on Centos 6.6 I find this issues:

1. PHP-FPM pool configuration is generated when I choose PHP handler for website using nginx+PHP-FPM and is removed if I switch the PHP handler for website using nginx+PHP-FPM to different PHP version or to PHP as FastCGI served by Apache. Because of this, if the last configured PHP-FPM pool is removed, PHP-FPM service is terminated. For every version of PHP, should there be default PHP-FPM pool, which cannot be removed.

This is how PHP-FPM works by design, since there's no need to run a service that's not in use.

1. In Service Plans > PHP Setting > PHP handler is set to PHP as FPM served by nginx, but when I create new customer and I login as that customer, in PHP settings the PHP handler is set to PHP as FastCGI served by Apache. Same happened when customer is creating new domain.

This looks like a bug - we'll investigate and fix it. Thanks for reporting this, Igor!