Before Installing or Upgrading Panel

This chapter provides information about some useful extra steps or adjustments you might want to perform before you start installing or upgrading Panel.

Specify Panel Versions Available for Installation or Upgrade

Since Panel 10.4, we introduced new Panel versioning system. Panel, during its lifecycle, passes through a number of development stages. It is natural that on earlier stages, when all new features are just implemented, Panel builds are less stable comparing to the following ones. To indicate the stage of the current Panel version, we add a quality tag to it:

• Testing version.
  We start each release cycle with publishing a number of testing versions for preview purposes and let you sequentially upgrade from the first one to the last, and then upgrade to more stable versions. We do not provide technical support for such builds even if they were upgraded to more stable versions. Thus, avoid using this build in a production environment.

  Notes:

  1. By default, testing builds are not shown as available for installation.

  2. Upgrade to the next testing version is available only to the owners of a testing build. More stable Panel builds do not have the corresponding option in the GUI.

• Pre-release version.
  A pre-release version has all claimed features and previous versions successfully upgrade to it. The quality of this version is eventually improved by updates. By selecting the pre-release version you become the first to see the new features and receive the most fresh updates.
• Release version.
  A release version has passed all quality tests. Minor stability issues are promptly fixed by updates. We recommend that you always use release Panel versions for installation or upgrade.
• Stable version.
  A stable version has received all updates and a number of service providers successfully use it for some time. When a version is considered stable, it no longer receives any updates.

The decision on what version to use is absolutely up to you. For example, consider installing or upgrading to the pre-release Panel version, if you just want to try new Panel features before an official release. On the contrary, if you want to get the safest solution, wait until Panel enters its stable phase (it may take a couple of months after the official release).

Install Panel with Packages from Alternative Repositories (CentOS Only)

In Panel 10.2 and earlier versions, Parallels Installer fetched the packages required for Panel installation or upgrade from the Parallels Updates server. This server also contained upgrades to these packages. Hence, there was no way to use custom package versions when installing or upgrading Panel. In 10.3 and later you do have this option if you tune the Installer configuration.

The tuned Installer works this way: It checks that you have the yum package manager and that it is configured to use alternative repositories. If these check-ups succeed, the Installer uses the latest versions of packages it finds in all available repositories when installing or upgrading Panel. For example, if Parallels Updates contains MySQL v.5.0.84, and the other repository (say, IUS) contains MySQL v.5.0.93, the most current version (5.0.93) will be installed.

To turn this feature on, edit the /root/.autoinstallerrc file by adding the USE_YUM='yes' line to it.

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