Compatibility
The operating systems HF Panel runs on and until when, the supported upgrade paths, what an update keeps, and how to go back.
Which systems HF Panel runs on, which updates are supported, what an update keeps and how to go back to the version you had. For what a version number means, see Release policy.
Supported operating systems
HF Panel installs on these 64-bit releases (amd64 or arm64; Rocky Linux, AlmaLinux, CentOS Stream and CloudLinux: amd64
only). The installer stops on any other system with "HF Panel needs Ubuntu 22.04, 24.04 or 26.04 LTS, Debian 12 or 13, Rocky Linux or AlmaLinux 8, 9 or 10, CentOS Stream 9 or 10, or CloudLinux 8, 9 or 10 (64-bit Intel/AMD)".
| System | Its maker's security updates end | HF Panel |
|---|---|---|
| Ubuntu 22.04 LTS | April 2027 (standard support) | supported |
| Ubuntu 24.04 LTS | April 2029 (standard support) | supported |
| Ubuntu 26.04 LTS | April 2031 (standard support) | supported |
| Debian 12 | June 2028 (Debian LTS; regular security support ended June 2026) | supported |
| Debian 13 | around August 2028 (regular), June 2030 (Debian LTS) | supported |
| Rocky Linux 8, AlmaLinux 8 | May 2029 | supported |
| Rocky Linux 9, AlmaLinux 9 | May 2032 | supported |
| Rocky Linux 10, AlmaLinux 10 | 2035 | supported |
| CentOS Stream 9 | around May 2027 | supported |
| CentOS Stream 10 | around 2030 | supported |
| CloudLinux 8, 9, 10 | follows the matching Rocky Linux release | supported |
The dates are the operating systems' own and can change; check Canonical's and Debian's pages. HF Panel supports a system for as long as its maker publishes security updates for it. Plan to move a server off a system before that date: a server without the operating system's security updates is not safe to run, whatever HF Panel does.
Interim Ubuntu releases (for example 26.10) are not supported. See System requirements for the hardware, the network and what the installer checks.
Upgrade paths
| From | To | How |
|---|---|---|
| any 1.x release | any newer release | in one step: HF Panel updates, or the install command again (Updating). You don't need to install the releases in between |
| a release before 1.0.0 | 1.0.0 or newer | in one step; the update runs the installer again with your saved settings and moves the panels and Mail from PHP to one program (Updating to 1.0.0) |
| a newer release | an older release | not supported: the update refuses ("This server already has HF Panel …, newer than … — nothing to do") |
| one operating system release | the next (for example Ubuntu 22.04 to 24.04) | not tested in place: set up a new server and move the accounts |
With more than one server, update the main server first. A main server refuses to move accounts to a server that runs an older version.
What an update keeps
| Kept | Replaced |
|---|---|
Every setting (/etc/hostfog/config.json and the rest of /etc/hostfog) |
the program files in /usr/local/hostfog |
The panel database (/var/lib/hostfog/hostfog.sqlite), upgraded in place |
the panel's and Mail's interface files |
| Accounts, websites and their files, email, databases, DNS zones and backups | the server agent and its commands |
| Sign-in sessions | the web server settings of every website, written again from the panel's data |
The server key that protects backup destination passwords (/etc/hostfog/secrets.key) |
|
| The default PHP version for websites, and every other PHP version | |
| Your edits to service configuration files (packages keep edited files) |
The update checks the new program first: if it can't run on the server, the update stops before anything changes.
While the files are replaced, the previous copy is kept until the end, so a failed update leaves a complete old copy
in /usr/local/hostfog/*.old. Running the update again on an up-to-date server changes nothing.
Going back (rollback)
An update can't be undone by installing the older release: the update refuses an older version, and an older version
cannot read a database a newer one has upgraded. Setting HOSTFOG_ALLOW_DOWNGRADE=1 forces it, but does not undo
the database changes.
The supported way back is a snapshot:
- Before an update, make a copy of the panel's data (
hf-agent panel-backup) and take a snapshot of the server at your provider while it is quiet. - If the new release causes a problem, restore the snapshot from your provider's console, then run
hf-agent healthand sign in.
Everything that changed between the snapshot and the rollback is lost (new accounts, new email, changed websites), so keep the time between the two short and update the least busy server first.
To undo one thing rather than the whole server:
| What | How |
|---|---|
| The panel database | hf-agent panel-backups, then hf-agent panel-restore <name>; or the encrypted nightly copy under Server Admin › System › Panel backup |
| A service configuration file the panel wrote | Server Admin › System › Config history (every version it replaced, with who and when) |
| A customer's files, databases or email | the customer's own backups (Control Panel › Files › Backups) |