This month we spent mostly fixing bugs in version 66 and rounding out what we’re going to be able to complete in version 68.
Version 66
Version 66 has rolled out to more than half of the licenses on the RELEASE tier, and is anticipated to enter the STABLE tier as soon as September 6th (If you’re not sure what the tiers are, you can read about them here). There are a lot of factors that influence when a brand new version changes tiers, though, so it may be pushed back further. If you haven’t already, definitely take the time to read through the release notes for Version 66, and let us know what questions you have! Our documentation team works very, very hard to make sure those notes are as inclusive as possible, so it’s well worth your time.
I also want to mention this one again, in case you’ve missed it before: Version 64 will reach End of Life as Version 66 enters the STABLE tier. This is due to the LTS changes that we announced last year.
Version 68
Version 68 enters its final stages of development in September, so we’ll talk about all of the exciting new features coming in 68 next month when we’re closer to going to production. For now I just want to mention a few things integrators should be on the lookout for.
TLS 1.2 Out of the Box
In order to further our general goal of making cPanel as secure as possible out of the box, beginning with version 68 new installs will ship with TLS 1.1 and TLS 1.0 disabled. You will be able to manually enable them if you need to after the install, but we’re defaulting to a more secure environment. Servers upgrading to version 68 will retain the existing settings on the server.
Version-controlled websites
In Version 68 you will be able to set up and manage your git-controlled websites from your cPanel interface. Adam, Product Owner on Team Phoenix, has kept a pretty amazing development log on the feature request for this one. If you’re at all interested, go check out what they’ve been able to accomplish already and what we’ve got coming.
Integrators and early adopters: Version 68 is now in EDGE
The development build for version 68 is already available on the EDGE tier! If you are curious about why you should or shouldn’t build a server to run on the EDGE tier, take a look at this blog post from last year: How and Why to Build an EDGE Server.
Version 70
The last quarter of the year we’re going to do something very different than we have. This version of cPanel & WHM will have few (if any) new features, and instead will serve as an all-hands-on-deck call for us to make our way through some of the last remaining cruft of historical development choices. It’s our goal to clean up some of the things that continue to make interacting with certain systems in cPanel & WHM problematic from a development standpoint. This will hopefully have the end result of making it easier for us to add and iterate on new features in the future.
Hurricane Harvey
This month we’ve also lost a full week of development time to Hurricane Harvey, but that hasn’t been a focus for us. All of our employees, both in and out of Harvey’s direct path were effected to varying degrees (ranging from brief power loss to devastating and catastrophic loss), and many of our employees were able to continue to work remotely. Our headquarter building in Houston has been closed since last Friday. It may actually be able to re-open as soon as tomorrow, but we will be feeling the effects of this natural disaster for quite a while to come. We’re donating, supporting, and helping each other where ever we can. We ask that you do the same.
In the meantime…
We’re continuing to put the finishing touches on the conference (escape rooms, Shadowbroker talks, and Jonathon Coulton; need I say more?), and planning for version 70 and 2018. September is going to be an exciting month for us. If you need anything, or have questions, you know how to find me! twitter, email, or even keybase.
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Composed almost exclusively to Incubus’s Light Grenades.
