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ISPConfig Roadmap: Exciting New Features, Official AlmaLinux & Rocky Linux Support, and More

6 min readNews

The ISPConfig team is sharing an overview of our roadmap, covering new features, enhancements and official support expansions. From improved system monitoring and PostgreSQL integration to Docker support and a WordPress Manager, there’s a lot to explore. The ISPConfig 3.4 features below remain planned, without a release date specified in this roadmap.

ISPConfig 3.3 (Spring 2025)

1. Dashboard & Monitor Module Graphs

We’re introducing real-time visualization of your server’s performance. With ISPConfig 3.3, you can view your system load, memory usage, and network data transfer as easy-to-understand graphs. These will be displayed on the dashboard and within the monitor module, giving you insight into resource usage at a glance.

ISPConfig system metrics

2. PostgreSQL Database Support

Beyond MySQL and MariaDB, you’ll be able to use PostgreSQL databases for websites in ISPConfig. This much-requested feature allows greater flexibility and lets you host web applications that rely on PostgreSQL.

ISPConfig PostgreSQL

3. Let’s Encrypt Enhancements

  • Auto Cleanup of Certificates: Old certificates will be automatically removed, reducing clutter and keeping your certificate storage organized.
  • ECC Certificates: In addition to RSA certificates, Let’s Encrypt in ISPConfig 3.3 will support ECC (Elliptic Curve Cryptography) certificates for more modern and efficient encryption.

4. Shared PHP Version for Shell Users

When you define the PHP version for a website, the same version will now apply to any shell users associated with that website. This streamlines your workflow, ensuring consistent environments for your development and deployment processes.

5. Plugin & Extension Installer

We’re making it easier than ever to expand ISPConfig’s functionality. With the ISPConfig Plugin/Extension Installer, you will be able to discover and install new extensions without leaving the control panel. This means a smoother and more centralized management experience.

6. Automatic Nightly Backups

Your ISPConfig configuration and database will benefit from an automatic nightly backup process. These backups will keep your environment secure and recoverable, minimizing downtime in case of data loss or system issues.

7. sha2_caching_password for MySQL

For users running MySQL 8 or above, we’re adding support for sha2_caching_password. This ensures you’re taking advantage of the latest authentication methods, offering improved security for your databases.

ISPConfig 3.4 (Planned)

1. Extended Proxy Management

We’re extending the proxy management capabilities of ISPConfig so that you can configure more sophisticated reverse proxy scenarios. This provides greater flexibility in how you handle traffic to and from your web services.

2. Apache Behind Nginx Proxy

In addition to standard Nginx or Apache-only setups, ISPConfig 3.4 will support Apache behind an Nginx proxy. This allows advanced configurations where Nginx handles the SSL termination and static files, and Apache processes dynamic content - combining the best of both worlds.

3. Automatic Secondary DNS Zones

We will expand the DNS wizard to automatically create secondary DNS zones, streamlining the process of setting up failover or load-balanced DNS. This makes your DNS configurations easier to manage and replicate.

4. Moving Stats and Error Folders Out of the Web Directory

For better security and cleaner web directory structures, the stats and error folders will be moved outside of the web directory by default. This reduces the risk of accidental exposure and simplifies your site’s root folder.

5. Global PHP-FPM Socket Directory

Instead of storing sockets in a domain-specific directory, ISPConfig 3.4 will allow the use of a global PHP-FPM socket directory—without numbers in the path. This results in a simpler and more standardized server configuration.

6. Custom Document Root Subdirectory

You’ll be able to set the document root of a website to a custom subdirectory, giving you greater control over your site’s file structure—ideal for more advanced or multi-app environments.

7. Custom HTTP and HTTPS Ports

For administrators who need advanced configurations, ISPConfig 3.4 will allow you to specify custom HTTP and HTTPS ports for Apache. This is particularly helpful for users running multiple web services on a single server.

8. Fixed Certbot Account

If multiple Certbot accounts are present, you’ll be able to pin a specific Certbot account for SSL certificate management. This ensures consistency and avoids conflicts in certificate issuance and renewal and avoids issues when migrating multiple servers into a single system.

Official Support for AlmaLinux and Rocky Linux

While we have supported CentOS 7 and 8 in the past, and users have reported success on other RHEL derivatives, we haven’t provided official support or documentation for them until now. Starting in 2025, ISPConfig will:

  • Officially support AlmaLinux 9 and Rocky Linux 9.
  • Provide step-by-step installation instructions for these new distributions.

This official support ensures you can run ISPConfig on the latest and most robust RHEL-based systems, with full confidence and backing from our team.

ISPConfig WordPress Manager

Another exciting development is our new ISPConfig WordPress Manager—an extension to install and manage WordPress sites within your ISPConfig environment. Managing your WordPress sites will be simpler than ever, consolidating tasks like:

  • Automated one-click WordPress installation
  • One-click updates
  • Easy plugin and theme management
  • WordPress installation templates include preinstalled plugins and custom Apache, Nginx, and PHP settings
  • Import of existing WordPress installations into the management system

ISPConfig WordPress Installer

Docker Enhancements

We’re working on several enhancements to ISPConfig’s Docker integration:

  1. Docker Databases for ISPConfig
    • Host multiple MySQL, MariaDB, and PostgreSQL versions on the same server.
    • Keep the databases in isolated containers for better security and easier maintenance.
  2. Docker PHP-FPM
    • Encapsulate PHP-FPM for a website into its own Docker container.
    • Achieve consistent, reproducible, and secure PHP environments per website. This feature brings website isolation to a new level.
  3. ISPConfig in Docker
    • We’re working on developing a containerized version of ISPConfig itself.
    • Enjoy a simplified installation process, as ISPConfig becomes easier to deploy across various environments.

UI Overhaul

Finally, we’re planning a UI overhaul to give ISPConfig a modern look and feel. While details are still in the works, our goal is to improve user experience with:

  • A new modern theme
  • Responsive design elements for better mobile and tablet usage
  • Streamlined workflows that reduce clicks and complexity

We’ll be sharing sneak peeks and gathering your feedback as we move through the design and development stages.

Looking Ahead

From the features introduced with ISPConfig 3.3 to the plans for ISPConfig 3.4, official AlmaLinux/Rocky Linux support, Docker integration, WordPress Manager and a planned UI overhaul, the roadmap covers a wide range of improvements.

Thank you for your continued support and feedback - your input drives our commitment to enhance ISPConfig constantly. We look forward to sharing further updates and hearing how they improve your hosting and server management. Stay tuned for more announcements and beta releases!

Join the Discussion

Have questions or feedback on our roadmap? Connect with us on our community forum or check out our Git repository to stay updated on development progress. We’d love to hear from you!

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-- update --

The planned release date for ISPConfig 3.3 has been changed from End of January 2025 to Spring 2025 as there were some delays in development of the new version.