FlashPanel

Settings ​

Overview ​

The server's Settings page groups the general settings of a server:

  • Swap: change the size of the swap memory.
  • Change IP or Host: update the address FlashPanel uses to connect to the server.
  • Update Name: rename the server.
  • Update Timezone: change the system timezone.
  • Auto Update System: install system updates now or on a schedule.

To open the page, select Settings in the server menu. This item is only available after the server has finished installing.

INFO

This page covers server settings. Settings for each website are on the website Settings page.

How to use ​

Swap ​

Swap is disk space used as extra memory when RAM is nearly full, which helps prevent services from stopping suddenly due to lack of memory. When a server is connected, FlashPanel creates a 1 GB swap if the server does not already have one.

The Swap card shows the server's Current swap size.

  1. Pick a preset: 512 MB, 1 GB, 2 GB, 4 GB or 8 GB. Or enter a value in MB in the Swap size field (from 256 to 65536 MB).
  2. Click Save.

The change runs in the background as an event, takes effect as soon as it completes, and persists across reboots. The Save button is only enabled when the new value is valid and differs from the current size.

WARNING

  • The new swap is created before the old one is replaced, so the disk needs at least as much free space as the new swap size.
  • While swapping over, data held in the old swap is moved back into RAM. If the server is short on RAM and using a lot of swap, do this at a quiet time.
  • Swap is much slower than RAM. If the server regularly uses a lot of swap, consider upgrading RAM instead of only increasing swap.

Change IP or Host ​

This card updates the address FlashPanel uses to connect to the server. It does not change anything on the server; it only changes the information stored in FlashPanel.

Use it when:

  • Your provider changes the server's IP address.
  • You move this same server to a new IP address (for example by restoring a snapshot onto a different IP).
  • You want to connect with a domain (for example DDNS or a tunnel) instead of an IP, or the other way around.

Steps:

  1. Enter the new address in the Server IP or domain field. IPv4, IPv6 and domain names are supported.
  2. Click Change.

The change takes effect immediately. When you connect with a domain, the field shows the IP the domain Currently points to, and FlashPanel automatically updates the server IP from the domain every few minutes. Entering an IP address again removes the stored domain.

After changing the IP:

  • DNS records of websites using a free domain are updated to the new IP automatically.
  • DNS records of your own domains are not updated automatically. Change the A/AAAA record of each domain to the new IP at your DNS provider (or on the DNS management page if you have connected a DNS provider). Otherwise your websites will be unreachable and Let's Encrypt certificates cannot be renewed.

WARNING

  • The new address must point to this same server (with the same data). If you enter a wrong address or the address of a different server, FlashPanel will not be able to connect to or manage the server.
  • Private and reserved IP addresses are not accepted. A domain must resolve to a public IP address.
  • You cannot use an address already used by another server in your account with the same SSH port.

Update Name ​

  1. Enter the new name in the Server Name field. The name may only contain lowercase letters a-z, numbers and -, up to 64 characters.
  2. Click Update.

When you update the name, FlashPanel:

  • Renames the server in FlashPanel immediately.
  • Changes the hostname on the server. This runs in the background as an event, visible on the Events page.
  • Renames the server (label) at the provider if the server was created through the API of a provider that supports it.

Update Timezone ​

The timezone determines the times shown in system logs and when CronJobs run on the server. If you have never changed the timezone through FlashPanel, the field shows Etc/UTC.

  1. Select a timezone from the list. You can type to search, for example Asia/Ho_Chi_Minh.
  2. Click Update.

The change runs in the background as an event. The Update button is only enabled when you select a timezone different from the current one.

Auto update system ​

Each update run performs these steps on the server, in order:

  1. Refresh the package list.
  2. Upgrade installed packages to their latest versions.
  3. Perform a distribution upgrade: install or replace packages when an upgrade requires it (for example a new Linux kernel).
  4. Remove packages that are no longer used.

When a package ships a new configuration file, the existing configuration files on the server are kept, so settings you have customized are not overwritten.

Update now ​

  1. Leave Enable Schedule unchecked.
  2. Click Agree.

The update runs in the background as an Auto Update System event. You can follow its progress and log on the Events page. While the update is running, the Agree button is disabled.

Schedule automatic updates ​

  1. Check Enable Schedule. The Cron Expression section appears, set by default to run daily at 00:00 (0 0 * * *).
  2. Choose when to run in one of two ways:
    • Click Template and pick a preset, for example Daily at Midnight or Weekly (Sunday).
    • Enter values in the Minute, Hour, Day of month, Month and Day of week fields yourself.
  3. Read the description above the fields to check the schedule. If the expression is invalid, an error message appears below the fields after you click Agree.
  4. Click Agree.

After you click Agree, FlashPanel saves the schedule and also runs an update immediately. The schedule is created as a system CronJob with the description [FlashPanel] Auto Update System, runs as the root user, and is listed on the CronJob page.

When you open the Settings page again, Enable Schedule is already checked and shows the schedule in use. To change it, edit the cron expression and click Agree.

Learn more about cron expressions in the Cron Job & Cron Expressions Guide.

Turn off automatic updates ​

  1. Open the server's Settings page.
  2. Uncheck Enable Schedule.
  3. Click Agree. FlashPanel removes the saved auto-update schedule and runs one more update right away.

You can also delete the [FlashPanel] Auto Update System CronJob on the server's CronJob page; this does not run an update.

Notes on automatic updates ​

  • Note: Scheduled automatic updates are only available on paid plans. On the free plan you can still click Agree to update manually.
  • Note: The schedule follows the server's timezone. See Update timezone to change it.
  • Note: If another package installation is running on the server, the update waits up to 5 minutes for it to finish. If the update fails because of an apt lock, see Fix APT Lock.
  • Warning: FlashPanel does not reboot the server after updating. Linux kernel updates only take effect after you reboot the server.
  • Warning: During an update, some services (web server, PHP, database...) may restart, briefly interrupting your websites. A new package version may also behave differently from the previous one. Schedule updates during low-traffic hours and set up backups before enabling automatic updates.
  • Warning: A completed update cannot be undone.

Notes & warnings ​

  • Note: Swap, hostname, timezone and system update changes run in the background on the server. Check the result on the Events page. If the event fails, the setting has not been applied on the server.
  • Note: Changing the timezone does not change the actual time, only how time is shown on the server. Review your CronJob schedules after changing the timezone, because they will run in the new timezone.
  • Warning: Only use Change IP or Host when the server's address has really changed. A wrong address makes every action on the server fail until you correct it.