Question on updates to PRO on Debian 4.0

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#1 Tue, 02/26/2008 - 23:28
alessice

Question on updates to PRO on Debian 4.0

Hello,

i have web and mysql server only (no mail server) with the latest version of webmin/virtualmin installed from .deb.

I'm not using the deb archive from virtualmin, only download .deb from webstite and install it with dpkg -i.

Can i update to PRO with this configuration? Can i still using only web and mysql funtionally of virtualmin PRO?

Thanks.

Wed, 03/12/2008 - 15:17
Joe
Joe's picture

Yes. The upgrade will, I believe, setup the apt-get repository for you, and shouldn't have any impact on which services you use (though you might need to turn some of the new stuff off after upgrading, since Pro has a few additional features and services that are enabled by default).

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Tue, 03/18/2008 - 08:13 (Reply to #2)
alessice

Joe,

on server when i upgrade to PRO the first installation was made by wmb.gz package and not with .deb archive.

But now when i try to upgrade because System Information said: "Package updates All Virtualmin packages are up to date.
There are 1 optional Virtualmin packages that you can install."

I see this upgradable package

Package Description Status
webmin-virtual-server Webmin module Available for installation

But during the installation process i see that Webmin try to upgrade from .deb archive:

Now updating webmin-virtual-server ..

Installing package(s) with command apt-get -y --force-yes -f install webmin-virtual-server ..

Reading package lists...
Building dependency tree...
Package webmin-virtual-server is not available, but is referred to by another package.
This may mean that the package is missing, has been obsoleted, or
is only available from another source

.. install failed!

No packages were installed. Check the messages above for the cause of the error.

My current virtualmin version is 3.54
Bye

Sun, 04/06/2008 - 23:46 (Reply to #3)
Joe
Joe's picture

We'd recommend starting from a fresh system, if feasible to do so, and installing Virtualmin Professional with install.sh. It is slightly less great to start from a Virtualmin GPL system installed using our install.sh. And finally, the least appealing path is to start with a manually installed system running Webmin/Virtualmin/Usermin--unless you <i>really</i> know what you're doing.

The reason for this is that we can't safely change your configuration if the system is in production (and we assume it is in production if you are upgrading rather than installing fresh)...so, if you want to use any of our spam/AV processing features found in Professional, you'll have to enable them manually (and maybe clean up residual configuration stuff from whatever mail processing you had setup before).

So, the more variables introduced in the way the system is installed and configured, the more likely you are to have to perform some manual steps to take advantage of all of the features of Virtualmin Professional. Our built-in upgrade is very unlikely to cause service interruptions...but it's also very likely leave a few features disabled, because it can't figure out how to enable it without risking breaking something special in your configuration.

We, of course, are happy to help if anything goes wrong--and we will support you regardless of how you installed. But, if you want to reduce the chances of anything going wrong, starting from a fresh OS install is the best way to do it.

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Mon, 04/07/2008 - 00:18 (Reply to #4)
DavidHughes

Heh. And that is always a mixed sign when someone starts out a response with 'heh'.

I plowed ahead in spite of warnings and threw one of the servers into an upgrade at the GPL level, even tho I will be getting my mitts onto the Pro version in a day or so. I proceeded to break several things. The kinds of things that I have seen others get real upset over. Not here... I went into the upgrade eyes wide open, and when things broke, the recovery was all about making it a learning experience. It was. And it took a couple hours to resurrect stuff, but hey, I wanted to see what would happen, and much learned.

But I understand your recommendations about fresh install into the Pro version and will do so. Breaking stuff doesn't bother me nearly as much as it may other folks, and my suggestion is folks may want to employ some backup policies and some deep breathing exercises before they take some of these things one. But the rewards are great.

Hopefully all this preamble will go towards a successful migration into the Pro version. Tho several of the modules completely melted after the GPL try at upgrading, things came back together and most of this makes sense. The best would be to simply write and report 'success' instead of these inane questions... but as stated, the rewards are great if one just slows down, reads, listens, and proceeds.

Again, tx for your assistance. I understand what you are imparting in the last two posts...

dh

Fri, 03/14/2008 - 00:51
alessice

Hello Joe,

i have buy 2 virtualmin pro license. One for upgrade a GPL and one for test on a new installation.

On the new installation (debian) the script set-up the sources.list like this:

demo1:~# cat /etc/apt/sources.list
deb http://ftp.debian.org/debian/ etch main
deb-src http://ftp.debian.org/debian/ etch main

deb http://security.debian.org/ etch/updates main contrib
deb-src http://security.debian.org/ etch/updates main contrib
deb http://555XX:XXX@software.virtualmin.com/debian/ virtualmin-etch main
deb http://555XX:XXX@software.virtualmin.com/debian/ virtualmin-etch main

Is regular?

On other server the upgrade to Pro works fine but in the sources.list i have no additional entrys.

Fri, 03/14/2008 - 17:05 (Reply to #6)
Joe
Joe's picture

Nope. Is bug. Though I'm not sure how it would have happened. I'm not seeing that behavior on my test systems.

You need only one of those virtualmin repo definitions.

Are you saying you have no repo entry at all for Virtualmin on the upgraded box? That should only happenif Virtualmin wasn't installed via packages (and probably not even then).

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Tue, 03/18/2008 - 23:31
alessice

I think the problem is that this is an old installation made from wbm.gz and not by deb.

What could now be the correct thing to do? Switching to the .deb?

Fortunately I have only one of these very old installations.

Wed, 03/19/2008 - 00:34 (Reply to #8)
Joe
Joe's picture

I'd probably suggest making sure your backups are complete and up to date, and then manually switch over to deb packaged modules. You should be able to download the packages and install with:

dpkg -i webmin-virtual-server_3.54-3_all.deb

(You can access the Pro package repository using your serial number and license key as the username and password.)

If problems persist, let me know and I'll be happy to drop in on your box and straighten it out.

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Wed, 03/19/2008 - 09:16 (Reply to #9)
alessice

I have a backup of /etc and /home. I have first set-up new repository in sources.list then upgrade some packages (apache and webmin) from virtualmin rep.

I have downloaded wget --user=55XXXXX --password=XXX http://software.virtualmin.com/debian/dists/virtualmin-etch/main/binary-... and then:

# dpkg -i webmin-virtual-server_3.54-3_all.deb
(Reading database ... 47066 files and directories currently installed.)
Unpacking webmin-virtual-server (from webmin-virtual-server_3.54-3_all.deb) ...
This Webmin module is already installed on your system.
dpkg: error processing webmin-virtual-server_3.54-3_all.deb (--install):
subprocess pre-installation script returned error exit status 1
Errors were encountered while processing:
webmin-virtual-server_3.54-3_all.deb

:-(

Do you have any suggestions?
Thanks

Wed, 03/19/2008 - 14:30 (Reply to #10)
Joe
Joe's picture

This is a bug in our package builder for Debian. It's not supposed to do this.

I'm looking into it. In the meantime, move /usr/share/webmin/virtual-server out of the way, and try it again. I think that'll let you install without this error. (But you might even have to move /etc/webmin/virtual-server out of the way, as well...but be sure to copy /etc/webmin/virtual-server back into place after install, if it it necessary, as that's where all of your virtual servers configuration is stored, and losing it would make all of your Virtualmin accounts to &quot;disappear&quot;.)

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Wed, 03/19/2008 - 20:44 (Reply to #11)
sgrayban

No no -- been here done this......

Just delete /usr/share/webmin/virtual-server and nothing else.

I have had headaches with this same issue.

Thu, 03/20/2008 - 00:56 (Reply to #12)
alessice

Ok, resolved with mv /usr/share/webmin/virtual-server/ /usr/share/webmin/virtual-server-old/.

Now i have the same problem with other module installed by wbm instead of .deb, but now I have learned the trick and I can solve the problem.

Thanks

Thu, 03/20/2008 - 03:31 (Reply to #13)
sgrayban

no need to make a backup -- just wasting space -- just rm -fr /path

Sun, 04/06/2008 - 14:33
DavidHughes

I am about to install VM Pro for a client. For grins, I wanted to make a dry run upgrading VM GPL version 3.47 to current GPL, 3.54 I believe.

I retained old virtual-server directory, so just moved it off to the side, ran dpkg -i and installed curretn version of VM GPL. All references to prior VM installs disappeared, and was asked to go through a recheck and reconfig of VM. Not so scary, but, will the prior accounts and info installed in the older version re-appear? Or, are they toast? I stopped the practice upgrade because I didn't want to blow away the prior accounts. All this was in prep for the Pro version for this client which he either did purchase, or will purchase by EOB Monday.

Will these already installed accounts reappear even tho I have to do through a recheck and reconfig?

Sun, 04/06/2008 - 14:39 (Reply to #15)
sgrayban

If you remove or move the /etc/webmin directory its all toast.

Sun, 04/06/2008 - 15:01 (Reply to #16)
DavidHughes

Ah, ok.

So, it begs the question... how dos one upgrade from one version of VM to another without losing data? VM GPL or VM PRO version?

tx a mil for a unbelievably fast response...

Sun, 04/06/2008 - 15:06 (Reply to #17)
DavidHughes

Forgot to mention, running Ubuntu/Debian...

Sun, 04/06/2008 - 15:08 (Reply to #18)
sgrayban

Just install the VM Pro using the install script you can get in your download section.

Sun, 04/06/2008 - 15:14 (Reply to #19)
DavidHughes

Ok. I suspected as much. Will be tackling this Mon or Tue...

tx

Sun, 04/06/2008 - 18:00 (Reply to #20)
Joe
Joe's picture

Actually, we recommend the Upgrade to Professional option found within Virtualmin GPL, rather than the install script. The install script is somewhat more likely to break things (because it knows a lot less about your existing installation than a full Webmin/Virtualmin stack knows).

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Sun, 04/06/2008 - 18:04 (Reply to #21)
sgrayban

Oh I didn't know that -- good to know that.

Sun, 04/06/2008 - 23:35 (Reply to #22)
Joe
Joe's picture

Yeah, it's a somewhat new recommendation, and the next version of install.sh will actually refuse to upgrade a Virtualmin GPL system (because the one in Virtualmin itself is going to continue to get better, while the install.sh will never know enough about the system to be as good/safe).

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Sun, 04/06/2008 - 19:00
DavidHughes

Joe, tx for the, again, response.

Customer has either, or will register VM. There was never a question about it, but in teh quick pitch to 'do it', keeping all registrations under his business, I sang the praises of Webmin, VistualMin, blah blah blah... but for the dramatic finale, I looked him in the eye and said customer support means everything in this business, and that you had gone above and beyond answering questions. Repeat, customer service is EVERYTHING. I then said for that alone, do it. He didn't blink, and neither should anyone else.

IOW, tx for the continual response. I know this gets arduous...

Based on the usage within his server environment, will be looking to build out a further hosted environment based on Joomla/Gallery/and other apps. Means more VM regs in a bit...

dh

Sun, 04/06/2008 - 19:09 (Reply to #24)
DavidHughes

Since it is topical, might as well ask... is it not advisable to try and upgrade VM GPL, in the Debian environment at all? Just wondered. Be nice to know so can either not do this in other environs, or if asked. I've been encouraging the use of Webmin and VirtualMin for instance to an associate who is running some hosted services on a data farm in France, and he is old school, doing things by hand. Have got him into WM and he likes it, but it would be a good thing to know whether he could upgrade VM GPL, or if that is not possible or advisable.

The larger point of course is, register it dude.

dh

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