With the release of cPanel & WHM 11.36 on the horizon, how should Integrators test their software before it gets to the masses?

Every time cPanel releases a new version of cPanel & WHM we get tickets that all seem to read, “cPanel broke my websites! I am losing money!” Often, the cause is a problem with a third-party application. We hate downtime, and like you, we want to give the customer the best experience possible.

There are four things that cPanel recommends developers do when testing for compatibility with newer versions of cPanel & WHM.

First, we recommend getting a developer license. This free license will allow you to do your development and testing on a real cPanel & WHM server. A short form is all you need to fill out to receive a developer license. This form is at: http://go.cpanel.net/devlicense.

Second, we suggest setting your development server to the EDGE release tier. The EDGE release tier is used by less than 1% of our customer base and is often considered a “beta” tier. Releases are pushed to this tier at least a week before any of the other release tiers. For new major versions, a development version is published to the EDGE several weeks prior to general availability. You will be able to test your software, report bugs, and make compatibility fixes before it goes to the CURRENT, RELEASE, or STABLE tiers. You can set your release tier in WHM under Update Preferences.

Third, test your application on a fresh install of the new cPanel & WHM version. For example: in 11.36, the way Perl is distributed has changed dramatically. This will be very different for fresh installs versus systems that have been updated.

Fourth, we recommend subscribing to the EDGE users mailing list. This special mailing list is for EDGE users to talk about bugs and issues they are experiencing. This list also gives you access to Pre-Release information, such as changes to the API, file location changes, and updates to third-party software. You can sign up at: http://go.cpanel.net/edgelist.

By following these guidelines, cPanel & WHM updates should never take you by surprise. Your customers will see fewer issues and have less churn. Happy customers are good customers.