Automatic Updater
The Automatic Updater utility allows admin users to update WHMCS quickly and easily in just a few clicks.
Contents
System Requirements
- At least 250 MB of free disk space
- PHP setting allow_url_fopen enabled
- PHP max_execution_time in excess of 60 seconds
- PHP Zip Extension or the proc_open PHP function enabled
- PHP setting open_basedir to include entire WHMCS docroot
Checking for Updates
New updates are checked for automatically at periodic intervals.
When an update becomes available, a notification will appear in the top left corner of admin area.
In addition, you can check for updates on-demand by navigating to Utilities > WHMCS Update and clicking the Check for Updates button.
If a newer version is available, the Latest Version display will update to show the version available to update to. The status of the update check will also be displayed top right as a notification.
Configuring Your Update Settings
A number of configurable settings exist for Automatic Updates.
Choosing an Update Channel
The automatic updater provides admins with the ability to choose a release stability that they are comfortable receiving:
| Channel | Description |
| Stable | Recommended for most installations of WHMCS, the Stable channel will present admins with the latest stable version that has been released by WHMCS. |
| Release Candidate | Admins subscribed to the Release Candidate will be able to upgrade to the latest Release Candidate builds of WHMCS, or the latest stable version of WHMCS - whichever is newer. This means if WHMCS is upgraded to 7.0.0-rc.1, when 7.0.0-GA is released, the admin will be prompted to upgrade to the general availability that was just released. |
| Beta | Admins subscribed to the Beta release channel will be able to download the newest beta, release candidates, and stable versions of WHMCS. This is for testing installations, as it will allow admins to update to the latest WHMCS (beta, rc, or stable). WHMCS recommends development licenses use this channel. |
| Current Version | By selecting this channel, admins are electing to only receive maintenance updates for the major/minor version that is currently installed. For example if the installed version of WHMCS is 7.0.0-GA, admins will be offered upgrades to 7.0.1-GA and 7.0.2-GA, but not 7.1.0. |
Setting a Temporary Update Path
The temporary path is used for staging files during an update. For security reasons it is recommended that this directory be located outside the public doc root, similar to the attachments, downloads and templates_c directories. The path must be an absolute path (i.e. /home/whmcsuser/tmp instead of ~/tmp) and must be writable by the user that is running PHP.
Setting a Maintenance Message
This option can be used to set a message that will be displayed to users both admin and client side whenever an update is in progress.
Performing an Update
Beginning the Update Process
Once the update configuration options have been set, admins can begin the update process.
It is also recommended that at least 250 MB of disk space is available before beginning the update process.
Checking for Custom Files
The first step in the update process checks the current installation for customized files such as template files, language translations, whois server definitions and additional domain fields. It's important to review these files and make a copy of any files you do not wish to lose.
WHMCS has also included changes to how admins can customize the additional domain fields, countries & calling codes, and whois server definitions so that admins can preserve changes between updates. To view this documentation, please refer to following documentation pages:
Starting the Update
The next step in the update process is to start the update itself. When ready to begin, click the Update Now button.
The update process can take anywhere from 30 seconds to a few minutes to complete.
Finishing the Update
Once completed, you should see a screen like the one below.
It is recommended that you review the release notes using the button provided to be aware of any changes in the new version and for details of any template updates you must perform.
