Updating cPanel & WHM (Manual & Automatic)

To ensure the security and stability of your hosting environment, it is critical to keep both the cPanel software and the underlying Operating System (OS) up to date.

1. Configuring Automatic Updates

cPanel runs a daily maintenance script (upcp) that handles updates automatically. You can configure what gets updated via WHM.

1. Log in to WHM.
2. Navigate to Server Configuration > Update Preferences.
3. Release Tier: Select your preferred version (we recommend RELEASE or STABLE for production servers).
4. Daily Updates: Ensure this is set to Automatic.
5. Click Save at the bottom.

2. Force a Manual cPanel Update

If you need a specific bug fix immediately or if the automatic update failed, you can force an update.

Option A: Via WHM (Graphical)

1. Log in to WHM.
2. Navigate to cPanel > Upgrade to Latest Version.
3. Click the button Click to Upgrade.
4. Wait for the progress bar to complete.

Option B: Via SSH (Command Line)

This is the most reliable method as it provides detailed log output.

1. Log in via SSH as root.
2. Run the update script:

/usr/local/cpanel/scripts/upcp

3. Updating System Software (OS Packages)

Besides cPanel itself, you must update the system kernel and packages (managed via yum/dnf/apt).

Via WHM

1. Navigate to Software > System Update.
2. Click Proceed to scan for updates.
3. If updates are found, confirm to install them.

Via SSH

Run the standard package manager update command:

# For AlmaLinux / Rocky Linux / CentOS
yum update -y

# For Ubuntu
apt update && apt upgrade -y