- Beta testing of the new control panel
- New hosting servers in three countries: Canada, Poland, and Lithuania
- Security and configuration updates for PHP
- Automatic VPS disk expansion
- VPS/VDS password reset via control panel
- Updated country-based blocking
- Automatic SSL certificates for domain redirection
- Anti-phishing code for system emails
- Exceptions for trusted IP addresses
- Faster Node.js startup and changes in the SSH environment
- Storage renewal for three months
- Domain complaint form
- Updated VNC connection guide
Cityhost continues to improve services to make daily work with them easier and more convenient. We have gathered the latest updates and briefly explain how to use them.
Beta testing of the new control panel
We have launched beta testing of the new Cityhost control panel. Clients can familiarize themselves with it before the official launch, test its features, and suggest improvements. How to join the testing is explained in the Cityhost Telegram community.
New hosting servers in three countries: Canada, Poland, and Lithuania
We have expanded the hosting infrastructure: added new servers with NVMe drives in Canada and Lithuania, as well as with SSDs in Poland. This expands the choice of servers for hosting websites.
Security and configuration updates for PHP
Security updates for all available PHP versions — from 5.2 to 8.5 — have been installed on virtual hosting servers. Clients of this service do not need to install server patches themselves.
Owners of VPS/VDS and dedicated servers need to take care of updates separately: either perform it themselves or delegate it to an administrator. More details about the changes and necessary actions are explained in the news about PHP updates.
We have also added a field for a custom value of open_basedir in the php.ini settings — a parameter that restricts PHP scripts' access to specified folders and files.
Automatic VPS disk expansion
When changing the VPS tariff, you can now choose automatic disk expansion. This eliminates the need to perform the operation manually after switching to a new tariff.
Before expanding, make sure you have an up-to-date backup of important data: changing the file system size is associated with the risk of losing them. You can still manually expand the disk or do so with the help of support as before.
VPS/VDS password reset via control panel
We have added the ability to automatically reset the virtual server password via the control panel. If the password is lost, restoring access has become easier — without manual changes through recovery mode.
The feature is in beta mode and is available for compatible operating systems. The procedure is described in the VPS/VDS password reset instructions.
We have also published instructions for recovering the root password via Recovery Mode for Ubuntu / Debian. This will help regain access to the server if the automatic password reset is unavailable or did not work. At the beginning of the material, we added a recommendation to first try the automatic option through the control panel.
Updated country-based blocking
We have revamped the GEOIP blocking mechanism and re-initialized the function for clients who have already used it. We added the ability to create lists of trusted IP addresses that will not be subject to country-based blocking.
Automatic SSL certificates for domain redirection
We have updated the domain redirection service: added automatic issuance of SSL certificates for operation via HTTPS. All existing redirections have already been migrated to the new system and secured with certificates.
Anti-phishing code for system emails
In the control panel settings, you can now set your own anti-phishing code. It will appear in system emails from Cityhost and help distinguish them from counterfeit messages from fraudsters. If the code is missing or incorrect, it is a reason to verify the authenticity of the email before clicking on links or entering your data.
You can find it in the "Settings" section. Explanations on how to use this feature and the procedure for activating it are gathered in the instructions for setting up the anti-phishing code.
Exceptions for trusted IP addresses
We have added the ability to exclude trusted IP addresses from certain bot and user-agent blocking rules on hosting. This function can be found as follows: Hosting 2.0 → My Sites → Security → Blocked User-Agents. Below the list of blocked user agents, you will see a whitelist.
In the control panel, you can independently configure exceptions for request address checks (bad_user_uri) and data about the program that sends it (bad_user_agent).
We have also added two trusted IP addresses from Monobank to the list so that the corresponding rules do not block requests from the payment service.
More about this can be read in the instructions: https://cityhost.ua/faq/334.
Faster Node.js startup and changes in the SSH environment
We have accelerated the Node.js environment startup by 8-10 times, removed outdated versions, and updated the resource control mechanism so that applications operate within the chosen tariff.
Version management is available in the Node.js manager. We have also changed the operation of Composer — a tool for installing PHP libraries: it now uses the PHP version configured for operation via SSH.
Storage renewal for three months
We have added the option to renew the storage service for three months. The option becomes available when there are 21 days or less left until the service expires.
Domain complaint form
We have created a page on the site «Domain Complaints» with a form for submitting complaints. A link to it has been placed at the bottom of the site so that users can quickly find the necessary section.
Updated VNC connection guide
We have updated the instructions for connecting to the server via VNC. It will help set up access to the server console for management, especially when connecting via SSH fails.
