Have you ever wondered whether there exists an Operating system that could be more suitable for you and your business needs? Of course, you have. You are working with Plesk, and consider yourself a tech guru of the highest order. You are already bathing in comfort, holding on tightly to an Operating System that feels as familiar as a worn shoe. Thank you for reading.
No, but seriously, maybe, just maybe, you are curious to know more about the different OSs out there, especially when wanting to optimize your preferred Plesk experience and offering continuously. So without further ado, let’s lay it out there for you, and take a look at the recommended OSs running smoothly on Plesk.
Plesk Recommended OSs
Linux Operating Systems
Linux is easily considered to be one of the wonders of the internet. As everyone knows, open-source tech is powering the internet, and Linux has firmly set the gold standard for reliable and comprehensive supported open source technology.
Debian
Old but gold, Debian remains a popular choice amongst the community, offering a reliable and extensive solution to users in over 60 countries around the world. Known for its ease of use, Debian is fast and effortless to install and upgrade. Debian users have access to over 59 000 free software packages and support, making Debian a popular choice amongst developers. Furthermore, the OS is supported for most CPU architectures as well as Linux kernel hardware.
Notes:
- Plesk only supports Debian and Ubuntu servers running the systemd init system. Compatibility with sysvinit has not been tested and is not guaranteed.
- Plesk supports Debian 11, however, a number of limitations exist. You can use the dist-upgrade procedure to upgrade your OS from Debian 10 to Debian 11. Debian supports a series of CPU architectures, including amd64, i386, multiple versions of ARM and MIPS, POWER7, POWER8, IBM System z and RISC-V.
Ubuntu
Another favored OS in the community is Ubuntu, a public cloud-certified operating system welcomed by many, derived from the Debian architecture and supported by Plesk. Ubuntu is derived from the Debian architecture, using the same APT packaging system and sharing a wide number of packages and libraries from the same repositories.
A favourite is the Server’s scale-out functionality, which basically enables administrators to set things up according to their needs. And this, with a limited need for resources. Overall, Ubuntu supports popular architectures such as ARM64, PPC64LE, x86, and much more.
Notes:
AlmaLinux
AlmaLinux is the Open Source, community owned and governed, forever-free enterprise grade Linux distribution. Managed and funded by the non-profit AlmaLinux OS Foundation and assisted by members and corporate sponsors, AlmaLinux provides long-term stability and a robust production-grade platform. AlmaLinux OS is 1:1 binary compatible with RHEL® and pre-Stream CentOS.
Notes:
- You can in-place convert your Plesk server on CentOS 8 to AlmaLinux 8. To do so, run the script prepared by the AlmaLinux team on your CentOS 8 server.
Rocky Linux
Finally, another RPM-based OS, Rocky Linux saw its welcome release in January last year, launched by the former CentOS founder, Gregory Kurtzer, and named after the co-founder, Rocky McGaugh. Both Rocky Linux and AlmaLinux are supported since the Plesk Obsidian 18.0.41 release, which was launched in January 18th, 2022.
Due to their partnership with Google, users using Rocky Linux on the Google Cloud Platform can enjoy the benefit of Google’s support team. Therefore, from a product and support perspective, Rocky Linux has a nice and welcome advantage.
Notes:
- You can in-place convert your Plesk server on CentOS 8 to Rocky Linux 8. To do so, follow the procedure described in the Rocky Linux documentation.
Supported Operating System
Plesk Obsidian for Linux can run on the following operating systems:
Operating system | SNI support | IPv6 support |
|---|---|---|
Debian 10 64-bit | Yes | Yes |
Debian 11 64-bit | Yes | Yes |
Ubuntu 18.04 64-bit | Yes | Yes |
Ubuntu 20.04 64-bit | Yes | Yes |
Ubuntu 22.04 64-bit | Yes | Yes |
CentOS 7.x 64-bit | Yes | Yes |
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7.x 64-bit | Yes | Yes |
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.x 64-bit | Yes | Yes |
CloudLinux 7.1 and later 64-bit | Yes | Yes |
CloudLinux 8.x 64-bit | Yes | Yes |
AlmaLinux 8 64-bit | Yes | Yes |
Rocky Linux 8.x 64-bit | Yes | Yes |
Virtuozzo Linux 7 64-bit | Yes | Yes |
Notes:
- To install Plesk Obsidian on Red Hat Enterprise Linux, enable the “Optional” channel. Plesk only supports Debian and Ubuntu servers running the systemd init system.
- Compatibility with sysvinit has not been tested and is not guaranteed. Plesk supports Debian 11, however, a number of limitations exist. You can use the dist-upgrade procedure to upgrade your OS from Debian 10 to Debian 11.
- Plesk supports Ubuntu 20.04 and 22.04, however, a number of limitations exist both for version 20.04 and 22.04. CentOS, Red Hat Enterprise Linux, and CloudLinux are supported at the latest available minor (.x) versions.
Windows Operating Systems
Besides being a well known desktop operating system, Windows is also a favoured choice in terms of server operating systems. As such, there exists an entire series of Windows Server OS that is powering enterprise-grade applications.
Plesk Obsidian for Microsoft Windows can run on the following operating systems:
Operating system | SNI support | IPv6 support |
|---|---|---|
Windows Server 2012 (64-bit, Standard, Foundation, and Datacenter editions), including Server Core installations | Yes | Yes |
Windows Server 2012 R2 (64-bit, Standard, Datacenter, and
Essentials editions), including Server Core installations | Yes | Yes |
Windows Server 2016 (64-bit, Standard, Datacenter, and Essentials editions), including Server Core installations | Yes | Yes |
Windows Server 2019 (64-bit, Standard, Datacenter, and Essentials editions), including Server Core installations | Yes | Yes |
Windows Server 2019 (64-bit, Standard, Datacenter, and Essentials editions), including Server Core installations | Yes | Yes |
Notes:
- Configure a static IP address on the server before installing Plesk for Windows.
- Plesk for Windows can only be installed on NTFS partitions.
- If you plan to use Microsoft SQL Server support in Plesk for Windows, the SQL Server must be installed and configured to use standard or mixed security mode. If Microsoft SQL Server is not installed, you can select it to be installed with Plesk for Windows and configured with administrator name “sa” and a random password.
Unsupported OSes
It is important to know that Plesk does not accept support requests and will not issue software patches for servers with OSes that are not part of the recommended list or if their Vendor Termination Date is past due. Therefore, when choosing the preferred operating system for your Plesk server, we strongly recommend you check out the operating system termination date set by the vendor in question.
For more information on our recommended OSs and upcoming changes, you can stay up to date by visiting the Plesk Documentation and Help Portal.
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