Updating OpenLiteSpeed

Learning Focus

By the end of this lesson you will know how to upgrade OpenLiteSpeed safely using packages, verify the upgrade succeeded, and maintain a rollback plan.

Why Keeping OpenLiteSpeed Updated Matters

Updates include security patches, bug fixes, and performance improvements. Running outdated versions exposes the server to known vulnerabilities.

Pre-Upgrade Checklist

Before upgrading, always prepare:

Step	Command	Why
Backup config	sudo cp -r /usr/local/lsws/conf /usr/local/lsws/conf.bak	Rollback if the upgrade breaks config
Note current version	/usr/local/lsws/bin/lshttpd -v	Know what you are upgrading from
Check release notes	Visit OpenLiteSpeed releases	Identify breaking changes
Backup SSL certs	sudo cp -r /etc/ssl/private /etc/ssl/private.bak	Certificate references may change
Plan maintenance window	Schedule during low traffic	Minimize user impact

Upgrade Process

On Debian / Ubuntu

# 1) Update package lists
sudo apt update

# 2) Check available version
apt policy openlitespeed

# 3) Upgrade
sudo apt upgrade openlitespeed

# 4) Restart the server (upgrade usually requires full restart)
sudo systemctl restart lsws

# 5) Verify the new version
/usr/local/lsws/bin/lshttpd -v

On RHEL / AlmaLinux / Rocky

# 1) Check for updates
sudo dnf check-update openlitespeed

# 2) Upgrade
sudo dnf upgrade openlitespeed

# 3) Restart
sudo systemctl restart lsws

# 4) Verify
/usr/local/lsws/bin/lshttpd -v

Post-Upgrade Verification

# Check the service is running
sudo systemctl status lsws

# Check the error log for startup warnings
tail -30 /usr/local/lsws/logs/error.log

# Test the default page
curl -I http://localhost

# Test WebAdmin access
curl -kI https://localhost:7080

# Verify SSL still works
openssl s_client -connect localhost:443 -servername example.com </dev/null 2>/dev/null | head -5

Rollback Plan

If the upgrade causes issues:

# 1) Stop the server
sudo systemctl stop lsws

# 2) Restore the config backup
sudo cp -r /usr/local/lsws/conf.bak/* /usr/local/lsws/conf/

# 3) If the binary itself is broken, downgrade the package
sudo apt install openlitespeed=PREVIOUS_VERSION  # Debian/Ubuntu
sudo dnf downgrade openlitespeed                  # RHEL family

# 4) Restart
sudo systemctl start lsws

warning

An upgrade plan should always include validation steps and a rollback path. Never upgrade production during peak traffic without a plan.

Key Takeaways

• Always backup config before upgrading — conf.bak can save you from a bad upgrade.
• Check release notes for breaking changes before running apt upgrade.
• Verify after every upgrade with service status, error log, and test requests.
• Keep a rollback plan ready for every production upgrade.

What's Next

• Continue to Updating lsphp to keep your PHP runtime current.