Poweradmin v4.0.0: The Biggest Update Yet

The release that cost me sleep, money, and sanity - but delivered real improvements

After months of development and extensive community collaboration, Poweradmin v4.0.0 represents a significant milestone in the project's evolution. This release addresses long-standing user requests while introducing modern infrastructure improvements that position Poweradmin for the future.

Key Improvements in DNS Management

Bulk Operations and Data Portability

The introduction of bulk record operations addresses one of our most requested features. You can now add multiple DNS records to a zone through a streamlined interface, significantly reducing the time spent on routine configurations.

The new CSV export functionality provides data portability, making it easier to backup, audit, or migrate your DNS configurations. Combined with our enhanced template zone management system, you can now view all domains using a specific template and manage zones more efficiently.

Enhanced Security Architecture

Security improvements in v4.0.0 reflect the evolving threat landscape:

• Flexible password reset controls allow organizations to align the system with their security policies

• Database-backed user preferences provide personalized experiences without compromising security

• Comprehensive password policy enforcement ensures consistent security standards

• User agreement system with complete audit trails for compliance requirements

• Optional reCAPTCHA integration provides additional protection against automated attacks

Interface Modernization

The user interface has been thoughtfully redesigned with a focus on usability. The new dashboard features a card-based layout that adapts to different screen sizes, while dark theme support reduces eye strain during extended use.

Small but impactful improvements include:

• Required field indicators that prevent submission errors

• Smart zone name suggestions that help avoid common mistakes

• Email template preview functionality with plain text fallback options

• An enhanced installer with clear progress indicators

Technical Foundation Upgrades

v4.0.0 introduces substantial architectural improvements:

• WHOIS/RDAP integration brings registration data into your workflow

• RESTful API with OpenAPI documentation enables automation and integration

• FrankenPHP deployment option for improved performance (Docker)

• Multi-database support across MySQL, PostgreSQL, and SQLite

• Symfony component adoption for robust validation and request handling

Notable Bug Fixes

This release resolves several persistent issues:

• PTR records now properly delete alongside their associated A records

• Duplicate PTR record creation has been eliminated

• CNAME validation correctly rejects non-FQDN content

• Root record CNAME warnings prevent invalid configurations

• Navigation highlighting and form structure inconsistencies have been resolved

Architecture and Standards

The codebase has undergone significant refactoring to improve maintainability:

• Centralized configuration management replaces scattered settings

• RFC-compliant validation ensures standard DNS behavior

• Improved input sanitization and permission checking throughout

• Consistent timezone handling across the application

This is by no means an exhaustive list - I'm not entirely sure I haven't missed something, and it would be difficult to describe all the features and fixes that made it into this release. For a more complete overview, you can explore the documentation at docs.poweradmin.org.

Migration Considerations

Upgrading from v3.x requires careful planning. I've prepared comprehensive documentation at docs.poweradmin.org/upgrading/v4.0.0/ that covers database migrations, configuration updates, and potential compatibility considerations.

Continued Support for v3.x

For organizations and people that prefer to stay with the stable and well-tested v3.x branch while evaluating v4.0.0, I've also released v3.9.5 as a minor patch update. This release ensures that production environments can continue running on the proven v3.x codebase while taking time to properly test the new v4.x features.

Community Contributions

This release benefited greatly from community involvement. Particular recognition goes to @michielvisser for extensive testing and feedback throughout the development cycle, and to @muckl for multiple code contributions.

Looking Forward

v4.0.0 establishes a foundation for future enhancements. The coming weeks will be dedicated to gathering user feedback and addressing any issues that arise from real-world usage. While I don't anticipate major feature additions in the immediate future, I'll focus on stability improvements and bug fixes based on your reports.

I'm particularly interested in understanding which improvements would be most valuable for your workflows, so please share your thoughts and experiences as you explore the new version.

A Personal Note

I'll be honest - this release has left me exhausted. v4.0.0 demanded enormous amounts of brain power and became the most expensive release I've ever produced. I invested in various AI tools to help improve the code and implement new features, spending both my money and countless hours to make Poweradmin better.

Whether this investment was worth it remains to be seen. If you find value in Poweradmin and want to support its continued development, donations through the available methods would be greatly appreciated. If you'd prefer to contribute in another way, please don't hesitate to get in touch.

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Poweradmin v4.0.0 is available now. For installation instructions and documentation, visit our project page.