Poweradmin v4.2.0: Group Management
Zone import/export, expanded API v2, MFA enforcement, and cert-manager webhook
Poweradmin v4.2.0 is now available. This release focuses on group management, zone file import/export, expanded API v2 endpoints, and MFA enforcement.
A word of caution: v4.2.0 is a feature-heavy release and may still have rough edges. I recommend testing it in a non-production environment first. I’m not marking it as the latest release on GitHub - instead, v4.1.x is now promoted to stable (it was previously a pre-release). The v4.0.x series may still receive some fixes, but I plan to stop supporting it at some point, so if you’re on 4.0.x consider planning an upgrade to 4.1.x.
Group Management
One of the most requested features is finally here. You can now create user groups, add members, assign zones to groups, and control permissions at the group level. Groups integrate directly into zone ownership - instead of assigning zones to individual users, you can assign them to a group and all members get access.
Create and manage groups with a dedicated UI
Assign zones to groups for shared ownership
Group-based permission templates
MFA enforcement per group
SSO group mapping - automatically place users into groups based on OIDC/SAML claims
Audit logging for all group operations
This feature was sponsored by stepping stone AG. See the User Groups documentation for full details.
Group list with permission templates and MFA enforcement settings.
Managing group members.
Assigning zones to a group.
Editing group settings.
Zone File Import & Export
I’ve added a module system that powers new zone file import and export functionality. You can import standard BIND zone files - either creating new zones or merging into existing ones with configurable conflict resolution. Export produces standard zone file format for backup or migration purposes.
See the Zone Import/Export documentation for setup details.
Expanded API v2
API v2 was introduced in v4.1.0. In this release I’ve added several new endpoint groups:
Zone templates CRUD
Zone owners management with batch assignment
Group members and zone management
PowerDNS zone metadata
See the API configuration docs for setup instructions.
MFA Enforcement
You can now enforce MFA at both user and group level. When enabled, users will be required to set up two-factor authentication on their next login.
See the Security Policies documentation for configuration options.
cert-manager Webhook
I’ve released a new companion project - cert-manager-webhook-poweradmin. It’s a cert-manager webhook solver that automates DNS-01 challenge validation for Let’s Encrypt and other ACME CAs. If you run Kubernetes with cert-manager, you can now use Poweradmin as your DNS provider for automatic certificate issuance.
Thanks to Menzel IT GmbH for sponsoring this.
Other Improvements
Docker - custom CA certificates via
TRUSTED_CA_FILE, expanded environment variable coverage, module configuration support. See the Docker installation docs5 new languages - Indonesian, Korean, Swedish, Ukrainian, Vietnamese
Patch Releases
Alongside v4.2.0, I’m releasing patch updates for all active branches:
v4.1.2 - OIDC group extraction fix, SSO user edit improvements, and other bug fixes
v4.0.9 - bug fixes for the 4.0.x series. We’re jumping from v4.0.7 directly to v4.0.9 because the v4.0.7 build shipped with the version file already set to 4.0.8, making that version number unusable
v3.9.10 - translation updates and compatibility fixes for the 3.x LTS series
Upgrading
Back up your database before upgrading. See the upgrade guide for detailed instructions.
From v4.1.x: Replace the application files, run the SQL migration script (sql/poweradmin-*-update-to-4.2.0.sql for your database), clear PHP opcache, and restart your web server.
From v4.0.x: Upgrade to v4.1.x first, then to v4.2.0.
From v3.x: Direct upgrades are not supported. Upgrade to v4.0.0 first, then follow the path above.
PHP Version Support
Poweradmin v4.2.0 requires PHP 8.2 or later (8.2, 8.3, 8.4, 8.5). PHP 8.1 is no longer supported.
Full changelog and download available on GitHub.
Quick guide on which version to pick:
3.9.x - the LTS (Long Term Support) branch. A solid choice if you prefer stability over new features and aren't in a hurry to move forward. Good for conservative setups that value predictability.
4.0.x - being phased out. Only relevant if you haven't upgraded yet and aren't ready to do so. New users should skip it entirely.
4.1.2 - the recommended choice for most people. Stable and well-tested, this is where you want to be.
4.2.0 - promising, but still fresh. If you're curious, test it on the side - just don't rely on it for anything critical yet. Give it a few weeks to a month to stabilize.
4.3.0 - in active development with more new features coming. Not ready for general use yet.
So the rule of thumb is to stick with the version tagged as latest - that's your safest and most supported option at any given time.