Update management

Manual Updates

Check current version and update Pi-hole:

# Check version
pihole -v

# Update Pi-hole software
pihole -up

# Reboot if required
sudo reboot

Automated Updates

Configure automatic updates using cron:

# Edit crontab
crontab -e

# Add weekly update at 2 AM on Sundays
0 2 * * 7 pihole -up

# Optional: Add weekly system updates at 3 AM on Sundays
0 3 * * 7 sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y && sudo reboot

Update Monitoring

Stay informed about new Pi-hole releases: - Follow the Pi-hole GitHub repository - Set up monitoring tools: - UptimeRobot - Watchtower (for Docker installations) - Custom notification scripts

Docker-Specific Updates

Update Pi-hole running in Docker:

# Pull latest image
docker pull pihole/pihole:latest

# Restart container
docker-compose down
docker-compose up -d

Pre-Update Safety Measures

Always create a backup before updating:

# Create compressed backup
tar -czvf pihole-backup.tar.gz /etc/pihole /etc/dnsmasq.d

Best Practices

• Review release notes before updating
• Test updates in a separate environment if Pi-hole is critical to your infrastructure
• Keep regular backups using Teleporter or system backups
• Monitor system stability after updates

Following these practices ensures your Pi-hole installation remains current and secure while minimizing potential disruptions.