Can't access Hestia panel

mvez73 · April 21, 2025, 2:32am

Hi everyone. I installed Hestiacp over a year ago and i didn’t connect to it for about a year or so. I tried yesterday and i can’t access the panel. “Web server is down” (Error 521). I can’t even access it with the ip:2083
I also have an error in nginx when checking it’s status:
nginx: [warn] “ssl_stapling” ignored, issuer certificate not found for certificate “/home/mvez73/conf/web/mydomain.com/ssl/mydomain.com.pem”

I’m pretty sure it’s something about ssl certificates but i have no idea how i can fix it.

I’m using Cloudflare for my dns and Hestia is hosted on a vps.
One strange thing is that Roundcube is accessible for the 2 domains i have and i can connect to both.

Thanks in advance for your help.

StePro · April 21, 2025, 4:41am

I also just had the same issue, I only run the regular server updates using apt update and apt upgrade and suddenly I get same errors for all the websites on the panel. I did new installation (twice) and the same issue.

Please we need the team to help us.

Raphael · April 21, 2025, 5:23am

Please proceed with basic debugging: systemctl status hestia

Raphael · April 21, 2025, 5:26am

What error? Did you overwrote nginx.con and/or apache2.conf during updates? Have you checked nginx and/or apache2 server status?

How have you done a new installation? The only way it works is to take backups, wipe the server, install hestia and restore backups.

StePro · April 21, 2025, 5:58am

Thank you so much for your prompt response. some little details:

during the update and upgrade, I got a prompt to either modify the nginx, without considering the consequnces, I chose to reinstall the nginx, and I guess that broke the application. I then noticed that all the domains for all the users show (too much redirects).

I’m still able to access the panel but none of the sites works. I then noticed that the nginx on the webpanel is off. I tried some troubleshooting by reinstalling and restarting the nginx and I keep getting the error that nginx cannot restart.

here is a screeshot

I have researched on how I can reinstalling just the nginx and have it running, so I can rebuild the domain, but it isn’t working.

with the issue with the new installation. I actually used a new server and followed virtually all the best practice for installing a new hestia pannel. first I noticed that the installation got stuck when it said it was installing kernel packages or so for a very long time, I left it for almost 30 minutes. (this has been with almost all my recent installations).

after that I opened the ssh again and run

systemctl status hestia

I was informed that hestia is inactive so I proceed to run systemctl start hestia

and everything came up. However, I can only see the welcome page when I visit the host domain, but the panel isn’t open.

Please for both servers, do you suggest I check any file or logs, guide me since I’m not an expert.

mvez73 · April 21, 2025, 12:31pm

We don’t have the same issue. I can’t access the panel at all.

mvez73 · April 21, 2025, 12:32pm

I have no error in Hestia status. Only in nginx.

root@hestiacp:~# service hestia status
● hestia.service - LSB: starts the hestia control panel
Loaded: loaded (/etc/init.d/hestia; generated)
Active: active (running) since Sun 2025-04-20 22:14:50 EDT; 10h ago
Docs: man:systemd-sysv-generator(8)
Process: 192849 ExecStart=/etc/init.d/hestia start (code=exited, status=0/SUCCESS)
Tasks: 3 (limit: 2250)
Memory: 9.1M
CPU: 1.391s
CGroup: /system.slice/hestia.service
├─192854 “nginx: master process /usr/local/hestia/nginx/sbin/hestia-nginx”
├─192855 “nginx: worker process”
└─192858 “php-fpm: master process (/usr/local/hestia/php/etc/php-fpm.conf)”

Apr 20 22:14:50 hestiacp.mydomai.com systemd[1]: Starting hestia.service - LSB: starts the hestia control panel…
Apr 20 22:14:50 hestiacp.mydomai.com hestia[192849]: Starting hestia-nginx: hestia-nginx.
Apr 20 22:14:50 hestiacp.mydomai.com hestia[192849]: Starting hestia-php: hestia-php.
Apr 20 22:14:50 hestiacp.mydomai.com systemd[1]: Started hestia.service - LSB: starts the hestia control panel.

sahsanu · April 21, 2025, 1:00pm

The panel runs under hestia service (it’s a custom nginx) different from the main nginx service.

That isn’t an error, is a warning and it’s normal.

Is Hestia running on port 2083? Do you have a firewall rule allowing access to port 2083?

Show the output of these commands:

v-list-firewall
grep BACKEND_PORT /usr/local/hestia/conf/hestia.conf
lsof -Pn +c0 -i:2083 -sTCP:LISTEN

yunli · April 21, 2025, 1:33pm

@mvez73

I suggest that you download the backup and reinstall it. The nginx you downloaded and installed is not compatible with Hestia

StePro · April 21, 2025, 2:52pm

Thank you, when I checked with these commands, I noticed that my backend is still open on port 8083 instead of the 2083 that I chose during the installation. so after using 8083, my panel opened.

I suggest @mvez73 you also check or try with 8083 (ensure that port is open)

mvez73 · April 21, 2025, 9:00pm

Thanks for you answer.
Here’s the output of your command:

root@hestiacp:~# v-list-firewall
grep BACKEND_PORT /usr/local/hestia/conf/hestia.conf
lsof -Pn +c0 -i:2083 -sTCP:LISTEN
RULE  ACTION  PROTO  PORT            IP         SPND  DATE
----  ------  -----  ----            --         ----  ----
1     ACCEPT  ICMP   0               0.0.0.0/0  no    2014-09-16
2     ACCEPT  TCP    2083            0.0.0.0/0  no    2014-05-25
3     ACCEPT  TCP    143,993         0.0.0.0/0  no    2014-05-25
4     ACCEPT  TCP    110,995         0.0.0.0/0  no    2014-05-25
5     ACCEPT  TCP    25,465,587      0.0.0.0/0  no    2018-11-07
6     ACCEPT  TCP    53              0.0.0.0/0  no    2014-05-25
7     ACCEPT  UDP    53              0.0.0.0/0  no    2014-05-25
8     ACCEPT  TCP    21,12000-12100  0.0.0.0/0  no    2014-05-25
9     ACCEPT  TCP    80,443          0.0.0.0/0  no    2014-09-24
10    ACCEPT  TCP    22              0.0.0.0/0  no    2014-09-16
BACKEND_PORT='2083'

mvez73 · April 21, 2025, 9:03pm

I didn’t download nginx. I only installed Hestia over a year ago. And didn’t touch it since then. I decided to connect to it to check for update and see if everything is ok but i can’t connect anymore…

sahsanu · April 21, 2025, 9:03pm

Execute this and show the output:

systemctl restart hestia
systemctl status hestia --no-pager -l

mvez73 · April 21, 2025, 10:00pm

root@hestiacp:~# systemctl restart hestia
root@hestiacp:~# systemctl status hestia --no-pager -l
● hestia.service - LSB: starts the hestia control panel
Loaded: loaded (/etc/init.d/hestia; generated)
Active: active (running) since Mon 2025-04-21 17:59:25 EDT; 7s ago
Docs: man:systemd-sysv-generator(8)
Process: 344329 ExecStart=/etc/init.d/hestia start (code=exited, status=0/SUCCESS)
Tasks: 3 (limit: 2250)
Memory: 9.0M
CPU: 33ms
CGroup: /system.slice/hestia.service
├─344334 “nginx: master process /usr/local/hestia/nginx/sbin/hestia-nginx”
├─344335 “nginx: worker process”
└─344337 “php-fpm: master process (/usr/local/hestia/php/etc/php-fpm.conf)”

Apr 21 17:59:25 hestiacp.mydomain.com systemd[1]: Starting hestia.service - LSB: starts the hestia control panel…
Apr 21 17:59:25 hestiacp.mydomain.com hestia[344329]: Starting hestia-nginx: hestia-nginx.
Apr 21 17:59:25 hestiacp.mydomain.com hestia[344329]: Starting hestia-php: hestia-php.
Apr 21 17:59:25 hestiacp.mydomain.com systemd[1]: Started hestia.service - LSB: starts the hestia control panel.

sahsanu · April 21, 2025, 10:06pm

If you can’t access yet and lsof -Pn +c0 -i:2083 -sTCP:LISTEN returns nothing, check the port configured in Hestia’s nginx:

grep -E '^\s*listen' /usr/local/hestia/nginx/conf/nginx.conf

If you don’t see the port 2083:

v-change-sys-port 2083

mvez73 · April 21, 2025, 10:54pm

Thank you very much. I can now access the panel.

system · May 21, 2025, 10:55pm

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