We are pleased to announce the immediate availability of Synex Server 13 RC1, which represents a qualitative leap in the server administration experience. This Release Candidate consolidates months of development focused on providing tools that simplify daily tasks without sacrificing power or flexibility.
Synex Control: centralized system administration
The major addition in this version is Synex Control, a comprehensive administration tool that centralizes the management of fundamental server aspects. Fully bilingual (Spanish/English) and designed with a modular architecture, Synex Control offers a coherent and efficient approach to the most common tasks.
User and group management
The user module allows creating, modifying, and deleting system accounts with all necessary options: custom shell configuration, home directories, group assignment, and more. Group management is equally complete, with intelligent validations and security confirmations before destructive operations. All actions are logged in a centralized logging system that facilitates auditing and change tracking.
Simplified network configuration
Network interface, DNS, and gateway configuration is presented in a clear and intuitive way. Synex Control automatically detects available interfaces, allows configuring static IPs or DHCP, validates formats, and applies changes in real time. It includes automatic backup of previous configurations and support for multiple simultaneous interfaces, ensuring the network is always under control.
System services
Synex Control integrates dedicated modules for the most commonly used services in server environments:
- SSH: Installation, configuration, and security hardening (port change, disable root login, key authentication)
- NFS: Complete export management with CIDR subnet validation and detailed permission configuration
- Samba: The most complete module, with a step-by-step wizard for creating shares, Samba user management, predefined templates, and advanced features
- Firewall (NFTables): Simplified firewall rule management
- Automatic updates: Unattended Upgrades configuration with customized schedules
Samba: file sharing with complete auditing
The Samba module deserves special mention for its depth. A 9-step wizard guides share creation, from simple configurations to advanced scenarios with automatic versioning, recycle bin, hidden shares, and IP/subnet restrictions. Samba user management is perfectly integrated: you can add existing system users or create new ones simultaneously.
But the most remarkable feature is its complete audit system: all share access (open, close, read, write) is logged through full audit logging integrated with rsyslog and journalctl. Logs are accessible directly from the module, allowing real-time monitoring of active connections, file locks, and usage statistics. Additionally, configuration can be validated with testparm before applying changes, and automatic backups are performed before critical modifications.
Firewall: NFTables without complications
Managing the firewall through NFTables can be intimidating, but Synex Control makes it accessible. The module allows opening and closing specific ports (TCP/UDP), managing complete ranges, applying rules per network interface, all with persistence between reboots. It automatically detects running services to suggest configurations, and allows enabling/disabling the firewall, viewing active rules, or resetting to default values with a couple of clicks.
ServerHub: now with full-featured CLI
ServerHub, the modular framework for deploying enterprise applications, incorporates in this version a complete command-line interface that complements its existing TUI. This CLI opens the doors to automation through scripts, CI/CD workflow integration, and remote administration without manual interaction.
With ServerHub’s CLI, it’s possible to list available and installed modules, view detailed information for each module, install and remove applications, perform searches, and filter by categories. All with options for JSON output (ideal for parsing), silent mode for scripts, and automatic confirmations for non-interactive environments.
This means you can now fully automate infrastructure deployment: a simple script can install LAMP, configure Nextcloud, add Zabbix for monitoring, all without human intervention. ServerHub thus becomes an even more versatile tool for administrators seeking efficiency and reproducibility.
Toward the final version
This Release Candidate represents the mature state of Synex Server 13. Looking toward the final stable version, we will continue refining both Synex Control and ServerHub based on community feedback and testing in real environments. Our goal is for these tools to not only simplify administration but also inspire confidence and allow focus on what really matters: running critical business services.
As always, we invite you to try this version, report experiences, and contribute suggestions. You can download this new version from here.