Issue Creating Complete Server Backup After Changing Hostname and Default Domain

SYSTEM INFORMATION
OS type and version Ubuntu Linux 22.04.5
Usermin version 2.302
Virtualmin version 7.30.8
Theme version 24.02
Apache version 2.4.52

Hi everyone,

I recently changed my server’s hostname and default domain in Virtualmin. Since making these changes, I’ve been unable to create a complete server backup. When I try, the process fails and I receive an error — I’ve attached a screenshot of the backup log showing the issue.

Has anyone experienced this before, or can someone help me troubleshoot what might be causing the problem?

Thanks in advance!

where did you edit both of these values ?

I followed the steps from the Virtualmin forums and also changed the hostname directly from the server’s terminal.

Everything has been working fine for almost two weeks now, except for the backup.

which steps ?


as you can see from the arrow the folder virtualmin can not find the directory that the default domain is expected to live in. Are you hosting a domain in virtualmin with the same name as your hostname ? If so you shouldn’t do that as it will give you all sorts of odd problems.

My server’s hostname is s1.domainname.com, and I’m hosting domain.com as a Virtual Server.
Everything was working perfectly when I was using my previous domain name.

One of the forum which I followed:

This does not explain why the path /home/_default_hostname is being referenced on my vm system that path doesn’t exist and all domains are located in /home/<domain_owner>, so how did you rename the domain ?

I am reading that as: you are using the hostname as a subserver of a domain you are trying to have as a VS.

therefore breaking the rule:
Do not use a hostname of a domain you are/will use as a VS.

so hostname is something like my.unreachablehost.tld
and VS is something like my_exampledomain.com

Using a sub domain name as the hostname makes no odds unless you are hosting that sub domain, which would be a rule break. The _default_domain user appears to be just an odd choice of name for a virtualmin user, perhaps this has something to do with how the installer gets the sll certificate for webmin in the first place, as my virtualmin installs are old I have never had that username directory appear under /home, but we still don’t know how the OP renamed the default domain in the first place

I also updated the nameservers for the new domain and replaced the previous default hostname with the new one from these as well.


@jimr1 and @Stegan

my previous hostname was: s1.domain.net and virtual server was domain.net

my new hostname is: s1.domain.com and virtual server is domain.com

I believe I may have accidentally deleted a folder named something like ‘defaulthostname’ from the home directory, which was listed alongside all my virtual server folders.

@jimr1, probably right:
I have never had to do both for any reason :man_shrugging:

step by step ? which ones ?
from which starting point ?
missing some rather crucial info: like what systeem and which version? :person_bouncing_ball:


These ones

Thanks, @tpnsolutions is usually very reliable.
So I would expect that to work.
my one reservation though is (as suggested above) we are assuming all is up to date and using the latest OS/Webmin/Virtualmin

but as you say:

I wonder if it can be recovered from a backup?

More to the point it appears that this linux user has lost it’s home and may have other effects on the virtualmin inferstucture we still don’t know how this domain was renamed, the OP is not forthcoming with that, after testing everything works for me so I guess the OP has used a different route

nevertheless, it should still be possible, either by examining a previous (good) backup or by executing a (good) disaster recovery plan.
Then starting over with the change documented. :page_facing_up:
so we can all stop guessing :exclamation_question_mark:

Let’s hope there are some backups then