Settings

The panel's settings file /etc/hostfog/config.json, how to read and change it, and which keys administrators may change.

Most of HF Panel's settings live in the panel and are changed on its screens. A small set of server-level settings lives in a file, /etc/hostfog/config.json. This page explains that file and which of its keys you may change.

Change settings in the panel first

Almost everything is a screen in Server Admin. Use these before you edit any file:

What	Where
Brand name and colour, panel language, support email, sender name and address, role address forwarding, welcome emails, two-factor login for staff	Server Admin › System › Settings
Nameservers and the server IP used for new DNS records and SPF	Server Admin › System › Settings › DNS & network
Logo, colours and company name everywhere	Server Admin › System › White label
Backups and backup storage	Server Admin › System › Backups and Backup storage
Web server tuning	Server Admin › System › Web server profiles
Service config files (Nginx, Apache, PHP, MariaDB, Postfix, Dovecot, BIND …)	Server Admin › System › Config files (each save is tested, and rolled back if the test fails)
Automatic updates	Server Admin › Server › HF Panel updates

Server-level changes that have a command should be made with it: see Server commands.

The settings file


File	`/etc/hostfog/config.json`
Owner and mode	`root:hostfog`, `0640` — readable by the panel, writable by root only
Format	JSON
HF Mail's settings	`/etc/hostfog/webmail.json`, same format

hf-api reads the file again by itself when it changes. You don't need to restart anything after a change.

Read and change it

Use the hf-api config command as root. It never writes broken JSON, which a hand edit can:

bash

H=/usr/local/hostfog/bin/hf-api
$H config show                          # the whole file
$H config get panel_port                # one value (true/false print as 1/0, lists space-separated)
$H config set studio_import_mb 256      # a JSON value: a number, true/false, ["a","b"] or "text"
$H config set-text public_site https://www.yourdomain.com   # always stored as text
$H config unset public_site             # remove a key
$H config --webmail get smtp_host       # the same for HF Mail's settings

Warning: if you edit the file by hand and break the JSON (a missing comma or quote), the panel stops answering. python3 -m json.tool /etc/hostfog/config.json names the line with the mistake.

Tip: before you change anything, copy the file: cp /etc/hostfog/config.json /root/config.json.bak.

Keys you may change

Key	What it does	Default
`admin_email`	the administrator's email address: SSL notices, alerts and system emails	asked at installation
`public_site`	where `server.`, `panel.` and `reseller.yourdomain.com` send visitors who open them without the port	`https://yourdomain.com/`
`studio_import_mb`	the largest `.sql` file HF Studio imports, in MB	`128`
`check_resolver`	the public DNS server used for live DNS checks (DNS setup, Deliverability, Mail health)	`1.1.1.1`
`dnsbl_resolver`	a DNS server used for spam blocklist checks of the server's IP	the system's
`brand`, `brand_color`	the brand name and colour — prefer White label or Settings	`HF Panel`, `#d87858`
`company_name`	the server's company name in footers and email sender names — prefer White label	asked at installation

After changing public_site, run /usr/local/hostfog/bin/hf-agent portals-web so the web server uses the new address. After changing studio_import_mb, run the same command so db.yourdomain.com accepts the larger uploads.

Keys you change with a command

These keys are set by the installer and by hf-panel. Change them with the command, which also updates the web server, certificates and DNS. Setting them by hand changes only the file.

Key	What it holds	Change it with
`portal_admin`, `portal_client`, `portal_reseller`	the names of Server Admin, Control Panel and Reseller Panel	`hf-panel portals on --admin … --customer … --reseller …` / `hf-panel portals off`
`portal_files`	HF Files' own address	`hf-panel files-portal on [NAME]` / `off`
`portal_studio`	HF Studio's own address	`hf-panel db-portal on [NAME]` / `off`
`portal_api`	the API's own address	`hf-panel api-portal on [NAME]` / `off`
`portal_status`	the status page's own address	`hf-panel status-page on [NAME]` / `off`
`mail_name`	the mail server's name (MX, greeting, reverse DNS)	`hf-panel mail-name NAME`
`mail_host`, `smtp_host`, `imap_host`	the mail names in use now; they follow `mail_name` once DNS points at the server	set by the panel
`tunnel_domain`	the domain HF Tunnel links live under	Server Admin › Hosting › Tunnels

Keys you should not change

These are set at installation and other parts of the server depend on them. Changing them by hand can break the panel.

Key	What it holds
`panel_host`	the server's own host name, for example `panel.yourdomain.com`
`panel_port`	the panel port (default `8443`)
`api_port`	the API's port (default `2087`)
`server_ip`	the server's public IPv4 address at installation (change the one used for DNS under Settings › DNS & network instead)
`nameservers`	the nameservers at installation (change them under Settings › DNS & network)
`mail_enabled`, `dns_enabled`	whether email and the DNS server were installed
`app_key`	the server's secret key: sessions, sealed data and sign-in links depend on it
`db_path`	the panel database, `/var/lib/hostfog/hostfog.sqlite`
`agent`, `agent_dry_run`	the root helper and its test mode. `agent_dry_run` must stay `false` on a live server
`shared_dir`, `webmail_url`	paths the panel and HF Mail share
`edition`, `licence_server`	the edition and the licence server. The licence key itself is changed on the Licence screen

Warning: never change app_key. Everyone is signed out, and saved passwords and keys sealed with it stop working.