Pihole v6 is Finally Here
the start of something new
Finally! The team over at pihole has released v6 to the world.
Let’s let Claude summarize what’s new.
Major Architectural Changes
Web Server Changes
Removed lighttpd dependency
Added new webserver.log file with rotation support
Implemented new API callback system for local requests
Added native HTTPS support with secure ports ending in "s" and redirect ports ending in "r"
Database and Storage
Upgraded gravity database to version 16-19
Introduced database optimization
Improved gravity database resilience
Moved gravity list cache to dedicated directory
Implemented ETags for gravity lists
Added support for database integrity checking
Configuration Management
Migrated dnsmasq configuration files
Removed multiple legacy configuration files:
webpage.sh
local.list
openVPN traces
dns-servers.conf
Implemented TOML-based configuration
Feature Removals and Deprecations
Removed Chronometer
Dropped support for ARMv4 and ARMv5 architectures
Removed idn2 (punycode conversion now handled by FTL)
Removed audit log
Deprecated restartdns in favor of reloaddns
Security and Performance
Added CAP_SYS_TIME to FTL's ambient capabilities
Implemented protocol validation for blocklist downloads
Improved file permissions management:
Ensuring pihole-FTL can write to critical directories
Setting correct ownership for gravity output files
Requiring explicit permissions for local files
Added remote FTL checksum verification
Core Functionality Improvements
Added antigravity support (allowlist subscription)
Updated query.sh to use FTL's API instead of direct database access
Improved gravity processing:
Added support for adlist duplicates
Better domain counting in gravity summary
Improved handling of AdGuard JavaScript rules
Added gravity timing information
Enhanced gravity swap mechanism
Installation and Update Improvements
Created meta-package system for dependencies
Improved OS detection with IPv4 and IPv6 support
Enhanced update process feedback
Added systemd-resolved stub listener handling
Improved migration process from v5 to v6
Testing and Development
Updated test suite support:
Added Ubuntu 24.04 and Fedora 40
Removed older distributions (CentOS 8, Debian 10, Ubuntu 23)
Added pytest-clarity for better error logging
Improved development workflow with better branch management
Notable Behavioral Changes
Downloads now require explicit protocols
Custom list locations have changed
Privacy levels and query logging mechanics updated
New gravity database versioning system
Changed handling of DNS server configuration
Will I try it out? Maybe. It’s been a while since I considered using pihole. I know people are religious about it, but a while back I got into a scuffle(?) with the pihole reddit mods, and I can’t say I am a huge fan of the community itself.
Cheers,
Joe