Installing and Locking a Specific Version of F5 NGINX Plus

A guide for installing and locking a specific version of NGINX Plus to ensure stability, meet internal policies, and prepare for controlled upgrades.

Introduction

The most common way to install F5 NGINX Plus is by using the package manager tool native to your Linux host (e.g., yum, apt-get, etc.). By default, the package manager installs the latest available version of NGINX Plus. However, there may be scenarios where you need to install an earlier version. To help you modify your automation scripts, we’ve provided example commands for selecting a specific version. 

Common Scenarios for Installing an Earlier Version of NGINX Plus

• Your internal policy requires sticking to internally tested versions before deploying the latest release. 

• You prefer to maintain consistency by using the same version across your entire fleet for simplicity. 

• You’d like to verify and meet additional requirements introduced in a newer release (e.g., NGINX Plus Release 33) before upgrading. 

Commands for Installing and Holding a Specific Version of NGINX Plus

Use the following commands based on your Linux distribution to install and lock a prior version of NGINX Plus: 

Ubuntu 20.04, 22.04, 24.04 LTS 

sudo apt-get update   
sudo apt-get install -y nginx-plus=<VERSION>   
sudo apt-mark hold nginx-plus   

 

Debian 11, 12 

sudo apt-get update   
sudo apt-get install -y nginx-plus=<VERSION>   
sudo apt-mark hold nginx-plus   

 

AlmaLinux 8, 9 / Rocky Linux 8, 9 / Oracle Linux 8.1+, 9 / RHEL 8.1+, 9 

sudo yum install -y nginx-plus-<VERSION>   
sudo yum versionlock nginx-plus   

 

Amazon Linux 2 LTS, 2023 

sudo yum install -y nginx-plus-<VERSION>   
sudo yum versionlock nginx-plus   

 

 SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12, 15 SP5+ 

sudo zypper install nginx-plus=<VERSION>   
sudo zypper addlock nginx-plus   

 

Alpine Linux 3.17, 3.18, 3.19, 3.20 

apk add nginx-plus=<VERSION>  
echo "nginx-plus hold" | sudo tee -a /etc/apk/world   

 

FreeBSD 13, 14 

pkg install nginx-plus-<VERSION>   
pkg lock nginx-plus  

 

Notes 

• Replace <VERSION> with the desired version (e.g., 32-2*). 

• After installation, verify the installed version with the command: nginx -v. 

• Holding or locking the package ensures it won’t be inadvertently upgraded during routine updates. 
  

Conclusion

Installing and locking a specific version of NGINX Plus ensures stability, compliance with internal policies, and proper validation of new features before deployment. By following the provided commands tailored to your Linux distribution, you can confidently maintain control over your infrastructure while minimizing the risk of unintended upgrades. Regularly verifying the installed version and holding updates will help ensure consistency and reliability across your environments.