# External.conf not being loaded in 2023.1

**URL:** <https://discourse.pi-hole.net/t/external-conf-not-being-loaded-in-2023-1/60543>\
**Category:** docker\
**Tags:** networking, lighttpd, docker\
**Created:** [January 17, 2023, 12:18pm UTC](https://discourse.pi-hole.net/t/external-conf-not-being-loaded-in-2023-1/60543 "2023-01-17T12:18:38Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![jameson\_uk](https://discourse-cdn.pi-hole.net/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/aca169/32.png) [@jameson\_uk](https://discourse.pi-hole.net/u/jameson_uk)\
**Post date:** [January 17, 2023, 12:18pm UTC](https://discourse.pi-hole.net/t/external-conf-not-being-loaded-in-2023-1/60543/1 "2023-01-17T12:18:38Z")

</div>

I have been using an external.conf file for a long time to provide https access. ([Enabling HTTPS for your Pi-hole Web Interface](https://discourse.pi-hole.net/t/enabling-https-for-your-pi-hole-web-interface/5771))  
Looks like the changes around not overwriting the lighttpd conf files are making this file not be processed.

Since updating the contents of this file are not being processed and I can see that lighttpd is only listening on port 80 and http.

Reverting to 2022.12.1 and the front end is working via https again.

Checking lighttpd.conf in 2022.12.1 I see

```auto
# Add user chosen options held in external file
# This uses include_shell instead of an include wildcard for compatibility
include_shell "cat external.conf 2>/dev/null"

```

but that isn't there in 2023.1

The release notes do say all user config should be in external.conf ([Pi-hole FTL v5.20.1, Web v5.18.1 and Core v5.15 released](https://discourse.pi-hole.net/t/pi-hole-ftl-v5-20-1-web-v5-18-1-and-core-v5-15-released/60495)) so is there something I have missed with the change?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![PromoFaux](https://discourse-cdn.pi-hole.net/user_avatar/discourse.pi-hole.net/promofaux/32/1545_2.png) [@PromoFaux](https://discourse.pi-hole.net/u/PromoFaux)\
**Post date:** [January 17, 2023, 1:16pm UTC](https://discourse.pi-hole.net/t/external-conf-not-being-loaded-in-2023-1/60543/2 "2023-01-17T13:16:17Z")

</div>

Somebody reported the same thing on Github earlier - it was an oversight in the documentation:

[https://github.com/pi-hole/docker-pi-hole/issues/1277](https://github.com/pi-hole/docker-pi-hole/issues/1277)

There is also now a note on the top of the Readme:

[https://github.com/pi-hole/docker-pi-hole#upgrade-notes](https://github.com/pi-hole/docker-pi-hole#upgrade-notes)

Edit:

TL;DR:

> if you have any modifications for lighttpd via an `external.conf` file, this file now needs to be mapped into `/etc/lighttpd/conf-enabled/whateverfile.conf` instead