In this directory you can find already given config files for some linux services.

This is an example of the samba logrotate in /etc/logrotate.d/samba:

/var/log/samba/log.smbd {
weekly
missingok
rotate 7
postrotate
invoke-rc.d --quiet samba reload > /dev/null
endscript
compress
notifempty
}


The samba log file is rotated weekly and 7 rotated files will be compressed and archived. The eighth file is removed. After the rotation process the samba daemon is reloaded.

compress
This is used to compress the rotated log file with gzip.

nocompress
This is used when you don’t want to compress rotated log files.

copytruncate
This is used when processes are still writing information to open log files. This option copies the active log file to a backup and truncates the active log file.

nocopytruncate
This copies the log files to backup, but the open log file is not truncated.

create mode owner group
This rotates the log file and creates a new log file with the specified permissions, owner, and group. The default is to use the same mode, owner, and group as the original file.

nocreate
This prevents the creation of a new log file.

delaycompress
When used with the compress option, the rotated log file is not compressed until the next time it is cycled.

nodelaycompress
This overrides delaycompress. The log file is compressed when it is cycled.

errors address
This mails logrotate errors to an address.

ifempty
With this, the log file is rotated even if it is empty. This is the default for logrotate.

notifempty
This does not rotate the log file if it is empty.

mail address
This mails log files that are cycled to an address. When mail log files are cycled, they are effectively removed from the system.

nomail
When mail log files are cycled, a copy is not mailed.

olddir directory
With this, cycled log files are kept in the specified directory. This directory must be on the same filesystem as the current log files.

noolddir
Cycled log files are kept in the same directory as the current log files.

prerotate/endscript
These are statements that enclose commands to be executed prior to a log file being rotated. The prerotate and endscript keywords must appear on a line by themselves.

postrotate/endscript
These are statements that enclose commands to be executed after a log file has been rotated. The postrotate and endscript keywords must appear on a line by themselves.

daily
This is used to rotate log files daily.

weekly
This is used to rotate log files weekly.

monthly
This is used to rotate log files monthly.

rotate count
This specifies the number of times to rotate a file before it is deleted. A count of 0 (zero) means no copies are retained. A count of 5 means five copies are retained.

tabootext [+] list
This directs logrotate to not rotate files with the specified extension. The default list of extensions is .rpm-orig, .rpmsave, v, and ~.

size size
With this, the log file is rotated when the specified size is reached. Size may be specified in bytes (default), kilobytes (sizek), or megabytes (sizem).

So, it’s not easy to choose an apropriate system. In this article I will present a few free webhosting control panels, which runs on linux. In a future post, I will also present some commercial panels.

• ASM Account Service Manager
• DTC Domain Technology Control
• Web-CP
• SysCP
• VHCS

The ASM (Account Service Manager) project

The ASM project is a nice control panel to serve some relatives or friends. The panel is well sorted and offers the most required features. Because of the styling and layout, I would disadvice that panel for commercial services.

The last activities are long time ago, so I suppose the developer has stopped the project. What a shame.

 
Finding project here: http://www.acctmgr.com/

The DTC (Domain Technology Control) project

This project seems to be more active than the above one. DTC is a nice looking control panel and supports the most required features and is sponsored by at least two companies. It’s advisable for commercial environments.
 
DTC can delegate the task of creating subdomains, email, ssh, database, mailing lists, and FTP accounts to users for the domain names they own.
 
Furthermore you can find a comprehensive wiki and install instructions.

 
Finding project here: http://www.gplhost.com/software-dtc.html

• FTP account management
• htaccess menue
• error page management
• mysql management (create and backup databases) / You can create customer databases only in the serverCP section, but not as customer. phpMyAdmin is available
• SSL management

Maybe there are some more features in the future. The current version is more useful for own website projects on a vserver / dedicated server, than for commercial webhosting control panel.

 
Finding project here: http://www.web-cp.net/

The SysCP project

SysCP and VHCS are the most popular free webhosting control panels. With SysCP I have a lot experience – I’ve used this for a few hundred customers in several environments.
 
SysCP is very flexible an easy to adapt to your own needs. But be carefully, because of update compatibility. The system doesn’t have a template engine and is divided into typical three sections: Admin, Reseller, User.
I can advise the system for commercial use, it’s supports all necessary features.

 

 
Finding project here: http://www.syscp.org/home.html

The VHCS project

VHCS is also an very common control panel and often used in commercial hosting environments. Without any doubt, I can advise this project.
 
The panel contains the three typical sections for admins, resellers and users. In addition to SysCP, VHCS contains an own WebFTP and WebMail interface. The project is well documented.

 
Finding the project here: http://www.vhcs.net/new/

Please feel free to comment any further free control panels or forgotten features if you know.

Firstly, the registration agency allows to use both methods parallel. But the authinfo method is much more secure. It decreases the risk to transfer domains to unauthorized persons, because of the generated authinfo password.

How does it work:

If you are the owner of a .de domain and want to transfer it from a webhoster to another, than you have to follow these steps:

• Send your present hoster a notice of cancellation with the intention to do a provider change. The present hoster needs this sheet to get the admission for unlocking the domain.
• The present hoster will send you an automatic generated password (authinfo)
• Take the order at the future contractor with the note, that the domain isn’t a new one but a transfer domain
• Put the authinfo code wich got from present hoster into the appropriate order field of the future hoster.
• The transfer will be done, when the two passwords matches

Image by DENIC

Helpful links:

• http://www.denic.de/de/denic/presse/press_91.html [german]
• http://www.denic.de/en/denic/presse/press_91.html [english]

First thing you need is an appropriate mysql schema that belongs your needs. This is my example:

CREATE TABLE ftp_users (
username varchar(60) binary default NULL,
uid int(11) default NULL,
gid int(11) default NULL,
password varchar(30) default NULL,
homedir varchar(250) default NULL,
count int(11) default NULL,
ui bigint(20) NOT NULL auto_increment,
shell varchar(60) default NULL,
last datetime default NULL,
allow char(1) default NULL,
PRIMARY KEY (ui)
) TYPE=ISAM PACK_KEYS=1;

CREATE TABLE xfer_stat (
username tinytext,
filename text,
size bigint(20) default NULL,
host tinytext,
ip tinytext,
action tinytext,
durability tinytext,
local_time datetime default NULL,
success char(1) default NULL,
ui bigint(20) NOT NULL auto_increment,
PRIMARY KEY (ui)
) TYPE=MyISAM;


Be sure to have installed all required linux packages:

apt-get -y install mysql-client-5.0
apt-get -y install mysql-server-5.0
apt-get -y install mysql-common
apt-get -y install proftpd-mysql

Last thing to do is adapting the /etc/proftpd.conf for acessing mysql tables. You will find the lines at end of the configuration file. Please insert your passwords:


DefaultRoot ~
RequireValidShell off

SQLAuthTypes Plaintext Crypt
SQLAuthenticate users* groups*
SQLConnectInfo mysqluser@127.0.0.1 mysqluser mysqlpassword
SQLUserInfo ftp_users username password uid gid homedir shell
SQLGroupInfo ftp_groups groupname gid members
SQLUserWhereClause "login_enabled = 'Y'"

SQLLogFile /var/log/ftp/proftpd.sql.log

SQLLog PASS login
SQLNamedQuery login UPDATE "last_login=now(), login_count=login_count+1 WHERE username='%u'" ftp_users

SQLLog RETR download
SQLNamedQuery download UPDATE "down_count=down_count+1, down_bytes=down_bytes+%b WHERE username='%u'" ftp_users

SQLLog STOR upload
SQLNamedQuery upload UPDATE "up_count=up_count+1, up_bytes=up_bytes+%b WHERE username='%u'" ftp_users


Helpful link:
http://www.proftpd.de/HowTo-SQL.29.0.html

Step 1: login to the backend. Usually your domain with port 8443. Example:
https://www.yourdomain.com:8443

Step 2:: choose your domain name (click “start” in left menue first)

Step 3: after selecting the appropriate item, you’ll find an email symbol on the screen.

Step 4: creating an email account by clicking the symbol.

Step 5: Type in required informations and mailname – leave checkbox downside false. So, no ordinary account is needed.

Step 6: The defined email will be shown in your list. All left mini – icons should be gray. Clicking the third from left hand, the redirection editor opens.

Last step: enter the redirecten adress and set checkbox.

IP location websites:
http://www.geobytes.com/IpLocator.htm
http://www.db.ripe.net/whois
http://www.seomoz.org/ip2loc?start
http://geotool.servehttp.com/

WHOIS queries:
http://www.internic.net/whois.html
http://www.denic.de/de/
http://www.betterwhois.com/
http://www.rrpproxy.net/