Free webhosting control panels

mk_michael — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 15:05:51 +0000

If you’re going to become a webhoster – the control panel will be one of most important decisions. If the control panel doesn’t work reasonable, you will loose your customers.

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.

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.

Important points:

Perl based system

Secure login – locks sessions by IP and hostname
Changing theme properties by config file
Modular architecture – easy customizing
API library
Easy configuration by a single file
Own configuration file for each customer to define limits
Language: english only

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.

Important points:

Real-time bandwidth monitor for all server on each user basis

Antivirus and anti-spam with spam quarantine (“spam” imap folder) for mail

Automated backup NS and MX between 2 or more control panels (with domain list exchange over HTTPS)

Unix type independency (can run on FreeBSD, redhat, debian, OS-X…)

Store-front integration with registration form and payment gateway option

Mailing lists with many options

Package installer (like fantastico) to be able to install many apps (phpBB, osCommerce, Drupal, etc…)
Full internationalization: translated to many languages
Management of all types of hosting: Shared, Dedicated or VPS
Full billing system, including customer invoicing and renewals, and company book keeping with multiple company support
Integrated support ticket system
Chrooted cgi-bin with execution limitation to protect your server
No ugly daemon running: we use apache directly
Choice of running daemon: apache 1.3 or 2, mysql 3.23, 4 or even 5, from php 4.1.2 to php5, proftpd or pure-ftpd, qmail or postfix, etc…
Commercial support available

Supported distributions:

Debian
FreeBSD
RedHat
MAC OSX Server
Gentoo

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

The Web-CP (Webhosting Control Panel) project

Web-CP is a nice control panel, but not really advisable for commercial use. The look and feel could be more modern – but it’s open source – so you can adapt it for your needs.

The panel has less features inside customer section. I am missing:

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.

Important points:

Skinnable
Configurable Levels of Access
Task Automation
Advanced Reseller Management
Reseller, Domain, User Creation
Advanced User Management
E-Mail Settings; manage catch-all, aliase, autoresponder & forward
Access Restrictions
Flexible Domain Settings: IP Address, Hostname, Domain Name, Hostname Aliases, Domain, wildcard and redirect options, HD, User, Data Transfer, Database, Subdomain, Pointer Quota, PHP, ASP, Perl, Python, SSL, SSI, etc.
Database Management
Mailing list Management

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.

Supported daemons:

Apache, Apache 2.x, Lighttpd
Bind9, PowerDNS
Courier, Dovecot
Postfix, Exim4
ProFTP, PureFTP
Awstats, Webalizer

Important points:

Mail, FTP & Webspace management
Traffic-, Billing- and Ticketsystem
(Software as a Service) one click application installer (APS-Standard)
15 languages supported
DKIM & individual DNS/SPF Records
SSL for SysCP Panel and Customers
Full FastCGI/fcgid support
Full IPv4 and IPv6 support
Safemode and open_basedir chosable
Editable email-templates
Panel logging
Custom errorpages and path settings

Supported distributions:

Debian 4.0 (Etch)
Debian 3.1 (Sarge)
Ubuntu 8.04 (Hardy Heron)
Gentoo Linux
OpenSuSE Linux 10.0
FreeBSD

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.

Important points:

Hosting services plan management – create your own hosting plans

Аutomated creation of users and domains

Graphical evaluation of every reseller’s and user’s traffic
Virtual hosts management (Name-based, IP-based)
CO-Domains (Domain alias) and sub domains management
DNS (BIND 8 and 9) management
Managing FTP, EMail adresses, POP3 and IMAP accounts, autoresponders
CGI, PHP,SSI configuration and management
MySQL user databases, backup, restore
SSL-secured domains
password protection (.htaccess files)
Custom error files – 401, 403, 404 and 500
Multilanguage support
Skin-based graphic user interface – 4 pre-installed skins

Supported distributions:

SuSE Linux 7.x 8.x and 9.x
Red Hat Linux 7.x and 9.0
Debian Linux sid, woody and sarge
Fedora Core1, Core2 and Core 3

Used daemons:

Apache
Postfix MTA
ProFTP
PHP 4.x, Perl
MySQL
Courier POP3, IMAP
OpenSSL or mod_ssl for SSL-Webs
BIND8 / BIND9 (DNS Server)

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.

Authinfo for .de domains

mk_michael — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 13:06:18 +0000

Since december 2008, the DENIC provides an authinfo for domain transfers. This method is known from a lot top level domains. Befor december, the DENIC provided an asynchronous transfer method, which doesn’t need an authinfo.

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]

How to setup email forwarding in PLESK

mk_michael — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 12:40:07 +0000

With PLESK you’re able to define some email forwardings / redirects which makes your mailing more comfortable. Don’t forget to update your DNS records also (if this is in your keeping).

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.

WHOIS services and IP location

mk_michael — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 10:34:22 +0000

If you want to know, where an IP adress is located, or who has owned a domain, choose one of the links below:

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/

Michael Kolb Fulda» Web Engineering

Free webhosting control panels

The ASM (Account Service Manager) project

The DTC (Domain Technology Control) project

The Web-CP (Webhosting Control Panel) project

The SysCP project

The VHCS project

Authinfo for .de domains

How to setup email forwarding in PLESK

WHOIS services and IP location