Shell access

[rfay]

I have been very pleased with HostGator to this point. The only thing I really miss (and I miss it badly) is shell access. I'm a long-time Unix person with 20+ years in the business, and I sometimes just need to be able to do something at the command line.

I'd be happy to undergo an interview, get bonded, or whatever worked :-) I do understand why you don't do shell access, but I sure would like you to make an occasional exception.

Thanks,
-Randy (professional-identity.com)

[Stef]

Hi Randy,

see also http://forum.hostgator.com/viewtopic.php?t=553.

Bye,
Stef.

[MaraBlue]

Originally Posted by rfay

I have been very pleased with HostGator to this point. The only thing I really miss (and I miss it badly) is shell access. I'm a long-time Unix person with 20+ years in the business, and I sometimes just need to be able to do something at the command line.

I'd be happy to undergo an interview, get bonded, or whatever worked :-) I do understand why you don't do shell access, but I sure would like you to make an occasional exception.

Thanks,
-Randy (professional-identity.com)

None of that should be required. Many, many, MANY hosts offer shell access, with no more security issues than HostGator has.

[GatorJustin]

Originally Posted by MaraBlue

None of that should be required. Many, many, MANY hosts offer shell access, with no more security issues than HostGator has.

While it may be true that many hosts offer shell access, I'm sure you'll find that the vast majority do not. In fact, the ration is probably in the neighborhood of 10:1.

The reason we (and other companies) choose not to offer such a service to our shared and reseller customers is that it is an added security risk.

[MaraBlue]

Originally Posted by Gator_Justin

While it may be true that many hosts offer shell access, I'm sure you'll find that the vast majority do not. In fact, the ration is probably in the neighborhood of 10:1.

The reason we (and other companies) choose not to offer such a service to our shared and reseller customers is that it is an added security risk.

I'm not aware of the ratio of hosting providers who offer shell access verses not, I was with WestHost for almost 2 years and so things might have changed since the last time I was looking for a hosting provide (geez, why does this feel like I just got a divorce, I'm newly single and the dating rules have changed? :roll: ).

Westhost's set up was and IS a security nightmare, which is why I'm changing providers. However, I'm still used to the old school way of doing things, and I'm finding the GUI of cPanel *very* confusing, and frankly I'm scared to death of really screwing something up royally.

[GatorJustin]

I can understand your frustration with losing an old friend (shell access) and trying to warm up to a new one (cpanel).

Back when I was a reseller, offering users their own control panel with an advanced suite of management utilities wasn't even a standard option. You had to really look hard to find a company that offered such a service, and then you would be expected to pay through the nose for it.

I was also accustomed to performing certain tasks via a command line, and to tell me that I wouldn't be able to administer my database via the MySQL console, I would have had a coronary.

These days security is a greater concern, fewer hosts are offering shell access to customers, and the inclusion of a contolr panel such as Cpanel is pretty much the norm.

I am fairly confident that once you have spent some time inside Cpanel and explored all that it has to offer, you will come to appreciate - maybe even rely - on having it.

[MaraBlue]

Originally Posted by Gator_Justin

I can understand your frustration with losing an old friend (shell access) and trying to warm up to a new one (cpanel).

Back when I was a reseller, offering users their own control panel with an advanced suite of management utilities wasn't even a standard option. You had to really look hard to find a company that offered such a service, and then you would be expected to pay through the nose for it.

I was also accustomed to performing certain tasks via a command line, and to tell me that I wouldn't be able to administer my database via the MySQL console, I would have had a coronary.

These days security is a greater concern, fewer hosts are offering shell access to customers, and the inclusion of a contolr panel such as Cpanel is pretty much the norm.

I am fairly confident that once you have spent some time inside Cpanel and explored all that it has to offer, you will come to appreciate - maybe even rely - on having it.

Blerrgghh....having spent most of the day Googling, I see you're right. But me? Rely on point-and-click server administration? Bite your tongue!

OK, I'm going back to try and wade through the tutorials, cuz Lord knows I don't wanna ask a dumb question that's already covered in there. But just in case...you're not going anywhere any time soon are you? lol

And btw, as difficult as I find cPanel, Westhost's web interface was FAR, FAR worse. Even their own tech support admitted that, as well as agreeing that the help manual was anything but helpful.

[BradCis]

Originally Posted by MaraBlue

I'm scared to death of really screwing something up royally.

Mara, I think it's pretty hard to screw up anything in cPanel. cPanel usually makes you confirm your decisions and/or lets you go back and change what you did wrong. Even though cPanel has tons of advanced features, its quite safe.

PS.. if you continue to have troubles with such, let me know, ill help ya.