VPS Bugs / Feature requests

[GatorDaveC]

Thanks for all the feedback!
It's been very important to us, and we've been busy fixing any minor bugs or adding in feature requests. Please keep them coming. If you have signed up and noticed any issues/bugs or if you would like to make any feature requests, please reply to this thread.

[quietFinn]

The "New Account Info" email does not tell how to access the Parallels Power Panel.

[GatorDaveC]

We added that into the welcome e-mail earlier today.

For those of you who don't know how to login to the Power Panel, use the following URL https://MAIN_IP:4643/ .

Originally Posted by quietFinn

The "New Account Info" email does not tell how to access the Parallels Power Panel.

[computerwis]

You should add, ServerGuard Security, FREE Firewall Protection, FREE Account Migrations, FREE Backups/Restores, No Bandwidth Overcharges, 50% Off First Payment Coupon(Which lasts ages), SSL
Starting at $24.99 /yr, 24x7 Pro-Active Monitoring, 24x7 Premium Support, don't close the VPS Hosting registration for Shared Hosting People but you can do it for the public, FFmpeg & Red5 Modules.

This should make things much better.

[angelo95]

So you have to pay an extra to keep the Cpanel ? What is this VZ one ? I have never heard of it and I would like to know what I potentially loose switching from a Cpanel...

Thanks !

PS : and well done for the VPS !!

[jonel]

Originally Posted by GatorDaveC

We added that into the welcome e-mail earlier today.

For those of you who don't know how to login to the Power Panel, use the following URL https://MAIN_IP:4643/ .

When I received the Welcome email, I did not see the login link so I got lost. The email gives the IP and password but did not give the login link, much better if login link is there in the email.

[quietFinn]

Originally Posted by angelo95

So you have to pay an extra to keep the Cpanel ? What is this VZ one ? I have never heard of it and I would like to know what I potentially loose switching from a Cpanel...

That means the Parallers Power Panel.
It's not an alternative to cPanel, but it's a tool to control your VPS container.

http://www.parallels.com/products/virtuozzo/tools/ppp/

[Dragonhawk]

I just opened a ticket asking for "tun support" to be added to the host server my VPS is on in order to support OpenVPN connections to the VPS. This would be a great help as we would have direct SMB access to the server from our Dev machines. I can imagine a lot of users would find then useful.

[selmand]

Level 2 plan must have CPANEL option, because level 3 very expensive :S, i wanted to VPS but i havent got much money :S.

aluminium res panel 25 $ if i buy a vps i will pay 50 $ (Cpanel included) this is very expensive for me.

[rec9140]

Feautures:

PEAR Modules:

The number of system PEAR modules is pitiful!

The DEFAULT SYSTEM WIDE available to all accounts should match the modules that are available on a standard HG shared account.

I don't want to spend all weekend figuring out what modules MediaWiki, Wordpress, etc.. need to work when they work fine on a shared account out of the box.

The same modules in a shared account should be the default in the VPS.


Why install these as system default????

Simple, I've had nothing but headaches when PEAR modules are not in the system default setup. No amount of path change, directory spec'ng, etc. in setups, WHM, PHP.ini or elsewhere will fix, till they are IN THE SYSTEM DEFAULT SETUP.

It also just makes life easier in general.

ImageMagik/GD

These should be included as default as well. MediaWiki for one needs either of these, with ImageMagik the better choice.

This is a serious oversight in my opinion, not to include ImageMagik

IonCube Loader

Another feature from shared that many software packages require to use.

Based on these 3 things alone, one account I couldn't transfer with out spending a weekend figuring out PEAR modules alone. And my calendar feature would be dead, as it needs IonCube. (Just FYI: That alone has cost you another VPS account. Why move something that works, if I have to spend a bunch of time fixing a huge list of problems... If it ain't broke, dont FIX IT!)




Feature Changes



WHM/CPanel on ALL LEVELS, DEFAULT.

I don't know what VZ panel is, (again VZ means Verizon in my world, maybe in the non RF industry it means something ) but WHM/CPanel is the standard and the #1 and best. Just use it. Give a discount for choosing some other admin in the other levels if you want, but WHM/CPanel is king and the only admin system out there that works, reliably.

I will second the thoughts about the pricing on the levels v. reseller alum v. level 3 (needed to get WHM/CPanel) over all since I have a reseller and a regular shared account, its not that much of an increase, plus I will moving other domains to the VPS (pending my succesfull test phase, not going good though). So for what I have in accounts and what I plan to move it works, others may not.

I understand this is VPS and comparing it to my $350/month full DEDICATED quad core boxes is not fair or equal, but I think a little tweak on the pricing levels may grab more of your resellers to VPS.

[jonel]

Originally Posted by rec9140

WHM/CPanel on ALL LEVELS, DEFAULT.

I agree with rec9140, WHM/CPanel should be a default in all packages. I have package 1 and I really don't know what to do inside VZ. I felt like I was hooked with alligator bait, I wish nobody would fall in my position when the VPS is fully launched.

Anyway, I have a lot of time to burn this two weeks and I will spend it exploring my VPS account. Can you guys imagine what a Windows user is doing in Linux environment, configuring the network? It's a total CHAOS.

Anyway, I found out that VZ "only" is not for me and I plan to drop this account and bought another one with WHM/Cpanel. I know I can make it with WHM/CPanel, it's an idiot proof environment and that is what I needed.

As for now, tickets, tickets, tickets, and I thanks HG for mentoring me for only $19.95 (with 50% for THANKYOU code). I don't need to go to expensive university to learn this, I have tickets-tickets-tickets. No I don't abuse HG's kindness, let me call it "taking advantage".

[Dragonhawk]

Originally Posted by Dragonhawk

I just opened a ticket asking for "tun support" to be added to the host server my VPS is on in order to support OpenVPN connections to the VPS. This would be a great help as we would have direct SMB access to the server from our Dev machines. I can imagine a lot of users would find then useful.

Thanks for getting that fixed so fast guys! I now have OpenVPN and Samba configured so I access the VPS like it was here in the office (I think our old Dell testing server is about to meet it's maker). Now that I have my Nagios monitors on a reliable system, I can re-enable the alerts I had to turn off because of my crappy office connection.

The one issue I am still having is with DNS name server resolution. I notice that bind is not running on my server, and when I look at the zones that are configured, I don't see my domain name in there anywhere. Is the name resolution being handled by the host OS or is my bind install what is causing the issues?

Oh and one more thing I noticed, via my Nagios monitors, it seems that there is no swap configured in the default image. Was this on purpose or just an oversight?

Thanks again!

[Dragonhawk]

Originally Posted by jonel

I agree with rec9140, WHM/CPanel should be a default in all packages. I have package 1 and I really don't know what to do inside VZ. I felt like I was hooked with alligator bait, I wish nobody would fall in my position when the VPS is fully launched.

WHM/CPanel and VZ are two completely different tools. VZ is used to manage and configure your virtual server (think sitting in front of the hardware with a KVM type manage) and WHM/CPanel are for managing your web hosting accounts and clients on that machine.

I do agree that it would be nice to have WHM as an option on all the plans (even the $19.95 plan with the extra $10 per month for WHM is a higher end cost than the Aluminum reseller plan). In my case, I wanted the VPS for monitoring and testing rather than my actual hosting business. If WHM was offered on all the VPS packages as an add on option, I would likely have them move my reseller account over to a second VPS server (obviously I would have to request it be on a different Host machine, otherwise my monitors would do nothing for me if there was a hardware failure). The big key here is a tool like Nagios requires root access to the system. This is why a VPS is an ideal platform to run it on.

[Gorkfu]

Originally Posted by jonel

Anyway, I have a lot of time to burn this two weeks and I will spend it exploring my VPS account. Can you guys imagine what a Windows user is doing in Linux environment, configuring the network? It's a total CHAOS.

Can learn a lot for CentOS from this resource.
http://server-world.info/en/

I'm primarily a windows user also, but have set up servers with ubuntu server. I'm sorta new to CentOS but the setup has been very similar to ubuntu.

[Misterpat]

So far, I would say Imagemagick and GD should be included by default, along with Gettext in PHP.

[Gorkfu]

Originally Posted by GatorDaveC

The PHP, MySQL and Perl versions are pretty much the same.. PHP is version 5.2.8, MySQL is 5.0.x, perl is 5.8.8.

The above quote is from the soft launch thread. I assumed this meant PHP and MySQL packages were pre installed. My container didn't have any PHP or MySQL packages pre-installed. It did have Perl packages though. I reinstalled my container to see if they would get them installed. That was a no go.

This is ok though, I'd rather install my own packages, just thought I'd point it out that PHP and MySQL don't seem to be setup with the default container.

[Gorkfu]

Oh and another question involving updates to the default container done by HG.

If HG changes the default container setup (adds new packages, features etc.). Will those changes be set on the default container? Like if I choose to reinstall will I see those changes? Or will only new accounts see them?

[GatorDaveC]

We originally didn't install a package with pear modules, since we didn't want to bloat the VPS, and use up space. Plus its pretty easy to install a pear module `pear install module_name`.

I've decided to make a pear module pack. Please refer to the post here ( http://forums.hostgator.com/php-pear....html?p=190049 ) let me know if you want any other pear modules.

GD and ImageMagik should be installed by default now as well.

Originally Posted by rec9140

Feautures:

PEAR Modules:

The number of system PEAR modules is pitiful!

The DEFAULT SYSTEM WIDE available to all accounts should match the modules that are available on a standard HG shared account.

I don't want to spend all weekend figuring out what modules MediaWiki, Wordpress, etc.. need to work when they work fine on a shared account out of the box.

The same modules in a shared account should be the default in the VPS.


Why install these as system default????

Simple, I've had nothing but headaches when PEAR modules are not in the system default setup. No amount of path change, directory spec'ng, etc. in setups, WHM, PHP.ini or elsewhere will fix, till they are IN THE SYSTEM DEFAULT SETUP.

It also just makes life easier in general.

ImageMagik/GD

These should be included as default as well. MediaWiki for one needs either of these, with ImageMagik the better choice.

This is a serious oversight in my opinion, not to include ImageMagik

IonCube Loader

Another feature from shared that many software packages require to use.

Based on these 3 things alone, one account I couldn't transfer with out spending a weekend figuring out PEAR modules alone. And my calendar feature would be dead, as it needs IonCube. (Just FYI: That alone has cost you another VPS account. Why move something that works, if I have to spend a bunch of time fixing a huge list of problems... If it ain't broke, dont FIX IT!)




Feature Changes



WHM/CPanel on ALL LEVELS, DEFAULT.

I don't know what VZ panel is, (again VZ means Verizon in my world, maybe in the non RF industry it means something ) but WHM/CPanel is the standard and the #1 and best. Just use it. Give a discount for choosing some other admin in the other levels if you want, but WHM/CPanel is king and the only admin system out there that works, reliably.

I will second the thoughts about the pricing on the levels v. reseller alum v. level 3 (needed to get WHM/CPanel) over all since I have a reseller and a regular shared account, its not that much of an increase, plus I will moving other domains to the VPS (pending my succesfull test phase, not going good though). So for what I have in accounts and what I plan to move it works, others may not.

I understand this is VPS and comparing it to my $350/month full DEDICATED quad core boxes is not fair or equal, but I think a little tweak on the pricing levels may grab more of your resellers to VPS.

[GatorDaveC]

Bind isn't configured by default if you don't have cPanel installed, since a VPS can be used for many uses other then a web server.

We have had a couple people request that Bind be installed on the non-cPanel environments to make it easier.

And the question about swap. Virtuozzo VPS containers don't use a swap partition. It will use the main memory, but if swap is needed on the main node, it can use it.

Originally Posted by Dragonhawk

Thanks for getting that fixed so fast guys! I now have OpenVPN and Samba configured so I access the VPS like it was here in the office (I think our old Dell testing server is about to meet it's maker). Now that I have my Nagios monitors on a reliable system, I can re-enable the alerts I had to turn off because of my crappy office connection.

The one issue I am still having is with DNS name server resolution. I notice that bind is not running on my server, and when I look at the zones that are configured, I don't see my domain name in there anywhere. Is the name resolution being handled by the host OS or is my bind install what is causing the issues?

Oh and one more thing I noticed, via my Nagios monitors, it seems that there is no swap configured in the default image. Was this on purpose or just an oversight?

Thanks again!

[jlgreer1]

The only customer cause problem I have had with a VPS was due to lack of swap space. I have a Level 3 vps, how likely am I to have a memory overflow?

Jeff

PS. I have another VPS with a competitor that uses XEN on a CentOS system. I have the equivalent of a Level 3 here. It has used a small amount of swap from time to time. It makes me feel uneasy not to have swap available.

[Misterpat]

One request I can think of, other than my other post in this thread, would be to have the same php features as I did in a shared host, here.

What about installing php ini quick config also?

[Gorkfu]

I'm not sure if this is a bug or a "feature" for PPP. If you do a reinstall it clears the bandwidth meter.

Probably not a big deal anyways since people won't reinstall containers that often unless something drastic happens.

[Dragonhawk]

Originally Posted by GatorDaveC

Bind isn't configured by default if you don't have cPanel installed, since a VPS can be used for many uses other then a web server.

We have had a couple people request that Bind be installed on the non-cPanel environments to make it easier.

And the question about swap. Virtuozzo VPS containers don't use a swap partition. It will use the main memory, but if swap is needed on the main node, it can use it.

Thanks. I have removed the swap space monitor from Nagios and everything else seems fine.

As for Bind, The welcome email gives you all this info about name servers and what you need to do with the registrar. As this is not pre-setup, it is a little misleading. I have no problem with setting up Bind, I just needed to know that I indeed had to do it.

Thanks.

[rec9140]

Originally Posted by GatorDaveC

We originally didn't install a package with pear modules, since we didn't want to bloat the VPS, and use up space. Plus its pretty easy to install a pear module `pear install module_name`.

I've decided to make a pear module pack. Please refer to the post here ( http://forums.hostgator.com/php-pear....html?p=190049 ) let me know if you want any other pear modules.

I'll look at it.... and while I understand your reasoning and sort of knew/know where your coming from...unfortunately sometimes good practices and what happens in the real world don't mix.

PEAR is one of them...I've been there done it when it comes to PEAR modules and adding via the CPanel system... I always find that something crucial to some site will not work this way and the only way to cure it is via it being installed as part of the system modules. Never the same modules, although most times it is... No amount of paths and ini mods will cure it. Software is written to have PEAR in /x, can't modify it as its encoded using IonCube etc..

Originally Posted by GatorDaveC

GD and ImageMagik should be installed by default now as well.

[/quote]

Does that mean the EXISTING ones ie: *MINE* have had this added? Or Do I need a ticket to get this done?

[jamesoks]

Subscribed originally to a Level 1 but had to upgrade to Level 3 as was lost w/o a control panel.

Some initial feedback and suggestions:

a) Agree with suggestions that cpanel/whm should be an option (not default) to cater for both experienced and non-experienced groups of users since quite a few users will be moving from shared hosting

b) There should be options to upgrade specific modules (e.g. I may want only more disk space and bandwidth, but do not want to pay for increased CPU and RAM). Current VPS plans only have 1 upgrade path. Will probably be harder to administer/bill, but definitely much more flexible.

c) There should be more information provided upfront. Some examples:
- a VZ demo would probably be useful for Linux newbies in gauging the suitability of Level 1 / 2 packages
- FAQ. e.g. are resources burstable

d) There needs to be more alignment of information. E.g. the info I received regarding VPS mail policy from staff in this forum vs HG Livechat is conflicting with regards to the 500 mail/hr limit