Hey.

Wanting to start a little hosting company.
The plan is to lease a dedicated server, and use
it to host accounts.

Problem is, i have ZERO tech knowledge.

Is it possible to administer a server using only a ControlPanel?
(Plesk, in this case.)

Do you still need much tech knowledge, if you have a complete control panel.
Or is a CP, really different.

Help me Out. Please.
Trevor

Originally posted by Mack

Problem is, i have ZERO tech knowledge.
Is it possible to administer a server using only a ControlPanel?
(Plesk, in this case.)
Do you still need much tech knowledge, if you have a complete control panel.
Or is a CP, really different.


I would say not that easy. You still need a little knowledge about how to manage a linux server.
Perhaps it better for you to be a reseller first, while on the other hand you could learn some linux command.

Aloha
as above go with being a reseller first
get a swapable HD for home unless you have a extra puter
install Linux and start playing if you can get a static IP from your internet provider get a domain or two at stargateinc so you can control dns to your static server at your house (dont try to host on this just play with your stuff on it)
you should learn a ton from this alone
then you can decide what way to go
and get a good chair and read read read WHT and many other sources as you can find on your web kiss your life your friends and every bit of daylight you remember good bye you just enterd the webhosting addiction life

Yes, find a good and reliable host who u can learn something from as their reseller.

Than when u have enough (or at least a bit) knowledge and idea with web hosting and Linux than only u start with ur own dedicated server.

Control Panel is not a must, but a good + automated control panel will save you a lot of time and effords.


:)

A competant administrator is a must in this business. A control panel may get you by with setting up accounts, and general management of the machine, but it won't help you track hack attempts, DoS attacks, and other mischief.

I have a friend who hosts several sites for friends on a RaQ appliance, and I found that he had been owned about two years ago. He was running some sort of IRC proxy for that amount of time, having absolutely no idea. His control panel didn't tell him, and the person who hacked in kept a low profile.

It wasn't until the hacker decided to use the server to send a ton of SPAM that any flags were finally raised (and thus I was brought in to investigate). It was quite a mess to clean up.

On a lighter note, you also need to be able to deal with questions from potential users. Java servlets, mod_rewrite, which gcc version, available shells, and kernel patch levels are just a few of the things you'll be asked at one point or another. Some users will simply go elsewhere, but others may just sign in hopes of attempting to hack your machine.

Just my 2 cents...

Originally posted by Mack
Wanting to start a little hosting company.
The plan is to lease a dedicated server, and use
it to host accounts.

Problem is, i have ZERO tech knowledge.

Is it possible to administer a server using only a ControlPanel?
(Plesk, in this case.)

Do you still need much tech knowledge, if you have a complete control panel.
Or is a CP, really different.I'd like to be an auto mechanic but I have zero knowledge. Do you think if I just bought a dynamometer I could start my own garage?

Sarcasm aside, you can probably get by for a while with just a control panel. The thing is, when there's a problem or someone needs to get a certain feature running, what do you do then? If you're going to be charging people money, you owe it to them and yourself to be competent in the job you're doing. If you're going to get a cheap server to host websites of your friends and family that's fine, but if you're going to be hosting the websites of people whose income will be depending on you to provide support, that's another thing entirely.

Linux System Administration (Linux Library) (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0782127355/qid=998868788/sr=8-1/ref=aps_sr_b_1_1/104-4267783-5027940) - A good book for new linux system administrators. Some may find it useful, others not, but it helped me.

Originally posted by Honu

kiss your life your friends and every bit of daylight you remember good bye you just enterd the webhosting addiction life [/B]

LOL :D How true, how true....

Greetings:

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