Say you started up your hosting business with an RAQ. Now you feel it's time to switch to Linux servers. Obviously first you must learn as much as possible about linux, apache, and linux web serving. Where is the best place to find this information?

I'm also interested. I'm kind of afraid because I think after using the very simple RaQ's that maybe Linux will be way over my head.

Hi! Im with Elite Hosts - We had 11 RaQs and decided they were worthless and expensive!

We wrote our own control panel software that will migrate users from cobalt to Linux Boxes with same dir structure/apache/proftpd settings and everything - Out control panel lacks only in that the quotas do NOT take effect (will be resolved in a week or so) and auoto responders do not exist yet nor do mailling lists or backup/restore... but those are coming :)

Have a great day~!

Avi Brender

Originally posted by MaB
...If you would like information about migrating from cobalts->linux please .If you've got information, then post it here for all to see (unless what you're really doing is clandestinely trying to sell your control panel).

LOL, I cant begin to sell it, its not ready to be sold yet :)

if it makes you happy i can write about it in this thread even though its sort of long and involved...

basically, we had cobalt raqs and they were expensive and a panus in the anus (as i say:) ) and you had to go through adding a domain, then adding a user then adding 3-6 dns records just to get an account setup... we got sick of it.

THEN we got our own datacenter and decided not to pay $2000 for each raq we got ourselves excellent servers instead for MUCH less... but the problem was we needed to get our customser from cobalt onto our systems... hmm (this is before cobalt had their migration scripts...)

So, i set out on a mission :) (like my narative?) ... First i found that their main database was in pgsql (which was a PAIN) then i did some looking at their CP code and found the workings of their system...

so I slowly but surely wrote some scripts to convert their pgsql into text files and transfered onto my pc. I copied the password and group files and their email configurations (and a backup of thier cp as a resource and backup)... and their pam.d and other configuration files along with their apache binary (which i llater created my own custom one) and their apache/admserv config files and their proftpd setup and config files and then i wrote some nifty perl scripts to tranfer teh text files into my own mysql dbs in the format i wanted... then i started writing my cp code based around the cobalt... the cp is basically identical in the user settings part with editing a user and email settings (alises, forward to) etc... but i simplified alot:

1. there is now a mysql contorl panel for customers to add adn setup their own databases (# of dbs can be set by admiN)
2. you can add a domain/dns/user account from 1 screen!
3. Sub domain control panel
4. WebAlizer stats
5. Reseller Control Panel
6. .htaccess control panel

It was ALOT of work to migrate these servers and this was for 11 cobalts! I dont remember if i still have my scripts for migrating the settings but its worth a challenge...

wow, my longest post yet :)

Its off to bed!

I don't think people have understood the question I'm asking. Where can you learn Linux Server Administration?

I would buy a couple of good books on Amazon, get an old computer and load RedHat on it to experiment with, visit the Linux newbie websites, etc.

You can learn a great deal of it with your RaQ. Remember, the RaQ is really a Linux box. If you haven't already, I would subscribe to the Cobalt mailing list (just don't ask any questions until you get a feel for the temperament of the list).

This may help with some of your Linux questions.

LinuxNewbie.org (a forum for linux)
http://www.linuxnewbie.org/cgi-bin/ubbcgi/ultimatebb.cgi

I would recommend buying the book entitled "Red Hat Linux Bible" by IDG author is "NEGUS" - It explains Linux (RedHat) and includes information on setting up Apache/FTP/Email servers... its good for learning linux and basics..... there is no 1 source for information on runnign servers and hosts because every situation is different and everyone needs something different and different levels :)

have a great day :)