Hello, All!

The Judgment Day Came! An Open-Source WHM Automation System Released!

A company called CentraHost Corporation is trying to sell this software under their own licenses through a website at - http://www.cpanelsubs.com. They encrypt the code. We believe this is our code which we are supplying open source and for free.

We called our software WHMSubs. The WHMSubs v1.0 (Experimental Release) can be downloaded for FREE from our online open-source store: http://www.webstyleopen.com

The domain name for whmsubs already registered too (http://www.whmsubs.com) and it will be available in 1 day and will forward all request to http://www.webstyleopen.com

We understand that our software may have a bugs in it and even some security holes. For that reason we called this release as Experimental and don't recommend you to use it really on your real hosting accounts, but we'll be glad if you'll install it for personal testing. We also understand that some portions of it may not work correct, so we asking you to download and try the software and if you'll have any comments/bugs/problems please let us know not early than Monday. On Monday we'll install the support community forum on http://www.webstyleopen.com and there you'll be able to post any comments and have our replies.

Also this software is FREE but we want to ask you to read the license agreement carefully! There is not usual open-source license!

Also to provide you more better and quickly support, we want to ask you to make some donations (sure if you want) to support our FREE initiative.

Also we'll not reply about any bugs until monday. We want to have all bug messages stored in our future community forum.

We hope you'll like our software and we promise to make a regular updates for it.

Thanks a lot.

All I can say is... wow

Must say that I love the name :)

like the name and love the code just to test it now :)

Then we can talk about the other project :)

Moved to the Other Offers & Request forum.

Free....who doesnt love that ? :D

Great work but i wont be using it on a production environment....yet ;)

Thanks Web Style, got to test it out.

Great job.

I tried installing it on a demo domain, (without giving it any access, just creating a db only) but I couldnt get it setup.. I did notice each time I ran the install, It sent an email,

what info does it send to you?



2004-05-27 16:55:46 1BTQ2Z-0004Xb-0 xxx@xxxx.com webmaster@webstylestudio.com 930
2004-05-27 16:55:30 1BTQ2F-0004XY-G xxx@xxxx.com webmaster@webstylestudio.com 490

It doesn't send any emails in installation...

Regards!

It's possible if you have not changes the value of WEBSITE_EMAIL - it may try to send you a returned emails - if they are not sent right to customers.

But I promise that there are no any "backcode"! It doesn't inform us about installations etc.

Thanks.

Thank you.

I will try another reinstall this weekend but block the mail to see what is going on as far as the email getting rejected.

I filled out all the forms but the server hash key/server pass info, So I am not sure where it is pulling the email from.

Thanks

Jason

no prob.

We'll be glad to help you in install but only from Monday.

Thanks for using our software!

Originally posted by InternetPEI
Thank you.

I will try another reinstall this weekend but block the mail to see what is going on as far as the email getting rejected.

I filled out all the forms but the server hash key/server pass info, So I am not sure where it is pulling the email from.

Thanks

Jason

Had a quick look at the code - it is pulling the email from this file: ../include/settings/settings.inc.php

This is set by default to webmaster@webstylestudio.com and the URL is set to http://www.whmsubs.com

The installer should change these settings when you enter the information in the form fields at the set-up stage

Have not delved too deeply into the code but that should point you in the right direction

Thank you :)

Thanks for the notice. :)

wow.. i will try it....

This is NOT open source software. The license this software is released under is a COMMERICAL LICENSE.

I for one will not be using this software due to the deceptive practices of Web Style.

Did he not mention to read the license as it was not a normal open source one....?

Open source and commercial are not exclusive of eachother.

Originally posted by LifelessHost
... due to the deceptive practices of Web Style.

I don't see how you came to this conclusion.

There was nothing resolved in between Web Style and cPanelSubs so I agree this is a controversial piece of software; however, no one (not even the developers involved due to their bias) can say who is/are being deceptive. All anyone can say at this point is that a WHT community liason tried to arbitrate the situation using an impartial person but one of the two parties involved refused to provide the necessary information and files needed to do so.

At this point, I can't see any way for this problem to be resolved at all unfortunately.

Personally, I see WebStyle's reason for releasing this to be used freely. This kind of situation has happened several times (3 that I can remember) ever since I've registered at WHT and all those times, nothing got resolved except the application becoming free to use. This usually happens because the developer(s) do not want to see someone else taking the credit that they themselves deserve.

I still wouldn't use this concept since it's a dangerous thing to implement if you are a resell-based web host. It seems to me like it's an acceptable form of a pyramid hosting scheme that can deteriorate the relationship needed in every successful reseller hosting service in between the primary and their subsequent resellers.

Anyways, I believe this has been discussed enough here:
http://www.webhostingtalk.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=273963
http://www.webhostingtalk.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=269114

So there should be no need to discuss the controversy any further.

Originally posted by alpha
I don't see how you came to this conclusion.

I think he was refering to the way it's being promoted in this thread rather than the other issue, as the title, post and even the website says:

"An Open-Source WHM Automation System Released"

But it's not open source, so i think the thread title should be changed.

It does look like a useful script though, i'm sure many will make good use of it. :)

Originally posted by Loon
I think he was refering to the way it's being promoted in this thread rather than the other issue, as the title, post and even the website says:

"An Open-Source WHM Automation System Released"

But it's not open source, so i think the thread title should be changed.

It does look like a useful script though, i'm sure many will make good use of it. :)


Hrm... just read the license file it came in and unless I'm missing a major part of it, it allows you to use it but you just can't use it to develop something else.

It would be a bad thing if this WAS released as GPL as I can't consider any third party developer touch this code to code something of their own because of the surround controversy.

In the end though, in that aspect, I agree Web Style is representing this product negatively. My apologies to Lifeless if that's what you meant when you used the word 'deceptive' - I didn't give this a close look as I should have. I just assumed the controversy will spill into this thread which I hope can be controlled by the mods. :)

Good luck too all, I guess.

Originally posted by alpha
Hrm... just read the license file it came in and unless I'm missing a major part of it, it allows you to use it but you just can't use it to develop something else.

It would be a bad thing if this WAS released as GPL as I can't consider any third party developer touch this code to code something of their own because of the surround controversy.

In the end though, in that aspect, I agree Web Style is representing this product negatively. My apologies to Lifeless if that's what you meant when you used the word 'deceptive' - I didn't give this a close look as I should have. I just assumed the controversy will spill into this thread which I hope can be controlled by the mods. :)

Good luck too all, I guess.

I don't think releasing it under the GPL would be bad. It would allow for cPanelSubs to let us know which code he claims to hold copyright to so we could remove it and be left with an undisputed legal product.

As for deceptive, "open source" is a common internet term for software under GPL and compatible licenses. Web Style is marketing his software as open source where it is clearly not. Due to that I am finding it hard to believe Web Style. At this point he could simply put cPanelSubs out of business and then change his license. I don't agree with this at all.

As far as I am aware, open source does not give anyone the right to develop another application from the source code provided. All it does is gives you access to unencrypted source code for any given application. It appears to me that Webstyle has chosen not to release the application under GPL - probably because he intends to develop it and it would be impossible to provide support for it if people had changed the code and developed other applications from the code base.

I had a good long read of the license - he does make it clear in this thread it is not a normal GPL or GNU license and it is plainly evident on the downloads page too. So he has released the code without it being encrypted - this seems transparent and open to me. I do not understand what the fuss is about - you cannot accept something for free then complain about restrictions over use of the code. Why would you want to????

Definitions of open source:
http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oi=defmore&q=define:Open+source

Originally posted by dataferret
As far as I am aware, open source does not give anyone the right to develop another application from the source code provided. All it does is gives you access to unencrypted source code for any given application. It appears to me that Webstyle has chosen not to release the application under GPL - probably because he intends to develop it and it would be impossible to provide support for it if people had changed the code and developed other applications from the code base.

I had a good long read of the license - he does make it clear in this thread it is not a normal GPL or GNU license and it is plainly evident on the downloads page too. So he has released the code without it being encrypted - this seems transparent and open to me. I do not understand what the fuss is about - you cannot accept something for free then complain about restrictions over use of the code. Why would you want to????

It isn't free.. http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html

Definitions of Open source on the Web:

Any software whose code is available for users to look at and modify freely. Linux is the best-known example; others include Apache, the dominant software for servers that dish out corporate web pages.
www.fortune.com/fortune/techatwork/articles/0,15114,368947,00.html

Computer programs or operating systems for which the source code is publicly available are referred to as open-source software. Inherent in the open source philosophy is the freedom of a distributed community of programmers to modify and improve the code. The most widely known example of open-source software is the Linux operating system.
iet.ucdavis.edu/glossary/

Software where the source code is available for anyone to extend or modify. http://www.opensource.org/
savannah.gnu.org/download/aspell/manual/user/D_Glossary.html

Open source software goes one step beyond freeware. Not only does it provide the software for free, it provides the original source code used to create the software. Thus, curious users can poke around with it to see how it works, and advanced users can modify it to make it work better for them. By its nature, open souce software is pretty well immune to all types of computer virus.
www.saugus.net/Computer/terms.shtml

Software development by making source code freely available so that outside programmers can submit improvements, or use it themselves. This includes fixing bugs, improving performance, and adding features. Examples of open source projects include BSD, Linux, and Mozilla. For a more precise and detailed definition, visit OpenSource.org.
www.gerbilbox.com/newzilla/glossary.php

Open source software is distributed with the source code freely available for alteration and customization. The idea behind open source software is the exact opposite of the old "too many cooks spoil the broth" adage. Theoretically, through the collective work of many programmers, the resulting software can become more useful and free of holes and bugs. One of the most well-known pieces of open source software is Linux.
www.oit.duke.edu/pubtrain/glossary.html

While there is agreement on the broad term "open source" as meaning approximately what is captured in the Open Source Definition the term has, ironically, now become so popular that it has lost some of its precision. We strongly encourage everyone who cares about open software to use the term only to describe licenses that conform to the OSD, or software distributed under such licenses; but since the term has passed into more general use, we also encourage people to refer to the "OSI Certified" mark, which has precision and legal force in identifying software distributed under licenses that are known to meet the OSD requirements. [Open Source Initiative FAQ, 2002 ] http://www.opensource.org/advocacy/faq.php
www.genomicglossaries.com/content/computers.asp

A definition of software that includes freely available access to source code, redistribution, modification, and derived works. The full definition is available at www.opensource.org.
developer.apple.com/techpubs/macosx/Essentials/SystemOverview/Glossary/chapter_17_section_1.html

Open source refers to any program whose source code is made publicly and freely available for use and/or modification.
practice.findlaw.com/glossary.html

– A somewhat ambiguous term that refers to software that is released with its source code. The fact that the source code is provided does not necessarily mean that users can modify and redistribute the source code. The term is sometimes used interchangeably with “free software,” although they are not always the same. (Also, see Public Domain and Shareware.)
www.newtolinux.org.uk/glossary.shtml

When the source code of a computer program is made available free of charge to the general public, it's known as open source. The basis of open source software is to produce more useful and bug-free products for everyone to use. The concept relies on peer review to find and eliminate bugs in the program code, a process which commercially developed and packaged programs do not utilize. The Open Source Initiative (OSI) reviews then certifies open source programs. They have a stringent list of criteria that include making sure no one collects a royalty on the software and no person, group or field of endeavor can be denied access to the program.
www.intel.com/home/glossary/body.htm

This is a less-confusing name for what is also called 'Free Software'. It describes the development method used for many pieces of software, including the Linux kernel, where the source is freely available for anyone to work on, or modify, or learn from, or use in other projects.
www.aleph1.co.uk/armlinux/book/glossary.html

Simply put, this is software which includes source code for your use or modification. Open Source is often released under the GNU Public License, but may be released under similar licenses.
www.suncoastlug.org/definitions.html

Software for which the programming code is freely available to all developers.
www.consultingtimes.com/glossary.html

A method and philosophy for software licensing and distribution designed to encourage use and improvement of software written by volunteers by ensuring that anyone can copy the source code and modify it freely. The software itself however may not be free of charge.
www.tchpc.tcd.ie/support/Training/User_Course/glossary.html

A kind of software which is not only made freely available, with no copyright restrictions, by the developer, but the source code is made available as well. Like freeware and public domain software, open source software is an effort to make sure that people can share the programs they have created without other people trying to make a profit from their efforts.
associate.com/camsoc/ctt/gloss-o.html

Software whose source code can be freely distributed and modified.
www.mdnetguide.com/v3n12/tech.html

Software source code that is available to the general public and that does not have licensing restrictions that limit use, modification, or redistribution.
www7b.boulder.ibm.com/vajdoc/vahwebx.exe/en_US/vj32/Extract/0/hgjgloss.htm

In general, open source refers to any program whose source code is made available for use or modification as users or other developers see fit. (Historically, the makers of proprietary software have generally not made source code available.) Open source software is usually developed as a public collaboration and made freely available.
www.zeroonesoftware.com/glossary.html

In the weak form, the philosophy that the source code for software should be open to all. In the strong form, the philosophy that the ability to provide corrections and additions should also be open to all. Such software is often covered by the Gnu General Public License. AIPS++ is Open Source in the weak form, but we prefer to get to know our developers. If you are interesting in developing for us, please contact us at aips2-request@nrao.edu.
www.astron.nl/aips++/docs/glossary/o.html

A computer software application or operating system for which the source code is in the public domain. This enables anyone to develop the code as long as they make their enhancements available to everyone else. Linux is a prime example.
www.sitemaster-internet.co.uk/i_pps/glossary.htm

open source is software that is distributed under legal license such as the GNU General Public Licence GPL that permits free distribution and availability of the source code. See this website for the definition http://www.opensource.org/docs/definition_plain.html
devrsrc1.external.hp.com/STKLI/glossary.html

Open Source means that the online learning software system is developed, maintained and distributed in a free manner that preserves future users' ability to view and modify the source code.
www.csubak.edu/webct/glossary.htx

Software built by programmers who think technology should be distributed without charge. Open source programs, such as the Linux operating system, post their source code for free so that anyone can use, modify and improve them. Operating system The software that tells a computer how to run its most basic functions and how to interpret user commands.
www.rockymountainbusiness.com/ECResources/glossary.asp

Software that is distributed in such a way that the original source of the program is accessible to the holder of the product. An effort in the computing community to promote the concept. Unix, Mac OSX, PHP, and other products are now available in open source form.
curry.edschool.virginia.edu/go/www_uses/demos/glossary.html

Use the software if you like, no use in arguing over it.

I merely want to clarify that it is not open source software in the traditional definition and can be made a completely closed source commercial pay for piece of software at any time. ;)

If I am going to use any software, I'll stick with cPanelSubs. At least he isn't using deceptive marketing. ;)

Originally posted by LifelessHost
If I am going to use any software, I'll stick with cPanelSubs. At least he isn't using deceptive marketing. ;)

As always, it is "buyer beware".

It isn't uncommon for companies to release their code in a similar "open source" license scheme, with a clause for one day making it closed source.

Awesome! I would love to help in the development if help is needed. I dont know much about it but Id love to learn.

anyone have a demo of this available?

I tried to install, but always got an error when login using password I have entered in the installation :-? Anyone install successfully ?

Hello!

After installing you can need to use these login details:
username: admin
password: [your password]

Thanks!

Also to man, who said he will use cpanelsubs: please don't forget that we are the developers of this system, Fergus stealed the code and if this conflict will be sometime resolved legally, your license from him will not be legal!

Regards!

Originally posted by Web Style
Also to man, who said he will use cpanelsubs: please don't forget that we are the developers of this system, Fergus stealed the code and if this conflict will be sometime resolved legally, your license from him will not be legal!

Regards!

That is of course, what you say. We have so far not had solid proof of that fact and from the way you are marketing your "open source" software, I am starting to think you may have stolen to code from him.

It is buyer beware. ;)

LifelessHost, I don't want to discuss it again in this thread.

It's your decision, to trust us or not. We don't have a sense to steal the code from him to make it free available. He didn't payed for our work. We are not new in the market, but you can see that only one product released free on webstyleopen.com. All other our clients had a good relationships with us and all of them don't have any problems etc. Also we posted all our source code to independent arbitrators, but cpanelsubs didn't posted it. You may not trust us, but please, don't try to make this thread as a flame, - you can contact us privately to have other proofs if you want.

Thanks.

Originally posted by Web Style
Hello!

After installing you can need to use these login details:
username: admin
password: [your password]

Thanks!

Sure I'm using admin as username and password I entered on installation. Then I tried to use lost password and got reply like this

Your username is: admin
Your password is: úE¼m@‰¢&

And I still got error message when try to login again, password incorrect

hm...

That is a bug. The all passwords are encrypted in database. Looks like the reminder function did not decrypt the password. The patch will be available in monday or tuesday (now the big christian holidays here and all people don't working).

You also can try to reinstall software and try other password in installation. It will be better if you'll try a simple password with only latin characters.

Thanks!

Also please do not post a bugs here.

You can contact me in IM, PM me, or wait untill monday-tuesday, when the support forum will be available on webstyleopen.com

Thanks!

Originally posted by Web Style
LifelessHost, I don't want to discuss it again in this thread.

It's your decision, to trust us or not. We don't have a sense to steal the code from him to make it free available. He didn't payed for our work. We are not new in the market, but you can see that only one product released free on webstyleopen.com. All other our clients had a good relationships with us and all of them don't have any problems etc. Also we posted all our source code to independent arbitrators, but cpanelsubs didn't posted it. You may not trust us, but please, don't try to make this thread as a flame, - you can contact us privately to have other proofs if you want.

Thanks.

I am not discussing it, I merely brought that in to backup my main point. You are using a misleading marketing tactic to get people to use your software. By saying it is "open source" you are misleading users into thinking your software is under a similar license to softwares such as Apache, Linux, FreeBSD, or any of the GNU projects. Market it for what it is, commerical software under a restrictive license.

Originally posted by Web Style
Also please do not post a bugs here.

You can contact me in IM, PM me, or wait untill monday-tuesday, when the support forum will be available on webstyleopen.com

Thanks!


Did you solve this login problem ?

Originally posted by LP-Trel
That is of course, what you say. We have so far not had solid proof of that fact and from the way you are marketing your "open source" software, I am starting to think you may have stolen to code from him.

It is buyer beware. ;)

lol, anyone who does business with anyone who is or was partnered with kevin kemp from noc24 can be sure theyll be seeing trouble sooner or later! not a smart business move. shall we add you to this list too?

Well...

as long as it's free, I'll try it :)

If it's free you will have nothing to lose anyways, so why complain?

There are legal issues if you use it. Depends on who wins this legal battle

Web Style.. i already emailed u before..but no reply.

I'd like to fund you and pay you for ur work. I dont expect anything in return unless you want to gift me soemthing.... :)

id like to help you out and make sure WebStyle breaks openn a new window for server management.

I saw cpanelsub and saw their links dead - payment n downloads n everything. so id suppose they were the culprits as i imagined the first time i saw WHMSubs.

I use WHMSubs on my dedicated server (not testin) but using it. its amazingly good.

And since i love it so much and want to see it succeed, would love to pay you for your work.

Pleas email me back (i emailed u already at ur webstyle.com email adress for partnership and sales and used the feedback form too)

You can also get me on AIM/YAhoo messenger

Thanks,

OK Im curious... did this ever get resolved? Is there any newer versions available that are ok for use on a production server?

I tray install this software but directi module rejistrar is noit working, any one sucessfully test this??


best regards!

I tray install this software but directi module rejistrar is noit working, any one sucessfully test this??


best regards!

The origional post was started almost 2 years ago ;) Try opening a topic in the Hosting Software and Control Panels section if you are searching for help with this software.

http://www.webhostingtalk.com/forumdisplay.php?f=9

And for now, thread closed. If the OP would like it reopened for some reason, please open a helpdesk ticket.