Hello All.

I am getting my first server and moving my accounts later this month. Red Hat Linux w/ Cpanel & Fant.

I've contracted a Server Admin and Tech Support resources for 24x7 assistance, and I can handle the Cpanel functional stuff myself. (I was a reseller for many years and now I'm taking the big step.)

Here are my questions to all the experts out there:

1) I'd like to use LPanel for the billing software. Anybody out there using it now who can give some feedback. My experience is with WHMAP and I'm not crazy about it. LPanel has more features that I like and seems to be more flexible for my hosting plans and billing options.

2) Obviously I need to learn a bit about Linux. Is there a cheat sheet out there anywhere, or a good site reference? I don't do well with geek speak, but I can understand plain english if the concepts are broken down to me like a six year old. Once I understand the basic concepts, I'm like a sponge.

3) Ok. The major stuff. When I get my servers, what needs to be done? Not that I don't have a general idea, but does anyone have a procedure they go through, something generic, that I could use as a baseline? The server will come with Cpanel and Fan. installed, but to my understanding - that's all. I'd like to be able to check that my admin has done all that needs to be done. Trust, but Verify...

Thanks for your help.

- LadyHost

Originally posted by LadyHost

2) Obviously I need to learn a bit about Linux. Is there a cheat sheet out there anywhere, or a good site reference? I don't do well with geek speak, but I can understand plain english if the concepts are broken down to me like a six year old. Once I understand the basic concepts, I'm like a sponge.


A cheat sheet? lol...

No offence, but how about learning before offering your services for money? What are you going to do when a customer e-mails you with an emergency question or request?

Q. I need the script schedule.php installed a cron job right away please!
A. Umb, please wait as I look up the term 'cron job'

Q. PHP is creating my files using ownership 'nobody'. How do I fix this?
A. Huh?

....

Let me clarify. I know exactly what those things are and I know enough to have my admin address them. I just don't know how specifically to do them myself. Hence the learning curve.

I didn't mean to imply that I don't know anything about Linux, but my experience "hands on" is limited. Anyway, I have a guy who will be addressing all of these things. I just want to learn for myself so I am not dependent 6 months from now on someone else's knowledge. It's ok for now, but I want to know and learn.

I have 7+ years in the hosting business. I just don't have 7+ years with the SERVER ADMIN side of things.

Thanks for the response anyway.

Ive always thought the best way to learn is by doing...Maybe setup an old box at home and play with configuration etc?

If you want to learn the backend, it's best that you study and get your hands dirty first (a good way is to learn is how to setup a *nix box from scratch), before going truly full time in hosting.

Because web hosting is so demanding you'll find you won't have the time to study too much, and your time will used for things like promotions and other frontend work. Ask yourself: why there's so much sysadmin services now? It's because owners are doing the frontend. It's really difficult to do both at the same time, as something gives -- no promotions/poor customer service as you concentrate keeping the server in tip top shape (it's a huge learning curve); or the frontend is bringing them in but you have little time to tweak the backend and your server suffers.

You can't be learning the nuts and bolts of *nix in production mode, as a mistake can trash the whole server -- and you won't want the fallout from your customers. Get another box or even a VPS and learn from there (if you have the time).

It's why you learn the server side before jumping head first into the business, not afterwards, or let the sysadmin do it for you. It's one thing managing a desktop *nix box, it's a whole new ballgame managing a web server with other folks property on it. Their property goes (even if you have a backup, it'll have to be replaced which is server downtime), and you'll get a nasty thread here and work a long time to recover earning trust again.

Chris

I have been administering linux servers for 8 years now and I can tell you that it's not something you should attempt unless you know what you are doing. You need to have a good understanding of not just linux but also sendmail, apache, and all the other running daemons...

If you have a guy who will take care of all that then you should be OK.

Originally posted by LadyHost
Hello All.

I am getting my first server and moving my accounts later this month. Red Hat Linux w/ Cpanel & Fant.

I've contracted a Server Admin and Tech Support resources for 24x7 assistance, and I can handle the Cpanel functional stuff myself. (I was a reseller for many years and now I'm taking the big step.)

Here are my questions to all the experts out there:

1) I'd like to use LPanel for the billing software. Anybody out there using it now who can give some feedback. My experience is with WHMAP and I'm not crazy about it. LPanel has more features that I like and seems to be more flexible for my hosting plans and billing options.

2) Obviously I need to learn a bit about Linux. Is there a cheat sheet out there anywhere, or a good site reference? I don't do well with geek speak, but I can understand plain english if the concepts are broken down to me like a six year old. Once I understand the basic concepts, I'm like a sponge.

3) Ok. The major stuff. When I get my servers, what needs to be done? Not that I don't have a general idea, but does anyone have a procedure they go through, something generic, that I could use as a baseline? The server will come with Cpanel and Fan. installed, but to my understanding - that's all. I'd like to be able to check that my admin has done all that needs to be done. Trust, but Verify...

Thanks for your help.

- LadyHost

1) Search the forums. LPanel doesn't seem to match their support with how good their product is. You're better off with another (ubersmith.com ?)

2) You do not need geek speak to learn linux =) Rest assured. I'm not aware of full linux tutorials that do what you want (tutorials that are clear and easy to understand for a person who is new), however there are guide sites like tldp.org, and linux forums like linuxquestions.org . Alternatively you can also ask your sysadmin the list of things he does with a new server and what he does whenever he encounters a problem with your server.

Hope this helps! :D

2) You do not need geek speak to learn linux =) Rest assured. I'm not aware of full linux tutorials that do what you want (tutorials that are clear and easy to understand for a person who is new), however there are guide sites like tldp.org, and linux forums like linuxquestions.org . Alternatively you can also ask your sysadmin the list of things he does with a new server and what he does whenever he encounters a problem with your server.

This would be the first intelligent answer posted. The thread starter has asked for assistance, not to be told how good you are at linux!

here's a good site to start

http://www.crucialparadigm.com/resources/tutorials/dedicated-server/

Yer, i've learnt alot of linux by installing it on my second box sitting next to me :)

1) I'd like to use LPanel for the billing software. Anybody out there using it now who can give some feedback. My experience is with WHMAP and I'm not crazy about it. LPanel has more features that I like and seems to be more flexible for my hosting plans and billing options.[/B]

I use Lpanel. Here are some pros and cons of it:

Pros

It has the most features out there compared to other billing/support software
Price is pretty good
It has support software built into it
You can assign people departments and they can only have access to certain parts of Lpanel
It has a cleaner look for you and the end user

It has more pros of course...

Cons

Support SUCKS. (Although they have improved in the pas months). It usually takes on average, 1 day to respond. Sometimes they respond with 'it's not our problem' or 'let me look into this'. Then you end up waiting longer
Some of stuff on Lpanel is bugged up and doesn't work

Those are some things I can think of off the top of my head. Obvisouly it has more cons

I can tell you this, I've used WHM.AP (Web Hosting Manager Auto Pilot) and I would take Lpanel over WHM.AP hands down.