Web Hosting Talk : Web Hosting Main Forums : Hosting Software and Control Panels : Direct Admin, mod_rewrite and Wildcard dns

[handeyman]

Hey, ok so I have my own server with direct admin and I am trying to install mu.wordpress.com

these are the instructions that came with it but I have no idea on what to do, if anyone can tell me step by step or help me out, it would be greatly appreciated.

Apache must be configured so that mod_rewrite works. Here are
instructions for Apache 2. Apache 1.3 is very similar.

1. Make sure a line like the following appears in your httpd.conf
LoadModule rewrite_module /usr/lib/apache2/modules/mod_rewrite.so

2. In the <Directory> directive of your virtual host, look for this
line
"AllowOverride None"
and change it to
"AllowOverride FileInfo Options"

3. In the <VirtualHost> section of the config file for your host there
will be a line defining the hostname. You need to add the following
if you want virtual hosts to work properly:
"ServerAlias *.domain.tld"
Replace domain.tld with whatever your one is, and remove the quotes.


DNS
===
If you want to host blogs of the form http://blog.domain.tld/ where
domain.tld is the domain name of your machine then you must add a
wildcard record to your DNS records.
This usually means adding a "*" hostname record pointing at your
webserver in your DNS configuration tool.
Matt has a more detailed explanation:
http://photomatt.net/2003/10/10/wild...d-sub-domains/

thanks

PS: not sure if this is needed but the domain im trying to install this for is jerkblogs.com

[Chachi]

Are you just trying to install a wordpress blog? You can download winscp to upload/download from your server to make the changes. It's fairly simple

[handeyman]

um thanks for replying, but im not sure how that can help me with wildcard dns, and mod_rewrite

[Chachi]

Well you're going to edit those files, so how do you propose to download them and then reupload once the changes have been made without a program like winscp?

[handeyman]

oh ok thanks, but cant I add lines to them from the admin panel in direct admin?

[Chachi]

You can edit httpd.conf under Admin Tools section, click on the file editor

[handeyman]

thanks, so how do i set up wildcard dns, and modrerite

[Chachi]

Modrewrite is simple, make sure the line "LoadModule rewrite_module /usr/lib/apache2/modules/mod_rewrite.so" is in the file (you can edit like i mentioned through DA)

Then use DA to modify your DNS records (Admin Tools section)

[handeyman]

ok I think I got modrerite done thanks a lot, not I went into DNS Administration, and I am clueless on what to do, for wilcard dns.

[Chachi]

have you done steps 2 & 3? for httpd.conf?

In DA, go under the admin tools section, look for dns administration and add a zone

[handeyman]

I beleive I have done steps 2 and 3, there were three different lines saying AllowOverride None so I changed them all to AllowOverride FileInfo Options. If I should change two of them back please let me know.

Then think I did the third step, couldnt find hostname, but added it at the bottom of virtualhost section, so im at dns, but what do I put for add a zone? thanks

it gives me these choices for add a zone


Domain Name
IP Address
Name Server 1
Name Server 2

[Chachi]

in Step 3, what did you add?

"ServerAlias *.domain.tld"

or

"ServerAlias *.yourdomain.com" << where yourdomain.com is the domain you're using?

For the DNS, you are basically doing the same thing you'd be doing in etc/hosts basically add a zone, with subdomain.yourdomain.com and the ip and click add then install the software

[handeyman]

yeah I put my domain in step 3

so for dns I put subdomain.jerkblogs.com? and my server ip?
what do I put for nameservers?
and then when someone registers in the site, it will automatically create them a subdomain?

[Chachi]

i'll contact you on aim and help you install this bad boy