Install cPanel

    In order to run the cPanel software you must first be running a supported OS like RedHat or CentOS.
cPanel lists their supported operating systems on their website at http://www.cpanel.net.   cPanel also recommends that the server it is being installed on is a clean and fresh install.  This means that if you previously had done any configuring or ran another control panel software that they recommend you reinstall the server. 

IMPORTANT: If the server you plan to install cPanel on is a live production server, STOP.  cPanel's installer may overwrite your previous configurations and cause downtime for you or your customers!

cPanel has made the installation process a simple one and only takes a few commands to get the install going.  Below are the steps:

1.  Log into your server as root via the console or SSH.

2.  Ensure your resolvers are working by trying to resolve cpanel.net (cmd: nslookup cpanel.net).

2.1.   If nslookup does not work, giving a 'command not found' error, you can use yum to install the necessary packages (cmd: yum install bind-utils.i386).
2.2.   If you get an error about not being able to resolve the host, you need to edit your /etc/resolv.conf and add proper resolvers ( eg; 8.8.8.8 )

3.  Change directory into your /home (cmd: cd /home).

4.  Download cPanel's installer (cmd: wget -N http://httpupdate.cpanel.net/latest ).

4.1.   If you get a 'command not found' error, you need to install wget. (cmd: yum install -y wget).

5.  Now run the installer using sh or bash (cmd: sh latest).

5.1.   If you get another 'command not found' error, you need to install Perl. (cmd: yum install perl).

The installer is now running and may take a hour to two depending on your servers hardware, OS, connection speed, etc.
Once the installation is complete it's not time to log into the WebHostManager (WHM) and go through the wizard. Point your browser to http://your_ip_here/whm or http://your_ip_here:2086/ . You will be prompted for a user/pass, enter root as the user and enter your root password in the password field.  The wizard will now launch and ask you a few questions.  

Once complete your system is ready to use! Good Luck ;)

How can I configure multiple Web sites using Host Headers?

Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS) permits you to map multiple Web sites to a single IP address using a feature called Host Header Names. By assigning a unique host header name to each Web site, this feature permits you to map more than one Web site to an IP address.

Configure Web Sites by Using Host Header Names

To configure Web sites by using the Host Header Names feature, follow these steps:
1. Click Start, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Internet Information Services.
2. Expand * server name (where server name is the name of the server), and then expand Web Sites.
3. Right-click the Web site that you want, and then click Properties.

The Web site name Properties dialog box appears (where Web site name is the name of the Web site that you selected).
4. Click the Web Site tab, and then in the IP Address list, select the IP address that you want assigned to this Web site.
5. Click Advanced.
6. Under Multiple identities for this Web Site, click the IP address, and then click Edit.

The Advanced Web Site Identification dialog box appears.
7. In the Host Header Name box, type the host header that you want. For example, type www.example1.com. Add the port number, select the IP address in the list, and then click OK.

NOTE: If you want to configure this Web site with additional identities, click Add. Use the same IP address and TCP port, but enter a unique Host Header Name, and then click OK. For example, if you want to access the same Web site from both the Internet and a local intranet, you can configure the Web site identity in the manner shown in the following example:

IP Address TCP Port Host Header Name

192.168.0.100 80 www.example1.com
192.168.0.100 80 example1.com


8. In the Advanced Multiple Web Site Configuration dialog box, click OK.
9. In the Web site name Properties dialog box, click OK.

You return to the IIS window.
10. Right-click the next Web site that you want, and then click Properties.
11. In the IP Address list, select the same IP address that you selected in step 4, and then click Advanced.
12. Under Multiple identities for this Web Site, click the IP address, and then click Edit.

The Advanced Web Site Identification dialog box appears.
13. In the Host Header Name box, type a unique host header for this Web site. For example, type www.example2.com, add the port number, select the IP address in the list, and then click OK.
14. In the Advanced Multiple Web Site Configuration dialog box, click OK.
15. In the Web site name Properties dialog box, click OK.

You return to the IIS window.
16. Repeat steps 10 through 15 for each Web site that you want hosted on this IP address.
17. Register the host header names with the appropriate name resolution system -- for example, a Domain Name System (DNS) server or, in the case of a small network, a Hosts file.
The Web sites are now configured to accept incoming Web requests, based on their host header names.
More Information

Do not assign a host header name to the Default Web Site. Many programs expect the Default Web Site to use an IP address of (All Unassigned), TCP Port 80, and no host header name.
Troubleshooting

• Clients cannot connect to the Web sites by using the IP address:

Because there is more than one Web site configured to the IP address, you must connect to the Web site by using the host header name. When you try to connect to the Web site by using the IP address, you receive the following error message:
The page cannot be found.

The page you are looking for might have been removed, had its name changed, or is temporarily unavailable.
• Clients cannot connect to the Web sites by using host header names:

Multiple host names must be mapped to the single IP address by using a DNS server or a Hosts file.

How to Connect to the Console Session

In Windows Server 2003, when you use Terminal Services, you can connect to the console session (session 0), and at the same time, open a shadow session to it (as long as you connect from a session other than the console). With this added functionality, you can log on to a Windows Server 2003-based server that is running Terminal Services remotely and interact with session 0 as if you were sitting at the physical console of the computer. This session can also be shadowed so that the remote user and the local user at the physical console can see and interact with the same session.


Connecting to the Console Session

When you connect to the console session of a Windows Server 2003-based server, no other user has to be already logged on to the console session. Even if no one is logged on to the console, you are logged on just as if you were sitting at the physical console.

To connect from the remote Windows Server 2003-based computer, open a command prompt, and then type the following command:

mstsc -v:servername /F -console

where mstsc is the Remote Desktop connection executable file, -v indicates a server to connect to, /F indicates full screen mode, and -console is the instruction to connect to the console session.

How can I create a file of a certain size in Windows?

If you need to create a file of a certain size and the file contents don't matter, you can use the Fsutil command as follows:

fsutil createnew

For example,

fsutil file createnew d:\temp\1mbfile.txt 1000000

creates a 1MB file named 1mbfile.txt in the d:\temp folder.

Thunderbird configuration

1.Open Thunderbird

2.Open the "New Account" dialog box. This is accessible from the menus by going to "File", "New", then clicking on Account ...".

3.Select "Email Account" as the New Account type, then click "Next".

4.When asked to enter your identity information, type in your full name and email address in the boxes provided. Then click next.

5.For server information, choose IMAP. Enter "linus.it.uts.edu.au" as both incoming and outgoing servers. Click next

6.For user names, your incoming user name should be filled out for you. If not, enter your FIT username and click next

7.You account name can be set to any name you want to refer to the account by. In this case, we'll keep it to the default and use the email address as the name of the account. Click next when you're done.

8.The next screen will display the list of settings which you have just entered. Make sure you haven't misspelled any of the settings. If you have, you'll need to keep clicking on "Back" until you reach the screen with the typographical error, then "Next" until you reach this screen again. Click "Finish" when you are okay with settings that you have entered.

9.You should now be prompted to enter a mail server password. Click Cancel. We still need to configure a few more settings before we connect.

10. On the main thunderbird window, you should now see your account name on the left hand side. Right click it and select "Properties" to access the "Account Settings" window. You can also access this window by going to the "Edit" menu and selecting "Account settings".

11. Click on "Server Settings" under your account name on the left hand side of the window. In the security settings area, click on the option box next to SSL. Make sure the box next to "Use secure authentication" is not checked. Click on the "Advanced" button to open the "Advanced settings" dialog.

12. In the "Advanced settings" dialog, type in "mail/" as the IMAP server directory and uncheck Server supports folders that contain sub-folders and messages. Click "OK" when finished.

13. On the left hand side of the "Account settings" window, select "Outgoing Server (SMTP)". Select the staff server (the one with linus.it.uts.edu.au in it's name) and click on "Edit".

14. Under "Use secure connection" select "TLS". You can also include a description of the server, e.g. "FIT Staff Outgoing" in the "Description" input box. Click "OK".

15. Back in the "Account settings" window, select the account name from the left hand side. The "Outgoing Server" should match the one you have just edited. Click "OK" when done.

16. You may be asked to accept a website certificate for "linus.it.uts.edu.au". Choose the option for accepting the certificate permanently.

17. You're now set up and ready to go.

Outlook Configuration

For Outlook

1. In Outlook, go to the Tools menu and click on Email Accounts.
2. Select Add a new email account and then click Next.
3. Select POP3 and then click Next.
4. Enter your email information:

Your Name: your name
Email Address: matt@castleman.net (the email address the messages will be sent from)
Incoming Mail server (POP3): mail.castleman.net
Outgoing Mail server (SMTP): mail.castleman.net
User Name: matt@castleman.net
Password: the password for the email address

5. Click on More Settings and Select the Outgoing Server Tab. Check My outgoing server (SMTP) requires authentication. Select Use same settings as my incoming mail server.

6.Click Ok. Click Next. Click Finish.

If you cannot send email using mail.yourdomainname.com as your SMTP server,
it may be because your ISP is blocking port 25 on their network, used for sending outoing mail via the SMTP protocol. In this instance, we recommend using your ISPs outgoing mail server, which can be obtained from your ISP.

the coming posts

the coming posts will be about troubleshooting various issues in web hosting.

Linux: Introduction

Linux is a free Unix-type operating system originally created by Linus Torvalds with the assistance of developers around the world. Developed under the GNU Public License, the source code for Linux is freely available to everyone. Linux is an operating system that was initially created as a hobby by a young student, Linus Torvalds, at the University of Helsinki in Finland. Linus had an interest in Minix, a small UNIX system, and decided to develop a system that exceeded the Minix standards. He began his work in 1991 when he released version 0.02 and worked steadily until 1994 when version 1.0 of the Linux Kernel was released. It is this kernel that forms the base around which a Linux operating system is developed. There are now literally hundreds of companies and organizations and an equal number of individuals that have released their own versions of operating systems based on the Linux kernel.