Control Panels

[HostSailor]

It's definitely better to offer the clients the options, for example none free panels: direct admin, and cpanel, free panels: webmin and kloxo, in the end of the day what might seem good for you isn't really good for someone else. 

 

[vps24.net]

Hi

We are trying to fight now with ISPConfig3 - which provides quite nice functionality, and is opensource - so no additional licences required.

There is a little bit work to be done for proper instalation - but You can treat it as Your cost - and do not transfer it to customers

regs.

http://www.vps24.net

 

[zionvps]

the problem with these free panels are they are often target of hackers due to the projects usually being open source/ unencrypted and issues listed publically in github

 

[sz1hosting]

We offer webuzo 1 click install and it is free!

 

[irishwill2008]

Cpanel in my opinion is more popular and is easy to use and everyone has experience in it i think. So i would highly recommend using Cpanel.

 

[AThomasHowe]

I already have a working knowledge of everything but the PHP/whatever language I'm using -> bash/running actual shell commands part. I've only screwed around with this in Perl, but logging in as another user -from- a Perl script is pretty much impossible if you're aren't running the original script as root. Is CLI any different than what Perl offers?

You know PHP isn't only for the web and can basically accomplish anything Perl can? There are actually hundreds of languages you could use for any piece of this project.

Not very many developers would advocate using Perl in 2014 either unless you're working with legacy systems or a lot of text. It's not that it's a bad language but coming to it from something more modern is just going to be confusing, it has a lot of syntax and noise.

If you want to use PHP and something for auxiliary parts, I would use Python or Ruby. I also quite like the idea of a 100% NodeJS panel, I have played with the idea a little myself.

KuJoe is right, control panels aren't exactly rocket science - you're just tying together parts of other well established systems.

You can also make it so that you don't need a password to sudo certain commands (e.g, you could allow the controlPanel user to execute sudo sh /bin/customscripts/restart.sh with no password - no real huge security risk outside a boot loop. You can also create a separate, hardened application specifically for safely interacting with config files, restarting stuff etc

Based on your posts though I think you still have a little while to go before you should start on a project like this. It sounds like you have a grasp on one or two languages, now it's time to try and learn some programming theory that you can apply to other languages. 

 

[Aldryic C'boas]

I use perl daily.  PHP is a sloppy, incomplete language that teaches horrible coding habits - the primary reason it's so popular is because it's so "easy" to learn.  At the cost of learning good coding practices.  It's a competent enough language if you already know what you're doing, but I would always recommend someone start off on a real language, rather than end up a lazy scripter after PHP's coddling.

 

[AThomasHowe]

In 2014 PHP is as much of a real language as Perl if not more. I don't really think PHP teaches you anything either, the way you interface with the language and/or the tutorials you use teach you bad habits. There's a lot of bad design decisions in PHP but it's not that bad really, not much worse than other weakly typed languages. 

That said, PHP is pretty ill suited to general scripting tasks and I still recommend Python or Ruby for that. I'm a huge fan/advocate of CoffeeScript but I'm not sure we have any fans here. If I could choose I would usually go for PHP or CoffeeScript for any non GUI/non webUI project out of preference probably.

 

[Aldryic C'boas]

I never said it wasn't a real language.  I said it was a sloppy, incomplete language - poor implementation, no solid structure, no solidly defined procedures.  It has nothing to do with tutorials - when a language lets you be lazy with implementation, then you become lazy with your work.  If you want proof of concept, just compare people that start with a rigid language and learn PHP later ("Huh, this is kinda weird, but easy enough") to people that start on PHP and then move to more advanced languages ("omg this is haaaaaard why can't I just do it like thiiiiiiiis").

That said - for all my gripes with the language, it's functional, and I will use it for web-based applications (that's what is was original designed for, after all).  I see #!/usr/bin/php and I just want to choke someone, however.  It all boils down to personal preference - people will naturally seek to justify their language of choice (I am no exception to this).  But, PHP has its strengths, and it should stick to those - those strengths do not lie in efficient command line application.

 

[DomainBop]

I see #!/usr/bin/php and I just want to choke someone, however. ...  But, PHP has its strengths, and it should stick to those - those strengths do not lie in efficient command line application.

If you're planning on choking someone start with the people over at Piwik who insist on using command line PHP for their archiving cron...grrr.  I'm in total agreement that PHP is not very efficient for command line applications.

I will use it for web-based applications (that's what is was original designed for, after all).

I use it with "off the shelf" web apps but I prefer Java, Ruby, and Python .  On the command line Perl or Python.

 

[Aldryic C'boas]

Perl, Python, tcl and bash on the command line, aye..  I haven't messed with Ruby much, but I have an intense HATE for Java, primarily due working with a very inefficient Java coder in the past, and being forced to work with absolutely horrid Java applications at Coke.

 

[BlaZe]

Go with cPanel. Its your only option.

 

[SharkServers.co.uk]

We're using DirectAdmin. For those who say that cPanel is easy to use - how did you come up with that? It might be easy for those who have used it for years and never tried any other panel. However, for a new user cPanel is overloaded with features that just confuse the customer and are rarely (if ever) used.

As from sysadmin's standpoint, you can say all you want that cPanel can be used to configure almost anything on the server, but I'd rather use my beloved shell to do that.

 

[pravint]

Better to use cpanel.

 

[peetscott]

Plesk is more something for Windows based hosting...

But CPanel is still cheaper so go with cpanel

 

[jamaica]

If client has money - Cpanel

If no money - Ajenti.

 

[Clouvider-Dom]

I really recommend a cPanel or DirectAdmin, if you want to cut the cost. DirctAdmin has a great 'Code 500' license for VPS when you partner with them.

 

[syncrohost]

You should start off with CPanel first and then slowly introduce other platforms.  Try to get comfortable with one and then move to the next.

 

[SkillerzWeb]

If you're gonna offer shared-hosting services i'd bet everyone would just say "Cpanel". But Directadmin is decent too.. It doesn't hurt much to give it a go.

But for personal use there are many good control panels like :

1. Virtualmin - It got many features including ftp backup's which i find very useful when migrating.. Tho the users who migrate from other control panels find the ui a bit messy.. But this is gonna be the best free control panel for a user with a bit of technical knowledge.

2. Zpanel - Regardless of its bad reputation about exploits, Its a decent panel for personal use and the ui is pretty good too. So its worth trying too.

These are the panels got into my mind after seeing this thread..

-Thanks-

 

[MonsteR]

We use cpanel, our target market isn't low end, As our base prices are higher, But we are always happy to drop a few offers to the low end market.