Starting out - Some questions

[davy]

I have just installed the trial version of WHM/CPanel to test out in combination with WHMCS. Now, my initial questions centre of course around WHM. I have a number of questions I hope you knowledgeable folk can help me with so firstly, thank you for your patience and apologies for the long post.

1) During the CPanel install, I was guided through a first time setup and I would like to be able to re-run this?

2) I setup my first package which seemed to go fine. However, the default page was not created for me, instead the webroot only had a cgi-bin folder and nothing else. Would this be because of a mistake in the feature list I had used?

3) We currently run our own DNS (NS1.COMPANY.CO.UK, NS2.COMPANY.CO.UK) and during the install, I set WHM to NOT install DNS (bind). Now, this now of course means that if I give people DNS edit ability, they won’t be able to make changes to DNS since it would be on our current DNS servers (which are not WHM/CPanel). I just wondered what the ideal setup would be? Would it be better for me to setup NS3.COMPANY.CO.UK to be my first WHM server, and then try and setup CPanel DNS only on slaves? Or is it possible for my WHM to talk to my current DNS servers (I'm guessing not without work). Ideally, should each of my WHM servers run bind with its own NS? and slave that off to a CPanel DNS only? or should I just make my first WHM server the primary DNS (and let others interact with that and then setup a slave CPanel DNS Only?).

4) I read another post about securing WHM/Cpanel. Are they any specific check lists that I should run through after a fresh install? I run many servers at the moment, using systems I have written myself and therefore now them inside and out. My worry with WHM is I don’t know exactly what it is doing etc. but if I can get the base security sorted (i.e.things I need to do in WHM and indeed things I will do outside of WHM that it itself does not provide).

5) Can anyone point me in the direction of a feature list / settings that I could use if I want to provide an email only account. I assume I would allocate disk space still but not provide any features unless they are relevant to email right.

Again, thank you for your patience and I hope someone can respond to my list of questions. I will appreciate all and any constructive feedback and I look forward to responses.

Many thanks, Davy.

[Spiral]

I have a number of questions I hope you knowledgeable folk can help me with so firstly, thank you for your patience and apologies for the long post.

No problem. If you want long, you should see some of my posts.

1) During the CPanel install, I was guided through a first time setup and I would like to be able to re-run this?

The post install wizard that you see the first time you launch WHM really does nothing but set your initial "Basic Cpanel / WHM Setup" options in WHM which incidentally is the very first choice in your WHM menu and you can go in there and update whatever settings you wish anytime.

Other areas related you will want to review include ....

Tweak Settings
Resolver Configuration
FTP Server Selection
Mailserver Selection

2) I setup my first package which seemed to go fine. However, the default page was not created for me, instead the webroot only had a cgi-bin folder and nothing else. Would this be because of a mistake in the feature list I had used?

Sounds like you are confused a little bit on what is what ...

Your "package" options is what features are available to Cpanel for the new hosting account when you login to Cpanel while the page you described is not Cpanel for the account but rather the actual web site itself which will indeed be blantk until you upload some web pages.

You can also add your own "default page" content be editing "~/cpanel3-skel" skeleton template folders.

3) We currently run our own DNS (NS1.COMPANY.CO.UK, NS2.COMPANY.CO.UK) and during the install, I set WHM to NOT install DNS (bind). Now, this now of course means that if I give people DNS edit ability, they won’t be able to make changes to DNS since it would be on our current DNS servers (which are not WHM/CPanel). I just wondered what the ideal setup would be? Would it be better for me to setup NS3.COMPANY.CO.UK to be my first WHM server, and then try and setup CPanel DNS only on slaves? Or is it possible for my WHM to talk to my current DNS servers (I'm guessing not without work). Ideally, should each of my WHM servers run bind with its own NS? and slave that off to a CPanel DNS only? or should I just make my first WHM server the primary DNS (and let others interact with that and then setup a slave CPanel DNS Only?).

Initially for you I would setup "BIND" under "Nameserver Selection" (Service Configuration) in WHM and setup *BOTH* DNS servers with your server until you get a bit more comfortable with Cpanel operations and then perhaps look to setting up a clustered DNS configuration later.

(Incidentally, DNS is an item I can quite literally do in my sleep and if you would like a helping hand with any of that --- just message me)

4) I read another post about securing WHM/Cpanel. Are they any specific check lists that I should run through after a fresh install? I run many servers at the moment, using systems I have written myself and therefore now them inside and out. My worry with WHM is I don’t know exactly what it is doing etc. but if I can get the base security sorted (i.e.things I need to do in WHM and indeed things I will do outside of WHM that it itself does not provide).

Oh that is whole pandora's box in itself ....

Generally speaking, you will want things like CSF Firewall, Mod_security, and SuHosin for starters but actually securing your server properly goes far, far, far beyond that and is another area I can certainly help you but it might also do you some good to read some of the threads and posts around here as there is a lot of really good information already posted.

5) Can anyone point me in the direction of a feature list / settings that I could use if I want to provide an email only account. I assume I would allocate disk space still but not provide any features unless they are relevant to email right.

Cpanel actually provides an "Email Only" template you can use for accounts that won't be hosting anything but email and you would want to use that "theme" with those particular accounts and yes you are correct in that you would probably want to setup a package for those accounts with a limited feature list just pertaining to email and related.

Again, thank you for your patience and I hope someone can respond to my list of questions. I will appreciate all and any constructive feedback and I look forward to responses.

No problem. Glad to help and hope this answers a few of your questions

[Spiral]

A little bit more on DNS that I inferred but didn't address directly ---

Regarding your question about running 3rd party DNS verses running DNS from your Cpanel / WHM server, I would strongly recommend that you do not use any 3rd party DNS as you described.

Aside from having to manually edit every single DNS change that way, the job of maintaining your domain zones gets very difficult to keep everything in sync and can become a borderline nightmare.

Cpanel will automatically manage all domain zones for you and make necessary updates, additions, and deletions as needed to keep everything going on in the hosting accounts properly synced to the DNS zones when it is managing your DNS so this is definitely the preferable thing to do.