[quote:1368cf2e56][i:1368cf2e56]Originally posted by ace[/i:1368cf2e56]
[quote:1368cf2e56][i:1368cf2e56]Originally posted by moronhead[/i:1368cf2e56]
I am not sure whether you actually use Cpanel/WHM, but it is more than a GUI. For the benefit of new members to this forum, Cpanel/WHM isn't just a GUI, but a complete server and end-user management package that installs and updates lots of applications on your server for you (MySQL, PHP, JSP, Apache, FrontPage extensions, ApacheASP, PhpMyAdmin etc.), enables you to set up hosting accounts and install pre-defined files and scripts in your customer's web space instantly, gets a user to set up mailboxes and email forwarding in real time with no pain and many other functions that I don't have the time to quote. It can be used even by a newbie host with ease.[/quote:1368cf2e56]
I wasn't just referring to Cpanel/WHM. As I said, cp's are designed to make a sysadmin's life easier (as well as the user's) they are not to replace a sysadmin, nor are they to compensate for a lack of experience for a &newbie host.& So, when I said &lost without a GUI& I meant that anyone running a hosting business should have a basic knowledge of Linux. What if one of your customers requests a php module? What if Apache fails? What if one of your customer's mysql databases becomes corrupted? Is a newbie host going to simply say &Sorry, I don't see an option in WHM to fix this, you're out of luck&
Again, if you don't possess a basic knowledge of the inner workings of Linux, apache, bind, etc. you should be a reseller, not a webhost.
Just my .02
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I partially agree with you. Cpanel/WHM needs some understanding of the events that are happening under the hood to be able to service the customer properly.
Having said that, when I started life as a webhost with a Raq3 almost 2 years ago I hardly knew what linux meant or what it did. But Cobalt had these pdf manuals and knowledge base giving primers on dns, subdomains, apache web server, etc. I used to go over them day and night to learn what it all meant. I used to pester their tech support almost every day and bombard them with questions to fill in the gaps in the manuals. In a few months I felt confident enough to work in SSH and do changes directly to the config files. At about the same time I purchased a Mandrake Linux 6.5 CD and installed it on my windoz computer so I could learn even more. That CD came with 4 thick online books on using linux (about 3000 pages - I still read and learn from them). Now if there's a topic I need to know and can't find the answer anywhere, I use a search engine to get almost instant answers. When there's something I can contribute to, I do that without a flinch (as you will see that from this forum).
So, you can start slowly and progress in small or big steps, that's up to you. But there should be nothing to stop you to venture into the unknown.
All Cpanel/WHM needs right now, to my humble opinion, is:
A Billing and Customer Care module in WHM and Cpanel,
A choice of 10 easily customizable, fast loading, functional, killer Cpanel themes (scrap the current default asap - why use a design created by someone who's deserted the ship?),
A theme manager so the admin (and the reseller?) can take out or add features at will
A knowledge base for server admins,
A detailed how-to and why-to manual for admins, resellers and end-users,
A help feature for admins, resellers and end-users (like a tool tip or similar for every single function available),
More easily integratable CGI or PHP scripts in advanced tools,
A Faq (this forum can be a great resource) for admins, resellers and end-users,
Assembling the designers and writers to do all this stuff,
More people in the development team? Probably not. Nick seems to be coping well, with new stuff coming out of his brains almost every day.
I probably can think of a lot more but for time constraints.
All of this would take Cpanel into the reach of the smaller hoster (1 to 10 servers) and not just the large distributor. I think this where the competition has seen a gap and is trying to aim at.
