Getting Confused ... !

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nobody
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Forum Regular
Posts: 349
Joined: Sun Mar 29, 2009 6:52 pm

Getting Confused ... !

Unread post by nobody »

Hello.

I got a server with CentOS 5.2 64bit and Plesk 9.0.1 from 1and1.

10 Days now Ive been configuring staff. Or at least ... trying hard to do so.
This is the first time I ask in public. I believe that If you want to fix something you can just read and do it by the preinvented wheels.
In order to do so since I am no expert I started reading and reading and then I read and searched more ...
But around Plesk - CentOS and 1and1 there are millions of posts by trillions of people and each one has something different to say.
So today I am confused about a whole bunch of things. And I wanted to ask you since the googleing made my mind go loose :P
I think this topic will help many many people like me when it gets peoples answers.
And I think you have done a terrific job ! With your repository and all...

First of all my server came imaged from 1and1.
And I want to use this server to host clients.
Each one must have a fully working web hosting.

So...

I followed the simple logic. The servers os and services must be kept up to date (stable) we do not want to experiment on a production server.
The server must have firewall - protection etc
And I need to learn what plesk is doing on my servers files. (I will probably never as it seems now :P)


Kernel :
I discovered (According to the cent os experts in their irc channel) that my server as they said is not running a cent os kernel! But as they said when I told em it is centos as 1and1 says that it might be based on centos ...
Now I wonder. This kernel "2.6.27.19rootserver-20090306a" is made by 1and1 due to the serial console problems as we know with their weird baud rates (many people that tried to alter their os from the serial console report this problem) ?
Also how do you patch this kernel ????


Yum :
yum is an update utility. Very useful I might say. 1and1 has its own repository ... I also added the art. Is there any way these 2 might be at conflict ??? I followed the instructions and it updated my services ! I was so happy that I no longer had services running with known exploits ! But this gave more questions.
When I installed that it asked if I want art to update plesk and the recommended was no ... Why ?
Also plesk in its admin panel has option for updating plesk and os from the plesk server ... But everything was showing up to date before I updated half of the server with yum - art (Again ... THANK YOU !)... How can this be ?!
I temporarily disabled the plesk os update until you tell me.
Also i wrote a crontab for yum update buy when there is an update yum asks confirmation. So how can the server update using cron and yum automatically ? I know how to make the crontab on plesk ... Tried it.


Dns :
There is a template for each domain you add. But cant you have a custom dns file for a domain ?
There is no utility in plesk to do that. At least not in my plesk.
Changing the file in the dir of bind is useless the panel will change it back.
And I cant have all the domains have the same records as my ""master" domain.


Creation of domain :
When you create a new domain the plesk "builds" up the dirs of the client.
Inside these it puts as well files for a default web page of 1and1 ! Where can I change what I want to be created on new clients ?


Proftpd :
What ports does it need to run normally ? Can I run it with just 21 and 20 tcp or it needs to have a passive range as well ?
Also it was by default configured to start by xinetd. I want it to be a standalone server. But how can I change that ?


Plesk SSL Certificate :
The server came with a generated certificate with the host of the 1and1. I have a new offcourse server host. I want to create a certificate or buy at least one that has my data.
But I found no where In plesk a way to change it or generate one new...


Ip's :
I don't know why but 1and1 uses dhcp. Never understood the logic behind that ...
I manually configured the eth0 but didn't work... Has anyone found out why they do that ?


Firewall :
My firewall module isn't shown in plesk. Nor in the modules directory. Even though it seems installed and up to date.

Mysql Server :
I never found out my mysql servers password and through plesk I cannot change it.
Isn't this crazy ?!


Coldfusion :
I installed coldfusion. Yes the license doesn't allow it. Shouldn't have done so.
Can I pay parallels to get that extra license or is it just like that since the license I got it through 1and1 ?
If not how can I now remove the coldfusion ? There is no remove option in the modules !


Mail server :
Almost everyone in the internet as I read acknowledges that postfix is better than the rest. But There have been tons of complaits about postfix and plesk. Should I just leave q mail for the peace of mind ? And if so ... Is qmail secure as well ?


Thank you all for your time. Hope I didn't brake your nerves as well :P
Hello IT.
Phone : Blah Blah ....
Have you tried turning it on and off again ?
Phone : Blah Blah ....
....
I'm sorry, are you from the Past ?!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-E4fm4Wqego
faris
Long Time Forum Regular
Long Time Forum Regular
Posts: 2321
Joined: Thu Dec 09, 2004 11:19 am

Re: Getting Confused ... !

Unread post by faris »

Also plesk in its admin panel has option for updating plesk and os from the plesk server ... But everything was showing up to date before I updated half of the server with yum - art (Again ... THANK YOU !)... How can this be ?!
No. The update option in Plesk ONLY updated Plesk. Not the OS.
Dns :
There is a template for each domain you add. But cant you have a custom dns file for a domain ?
There is no utility in plesk to do that. At least not in my plesk.
Changing the file in the dir of bind is useless the panel will change it back.
And I cant have all the domains have the same records as my ""master" domain.
You can edit the DNS for each domain. Every single record. If you are using Plesk 9 then the option is "hidden" (as in hard to find) in a drop down somewhere where it says DNS
Creation of domain :
When you create a new domain the plesk "builds" up the dirs of the client.
Inside these it puts as well files for a default web page of 1and1 ! Where can I change what I want to be created on new clients ?
Look in /var/www/vhosts/default (or something like that). Also look at the Plesk manual -- search for "skeleton".
Proftpd :
What ports does it need to run normally ? Can I run it with just 21 and 20 tcp or it needs to have a passive range as well ?
Also it was by default configured to start by xinetd. I want it to be a standalone server. But how can I change that ?
Mac clients ONLY work with passive FTP. But you can run it on whatever ports you want. Check our /etc/proftp.conf (but keep in mind that your changes will be overwritten on any updates -- you can add an include though)

Why do you want a stand-alone server. Keep it simple. Don't change the way Plesk does things unless absolutely necessary. It will only end in tears.
Plesk SSL Certificate :
The server came with a generated certificate with the host of the 1and1. I have a new offcourse server host. I want to create a certificate or buy at least one that has my data.
But I found no where In plesk a way to change it or generate one new...
Again check the Plesk manual. The certificate for the panel itself is managed in Server -> Certificates. (plesk 8.x anyway)
Firewall :
My firewall module isn't shown in plesk. Nor in the modules directory. Even though it seems installed and up to date.
Forget plesk's firewall and install APF firewall (search google). No GUI -- everything from the command line. But much easier to use than a GUI!
Mysql Server :
I never found out my mysql servers password and through plesk I cannot change it.
Isn't this crazy ?!
The mysql root username and password is the same as the plesk ones. e.g. username = admin
Coldfusion :
I installed coldfusion. Yes the license doesn't allow it. Shouldn't have done so.
Can I pay parallels to get that extra license or is it just like that since the license I got it through 1and1 ?
If not how can I now remove the coldfusion ? There is no remove option in the modules !
No, you cannot pay parallels for an update because you don't own the license.

yum remove coldfusion (or whatever the package is called) to remove it. Be careful with any deps though.
Mail server :
Almost everyone in the internet as I read acknowledges that postfix is better than the rest. But There have been tons of complaits about postfix and plesk. Should I just leave q mail for the peace of mind ? And if so ... Is qmail secure as well ?
Up to you. There's nothing wrong with Plesk's qmail really. It just isn't terribly flexible.
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nobody
Forum Regular
Forum Regular
Posts: 349
Joined: Sun Mar 29, 2009 6:52 pm

Re: Getting Confused ... !

Unread post by nobody »

First Of All.... Thank you for your reply and time !!!

Update :
Plesk has 2 options under update 1. Plesk Panel 2. Operating System.
I meant i disabled the 2. Isnt this one supposed to update the OS ?


DNS :
Found IT !
WebSite Drop Down Menu !
Though (very weird) upon new domains creation it adds 2 records that are not in the default dns template. This is probably a bug. I really dont need em and every time I go ahead and delete them manually.


Proftpd :
So if I have 20-21 open and lets say 10-20 clients from pcs and not mac I wont need the passive ports ?


SSL :
Found IT. Its in the drop down menu on Security section.


Firewall :
Should I disable on boot iptables then ?

Mysql :
Once again correct !


Coldfusion :
It wont find it to uninstall it.
I installed using plesk.
Other solution to uninstall it normally ? There is no uninstall link in plesk ...

MailServer :
I was more concerned around the security of qmail in accordance to postfix ...
Hello IT.
Phone : Blah Blah ....
Have you tried turning it on and off again ?
Phone : Blah Blah ....
....
I'm sorry, are you from the Past ?!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-E4fm4Wqego
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