InterWorx-CP Feature Requests

We’re in the planning stages for our next release and wanted to ask the community what were the biggest sore spots in the software now feature-wise. We obvioulsy have a list already of things we’ll be addressing but to make sure we’re not missing the obvious we’d like your input in this thread as to what you think the next feature additions should be.

I should note, that by posting to this thread your feature is not guaranteed to be included, but we will obvioulsy take it into account.

My short-list for the upcoming release (or 2) includes:

[list=a]

I vote for the feature b. :).

b, c & d for sure.

Custom error pages 404/403 etc via Siteworx, unless that is included with .htaccess.

And as for d, do you mean seperate dns servers for master/slave and the interworx boxes will sync to those? If not, I’ll put in the request now.

I have a system working currently that does this however if interworx supported this much like cpanel it would be spiffy

Custom error pages 404/403 etc via Siteworx, unless that is included with .htaccess.

I’ll expand on the above .htaccess bullet:

• IP allow/deny manager
• Hotlink blocking
• Simple redirects
• MIME types
• Apache handlers
• error pages (404, 403 etc etc)
• index manager (DirectoryIndex front-end)
• maybe a secondary user/pass system but the file mgr already does this well.

Keep 'em coming

Chirs

made a edit to my post regarding bullet "D’

Ability to move siteworx sites between different resellers or assign them to a reseller at creation would be very NICE.

Since I’m (very) new to Iworx, forgive me if I make some stupid remarks, but here goes… (listed with highest 'priority first)

• Multi Domain Users as stated

• for the .htaccess, also a GUI for some common PHP setting (like turning global_variables on/off).

• scriptworx: Also an install of both The Gallery 1.x (1.5) en 2.x would be used lots. Typo3 and Mambo would be nice to have as well.

• HA / Failover

• Gentoo Support (listed low, since it would probably have a long time timeframe).

Yes, I agree with that one.

I really, really, think you should bump up Microsoft Frontpage support on your priority list. There are a lot of potential customers out there who might turn away from your product based on the lack of MS Frontpage support.

I realize it’s difficult to support, and doesn’t work very well - I’ve been hacking on it pretty hard the last couple days. But it /can/ be made to work, and would be a major feature to add to your list to help draw in more customers.

That said, I also think some of your features listed already would rank above FP in importance.

Domain templates.

I’d like to see, even if unsupported, IWorx-supplied RPMs from you repos for mod_python, mod_security, and PHP 5 via CGI on a per-domain basis.

Edit: And I’d like to be able to pass a list of patterns to the backup script to exclude. Pre-set groups would be nice too. Something like “–exclude-file /tar/exclude/file” and “–exclude-pattern *.zip,*.mp3” and “–exclude-type archive,audio,video”

• for the .htaccess, also a GUI for some common PHP setting (like turning global_variables on/off).

We’ll definitely have some on the .htaccess interface.

Domain templates.

jerricho, do you mean DNS templates?

Ability to move siteworx sites between different resellers or assign them to a reseller at creation would be very NICE.

agreed

I really, really, think you should bump up Microsoft Frontpage support on your priority list. There are a lot of potential customers out there who might turn away from your product based on the lack of MS Frontpage support.

I realize it’s difficult to support, and doesn’t work very well - I’ve been hacking on it pretty hard the last couple days. But it /can/ be made to work, and would be a major feature to add to your list to help draw in more customers.

That said, I also think some of your features listed already would rank above FP in importance.

nbright, if you can get a working model, no matter how hacked together I’m happy to take a peek and even include support. I’ve spent a few hours messing with it and after my face turning red time and time again I just tabled it BUT if you have a pseudo-working system with iworx-cp I’m all ears.

I’d like to see, even if unsupported, IWorx-supplied RPMs from you repos for mod_python, mod_security, and PHP 5 via CGI on a per-domain basis.

I can see providing SRPMs fo this CMI, but pre-compiled RPMs I’m not as enthused about because we’ll invariably be asked to support them and asked to build/rebuild them regularly and I think folks really underestimate the time involved in making sure a lot of RPMs work across 7 or 8 distributions. That said, we’ll ponder ;).

Edit: And I’d like to be able to pass a list of patterns to the backup script to exclude. Pre-set groups would be nice too. Something like “–exclude-file /tar/exclude/file” and “–exclude-pattern *.zip,*.mp3” and “–exclude-type archive,audio,video”

We use TAR internally so we could pretty easily expose some of the TAR command line args for use.

Chris

I can understand this. I’ve spent more than a few hours on this myself (even bought a book about Apache configuration) and got it working (sort of) on my OLD server (my first Celleron box) more than a year ago. I only had it working on one domain.

FP wants to have one root web for the server and every site a “sub web” and that just does not work work with the InterWorx’s directory structure.

Search these and the Sago InterWorx foums and you will find more than one discussion about this. The server extentions simply do not like Apache 2’s virtual hosts for some reason. I’ve often wondered if this is one of the reasons Iworx’s compedators are still using Apache 1.3.

My feature request list

Now that InterWorx-CP supports almost all of my previous wish lists, I thught I would draw up a new one to give you something to do

I keep promising to post this but always procrastinate for some reason.

I’ve bolded the ones I consider to be the highest priorities.

This list has been in the works since 2.0 was in beta so it’s rather long:

• Multipe domains per account. Even though this can be done with a resller account, there are still many people for whom this is a stopgap. From where I am sitting this seems to be the most in demand feature.

{I would also like to be able to have fewere user directories in my /home directory Having played around with doing this manually I understand that this is not a simple thing. I got the apache part working a while back on my old box but the otehr parts are rather more complicated.}

• The ability to export/import your Packages via an SQL file (it’s just an SQL table, isn’t it?) or better yet synconization of two or more servers.

• The ability to compare all of your packages side by side (with on the fly editing).

• More flexibility about where subdomains and pointer domains point

for example:

Domain.com

/home/domainco/domain.com

sub.domain.com

/home/domainco/domain.com/sub

OR

/home/domainco/domain.com/other_dir

seconddomain.com

/home/domainco/domain.com/sub_directory

get what I mean?

.htaccess front end (as listed in your original post). The password protection part of Fileman is indeed good but a lot of people don’t see it and have to be pointed to it.

** Reseller Panel **

[B]* Option to change and customize theme and default langurage per reseller account Give the reseller the ability to do this for their own clients.

• Reseller account packages
• Main NodeWorx user able to become or create domains for reseller
• Reassign domains created on the box to a new reseller account or transfer between reseller accounts. This is most needed for when a client has a single account and signs up for a reseller account and you need to move his regular one into the reseller one but theere are other times it would be nice as well.
• Same sorting options on reseller list page as siteworx account list page [/B](also recode it eliminating the “buttons” like you did onthe SiteWorx account list page in 2.1)
• Reseller level control of ScriptWorx (Can they use it? What scripts can their users install?)

RESELLER AND MAIN NODE WORX

• Custom Categories to sort SiteWorx Accounts

e.g. Company Sites, Client Sites, Demos, Parked Domains, etc.

Backup and Restore:

• The ability to schedule more than one backup

e.g. databases nightly or weekly and full site weekly or monthly

• All NodeWorx originated backups in a single directory /home/backups/ to make it easier for the administrator to copy these to a safer location. Ideally these would be owned by the system (user iworx) not the siteworx user and not count toward the user’s quota.
• Give NodeWorx same backup options as SiteWorx.

ScriptWorx:

• Specify, install in a subdomain (I’d just add a “make this a subdomain” checkbox for now). Some scripts don’t work as a subdomaiin if installed in a regular directory because the site url is in the configuration file (e.g. MediaWiki)
• Option to update older scripts (turn on/off on a per install basis) I know this is a highly custom solution but since the developers freqiently provide change files it should be possible with some common scripts such as phpBB
• some sort of notification or listing to the administrator when a script is installed

(Ideally a list available in the NodeWorx interface). That way we know who has installed phpBB for example and can verify that they have updated it. This would only work from scriptworx installed scripts but since most people who are likely to install them will likely do it this way you should get most of them.

eg

phpBB

forum.sitename.com   /home/user/sitename.com/html/forums
forumsite.com       /home/user/forumsite.com/html/

WordPress

blogsite.com     /home/user/blogsite.com/html/

Obviously this would only work with ScriptWorx installed instances but since most people are likely to utilize that rather than doing it manually I think it would help us out. We know thare is a new version of phpBB out and a few days later we check all of the installs and make sure they have been updated.

Add Support for:

Drupal and CivicSpace <== ** this is a high priority for me pesonally and I’d be more than happy to play guinea pig **
Mambo Open Source
PostNuke
CPGNuke/Dragonfly CMS
Simple Minds Forum
phpMyFAQ
FAQMasterFlex
B2evolution
phpLive
PHPSurveyer
MediaWiki
a couple guesbook scripts. I personally have no prefference.
Moodel (I only say this because it’s such a pain in the butt to install manually. Several php.ini settings need to be changed. It would be nice to get it automatic).

WordPress was also on this list but I see you added it to 2.1

Other stuff

• Web interface for Mailman installations. Paul figured out how to get it running on Iworx over a year ago so it’d just a matter of writing the iworx code. I’m not saying this should be part of the standard install but possibly an option. [Yeah, I know this is a pipe dream but I’m adding it anyway. Plesk has this and it’s a major selling point and I recall seeing at least one more request for it in the forums.]

• Mass Edit DNS Zones/IP’s (For example when you move boxes I like to create the SiteWorx accounts on the new box and then edit the DNS on the old box to point to the new ones while thre new nameservers propogate).

• On the Software Updates page allow the user to specify packages not to install/update without actually editing /etc/yum.conf

• Notification in NodeWorx or via email (preferably both) that a new kernal has downloaded (necessitationg a reboot) I would think a grep of the yum log for kernal* would do the trick.

• Options in Software Updates page on pending packages: Update Now = Update Later (leave in que) = Never Update (add to never update package list)

• ClamAV – the ability to run a scan of the hard drive from NodeWorx

• Web interface for Logwatch (for something that seems so simple a lot of people seem to have problems with it)

• When opening a SiteWorx account from the listing in the NodeWorx/SiteWorx page, have it open in a NEW window rather than replace the existing one (or possibly give the useers a choice to have it do this or work as it is now through some sort of prefference setting).

• On The fly database/user creation (e.g. the ability to create a database and user for that database and assign privlages all on one screen – note: I’m not suggesting you replace what’s there just add this option. – People with slow serves or internet connections will love you for it

• Ingegration with mod_dosevasive Apache module http://www.nuclearelephant.com/projects/dosevasive/

• Ditto for mod_security

• Ditto for Brute Force Detector

• Ditto for rkhunter or something similar

• And last but not least . . . FrontPage support . . . sorry Chris, couldn’t resist I know it’s your bane. I don’t even use FrontPage webs anymore, but I know many who do and like it or not it a HUGE selling point.

And in case I haven’t said it enough great job on the software and everything you do for the community guys.

Tim

Wait, people still use frontpage? I think I would rather use notepad. But then again Im not in the business of hosting personal sites, so I guess there could still be a market for that :rolleyes:

This is possible as of 2.1.0. We changed the “SiteWorx” form buttons in the “NodeWorx -> SiteWorx Accounts” page to links. You can choose to open the link in a new window or tab.

Hello

My short list is near than the one of Tim

• Ability for reselers to manage their own themes

• HA/Failover (To continue with the existing cluster/LB )

• Remove the quota limit when it is the server admin that does a backup of ALL siteworx accounts : I do backup of all siteworx accounts but some of them are not backuped because they reached hteir quota limit. A good idea could be to have a specific place for backup done by nodeworx/server admin

Pascal

Thanks, I’ll try that

You must include

Full Front Page Extensions support

Mailing List Software. More and more people are using this feature now.

email user control panel.

These are very critical if you ask me. You also must update the Spam Assasin Interface to the likes of all the other control panels.

How about ssl certificate install, generation, etc?

Can you clarify what you mean by Email User control panel? Also, which control panel currently has a SpamAssassin interface that you like?

SSL certificate generation and installation is already possible on a per siteworx account basis. Is that what you were talking about?

“Can you clarify what you mean by Email User control panel?”

I am referring to Plesk and Ensim type implementation. All email account holders can access an email only control panel so that they can control their own spam setttings, auto responders, mail groups, mail lists, change their passwords etc. This is a very important feature these days for organizations.

“Also, which control panel currently has a SpamAssassin interface that you like?”

Da does this well

http://www.directadmin.com:2222/

login: demo_user password: demo

Go to Spam Assassin

You should also check out Spam Filters in this demo as well.