CMS and other installs on subdomains?

[mroewe]

Hello,
I have Webcalendar, FAQ Master Flex, PhpBB2, and Gallery installed in my primary account (using Fantastico). I host several other accounts (subdomains). Can I safely install the same programs as well as a Content Management System into each of the hosted subdomains?
The main domain is a not-for-profit fraternal organization and we offer free space to other councils wishing to have websites to inform their memberships. They are wanting some of these other features, but I am afraid I'll mess up the main account.

Thanks,
mel

[uh60lblackhawk]

As long as you are placing he other (sub) domains files in folders, IE: maindomain.index and files are in one folder and subs are in another you will install the programs into the sub-domains specific folder.There should be no conflict. You will have to create seperate databases for each as well as new installations of the programs.

[uh60lblackhawk]

My question to you (or anyone) is, since I am new to hostmonster, are there seperate pulic_html folders for each domain? With my other host I just create seperate folders IE: www/maindomain/index and www/subdomain/index for each domain and redirect to that folder.

[mroewe]

Yes, the subdomains are all set up as subdomain.mydomain.org and those sites are being managed by their own webmasters, etc. They are just wanting some fancy features, and I wanted to be sure I can give them some of what they're asking for.

I am tired of the phone calls and emails from them asking help in writing and designing their pages or troubleshooting them for them (I teach school full time, and manage websites afterhours gratis).

I have never used a CMS like Joomla. (I write my own html pages in Notepad and create my own graphics in Photoshop). I do not know Php or any other language/scripting, but I have gone in and edited such when given clear directions to follow. I just thought if I could install Joomla or Typo3 into those directories, they could perhaps manage their sites more easily. But I don't want to harm parent domain account.

[mroewe]

No, there isn't a /public_html folder in the subdirectories. They do have a .cgi folder, an images folder, and an index.html page. That's all, until files are added by the site owner.

[uh60lblackhawk]

Like I said, I am new at hostmonster but have been building websites for some time on another host. I just played around with subdomains. when you create a subdomain it creates it's own subfolder. As long as you install everything for the individual subdomain to that subdomain folder (IE: website.nonprofit.com; folder "website") it will have no affect on the main domain. I understand perfectly. I am in the military full time and do web design on the side. I built sites for some people whom I no longer build for because if I charged per phone call or request I would probably be a millionair by now. *LOL* Joomla is good for getting people a product that they can manipulate, they will have to do some research on their own to figure out how but there are many tutorials out there for them to learn by. You will have to give them admin rights in Joomla but not neccessarily on the domain. Hope that this helps.

[mroewe]

uh601blackhawk:

So, have you experience with Joomla? I have been scanning back postings on this forum trying to figure out which CMS to look at. Typo3 gets good remarks, but it isn't available through C-panel/Fantastico. Joomla seems to have higher marks, comments-wise, than the others available in the installer.

You say I need to give them admin rights to Joomla; I assume that each instance of Joomla installed (each separate subdomain) gets its own admin config, that doesn't "bleed over" to the other sudomains, etc.? As I mentioned, I have no experience with CMS's, and don't know just how powerful [or not] they are.

[uh60lblackhawk]

I like Joomla for certain situations, like for a page that is cookie cutter or for someone that doesn't have a lot of expirience with building webpages like the people running your subdomains. You will have to give them admin rights with-in Joomla once you have it set up. There are two things that y uwill need to do, install a database and install joomla. (At least I had to on my other server. I have not switched all of my other domains over to hostmonster yet. I am still playing with it. Once you set up the database you will install Joomla, the installation will e-mail a user name and password to you. You will then log in and go to the admin section where you can create other "super-admins". This does not give them access to any part of your webhosting or webfolders to include the one that joomla is installed in. It only allows them to edit the content of joomla. Check out www.thejohnsontree.com. User Name: test password: test. I will delete this soon though.

[uh60lblackhawk]

You will not be able to see the admin section or back-end but all that you see on that site is edited with a basic word like document. There is not html, php, css coding done by the end user. I personally have done some editing but that is because I wanted a specific look and feel and I am still working on it, but you don't have to if you don't want to. It's simple, install and go.

[uh60lblackhawk]

So the answer to your earlier question is yes, if you had 10 different sub domains you could install 10 different calendars, Joomla (w/databases), or anything else and as long as they were in the individual subdomain folder they would not bleed over onto each other. They are folder specific, http://subdomain.maindomain.com/1joomlainstall etc.........

[uh60lblackhawk]

If you have any question you can e-mail me at randalcox@netsmartdesign.com

[mroewe]

Thanks, alot! I'll check it out tomorrow. It's way past bedtime. You've been a great help!

Melani

[penrex]

G'day all,

like mroewe, I am new to the CMS way of doing web sites. I have done a few sites that are on www.penrexdesigns.com.

I have previously installed joomla! and modx in my root directory only to find that it over-wrote the index files etc and I didn't understand why. LOL having read through this thread I am closer to knowing.

My issue very shortly is going to be installing a CMS into each subdomain I have and after getting them up and running - handing the control over to the respective clients (Woohoo - happy days).

Can someone clarify the following for me:

once I install a cms program into a subdomain - which files do I have to make alterations to in order for the www.domainname to shoot into the correct subdomain folder. . .

I am going down the CMS track for 2 reasons:

1. because I have lost a couple of web site tenders, based on the fact I cannot hand over control to them once the site is up and running to their satisfaction.

2. hopefully I can free up some time to be away from the computer.

thanks in advance.

penrex (Dave)