I haven't had a chance to try my PAYH space yet, but it sounds similar to what happened on my other host during the switchover from php4 to php5.  One version of php was running in apache as a module and the other as cgi and which version you chose to use affected who the "owner" of any files created by php software was.

Essentially when php was run as an apache module any files created by it had the owner/group that apache was running with.  So if you installed a prog like Gallery or Joomla 1.1.x which uploaded photos/files to the server using the file management features of the software - rather than by using ftp - the photos would appear on the server with apache as the owner.  The problem was you couldn't change the perms or delete them because you didn't have permission since the files were owned by a different user (apache).

However where php was run as cgi rather than module any files had the user perms so you could change/delete the files as they had the user as owner rather than apache.

As you can guess, when they then switched which ran as module and which as cgi in preperation for turning off php4 a few people found they had file permission problems.  The only way round this was to get the server admin to "chown" the files.

There is however another way round this which is to upload a php based file manager to deal with any edits/deletions/perms changes to these files.  If you're using Joomla there's an extension for it - Jooma Xplorer - which does just this (and this can also be used on any files outwith Joomla that have php as the owner )

Woo Hoo

Looks like it's time to bring GEN back to Plusnet

I'm confused by this whole thread, could someone from Plusnet explain in simple terms.
I've got a Wordpress site setup on the free CGI / SQL space provided under my Plusnet subscription (Broadband Yourway Pro).
I also have a domain name linked to the space under the extra £1 per month deal. www.garypaxton.me.uk
I've just got the site looking / working the way I want with pluggins and themes and all the file attributes / permissions sorted out and have started adding content. (Which hasn't been easy)

Is Plusnet saying that I now have to;

• learn how to backup the database and all the Wordpress files associated with the site
• move it myself to a different CGI / SQL server
• pay more for the service

and, if it all goes to hell, I'm going to get no help or support ?

In due course, you will be needing to move your site over (and as you say that will involve backing up and moving them yourself to the new server).

However, there is no rush associated with this. You have the option of starting the migration as soon (or not) as you like. The old platform is likely to be online for about 6 months more, and might well be longer if the plans take longer to implement (they often do!). Once the new platform is up and running in it's final state, there will be further communications that the time for moving is approaching. However by then there will be a wealth of experience available from the pioneers who went before you, so there should be extensive help and support available to make the move over as smooth as possible. Hopefully, there will be step by step guides available to help move the main CMS systems over (like Wordpress, Joomla etc), although these will depend on how helpful other customers are at sharing their experiences!


There is no cost associated with the move over. There is no monthly fee charged. The only situation that you might find yourself paying for the service is if your usage in a month is more than the allowances offered. The old allowances were in daily figures. The new allowances are monthly but less. Most people will find them to similar in real terms. The old limits were hard enforced caps, with auto archiving of the site when the limits were burst (I think that still applies to CCGI platform? Can anyone confirm?). For sites with irregular traffic patterns, they might get more traffic in a month under the new regime, since they can have much more on a given spike day without triggering a burst. For sites with a very level, consistent flow of visitors every day, they will get less traffic under the new scheme.

However, the limits are set as they are for the preview. By the time the platform is released those limits might have been expanded anyway. Even if not, then the new caps are more flexible anyway. Plusnet would work with you to get your site into line, if you were bursting the limits regularly, but the occasional peak isn't going to get you disconnected.


The support for the new platform (as with the old really) is mainly through the forums. This is because it is a value add service, rather than a core component. You won't be left high an dry though. I think by the time the move happens, there will be a lot of support articles already available, and questions will be able to be asked in here.

You can obviously, ask for a preview account as soon as you desire (although only ask for one if you will use it relatively quickly, as they might charge you to create a second one if you let the first one lapse through lack of use). You can keep your existing site working as it is on the CCGI platform right up until the switch over (or until you're happy your site is working on the new platform - if sooner). So you can take as long as you like getting it right behind the scenes before you set your own switch over date.

Thanks xpcomputers,

You've managed to simplify all the gobbledygook and put my mind to rest (to a certain degree).
I'm still a little concerned about the reduced traffic and the possibility of losing content in the transfer process.
I might just get another hosted address and make that my main site, there are some really cheap deals out there.

Thanks  xpcomputers - That was a super answer.

Notxap - Moving the domain over and keeping the name should be pain free, and I'm sure all your content can be maintained. How you do it will depend a little on what you want to do - for example the new service will have a system that lets a wordpress blog be installed with one click, and should keep it up to date automatically as new versions are released (although I haven't tested this in practice yet). That might be a handy feature for someone who doesn't want the hassle of applying regular updates to their blog software.

It sounds to me like you should hold off for a while at any rate, and hopefully all will be a lot clearer when you come back to it then. You also you might find there is something worth doing it for rather than just getting the hassle....

Regards,

Ian

A lot of the stuff that has been posted here is very reassuring, it certainly looks like things may work out well.  It's likely to be fine for me as my level of traffic is pretty negligible.  The only thing I will really miss is the shell access.   From many years practice I've simply got into the habit of doing things on the command line - messing about with cron scripts just seems very inelegant to me.

I would really like to host my college work on Plusnet, its much easier for me. But your package, even free is not at all competitive.  I use (am I allowed to say who i use? one.com, if I'm not delete that bit mods ) which for £9 registration of domain name, i get for free (or at least for a year) 3GB web space, unlimited bandwith, PHP/ASP/MySQL etc on Tomcat server or 10gb webspace for £1.90 per month.

Your £2.50 package it terrible in comparison...

Item	One.com	Plus.net
Cost	£1.90pm	£2.50
Space	10GB	350Mb
Bandwith	Unlimited*	5Gb

If you are using a 3rd party provider, maybe switching would help?  I'd compare the free ones, but that starts at 3Gb webspace.  Will Plusnet be offering a more competitive solution?

* [font = really really really small ISP small print]AUP Applies[/font]

You're welcome to mention other providers here - We've nothing to hide.

It's horses for courses - we're not a hosting provider predominantly and with fewer users using hosting we have higher costs per customer than someone dedicated just to that job would have. The price is higher there because we don't have the same economies of scale.

That said, we are always looking at pricing and if there is an opportunity to make the products post the preview stage more competitive, you can be sure that we will take it.

Regards,

Ian

Hi,

I've not got everything transferred over from the ccgi server to the new server. I have an external domain which points to the old ccgi server, how do I move this to look at the new plushosts server, do I need to create a ticket?

-Andy

Yep - Create a ticket - There should be a specific path for it at http://trials.plus.net that explains what to do.

Let me know how you find the process as it's one of the things I want us to make sure we get right so people feel OK about switching over.

Ian

OK so far it was easy, but now I have a problem, how do I access the database from my new domain, since I can only have one database I need to be able to access it from both my default domain and my new domain, is there any way to do this?

-Andy

replaced by later message

Sorry to be so naive ...  dont understand all the tech jargon.

I cuurently have a website created in microsoft frontpage  on my pc  and published to the  plusnet server   creating my website  http://fp.username.plus.com/  etc   etc ........  

Am i correct in saying that this service will cease in the new year ?
If so what will be my options  please.
Thanks
Keppy

Hi,

Transferring in a domain was really easy, what's more I can still access the database I created in my other domain.

As Ian said here:
http://community.plus.net...x.php/topic,69283.48.html
"    *  Support for MS Frontpage extensions is no longer available as the product used by providers to supply this is end of life and no longer available. Microsoft have replaced Frontpage with MS Expression."

Microsoft stopped support for Frontpage some time ago - so users are now left exposed. I stopped using it years ago in favour of  Dreamweaver - but that may not be suitable for everyone - unless you are good with coding in  html  & css.
I've heard that MS Expression is OK - and a quick look at the MS website suggests it may be possible you quality for an upgrade from Frontpage for about £94 .  Others here may know for certain if that is correct ?.