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Fantastico - cPanel Tutorial Ch.5

Fantastico is known as a popular library for commercial scripts.  It is commonly used as a third party add-on that works with cPanel.  It was designed to automatically install applications into a website and eliminate the need to upload files through FTP.  These scripts are executed from the administrative area of your website.  Websites running Fantastico scripts are said to be installed by over 10, 000 servers.  With millions of users on a global scale it is easily the most used product of its kind.

Fantastico is generally used at the creation of a new website or when new applications are added.
These scripts are able to create tables within a database, install other software and modify the configuration files of the web server.  It also acts an installation program for scripts in a primary domain, add-on domain, subdomain or even a directory.  This provides users with the ability to install a variety of different scripts.  

Fantastico is an open source software that welcomes many different components.  Some of the most frequently used scripts available for installation are listed below:

- Blog Scripts: Wordpress, Nucleaus, b2evolution
- Content Management Systems: Drupal, Joomla, Mambo, PHP Nuke, Post Nuke Siteframe and more.
- Customer Support: PHP support tickets, Help Center Live, Support Logic Helpdesk, Support
 Service Manager.
- Discussion Boards: PHPBB2, SMF
- E-commmerce: Zen Cart, OS Commerce, CubeCart
- FAQ: FaqMasterFlex
- Guestbooks: Viper Guestbook
- Hosting Billing: PHP Coin, Account Lab Plus
- Image Galleries: 4images Gallery, Coppermine Photo Gallery
- Mailing List: - PHPlist
- Surveys and Polls: PHP Surveyor, Advanced Poll
- Project Management: PHP Projekt, dotProject
- Site Builders: Templates Express
- Wiki: TikiWike, PHP Wiki

MORE SCRIPTS

Moodle, Noah’s Classifieds, Open-Reality, PHP Auction, PHP Form Generator, PHPAds New and Web Calender.

Fantastico integrates smoothly with well over 50 web applications, enabling you to take full control of your website. 

INSTALLING FANTASTICO ON CPANEL 

The installation of Fantastico does not require the download of any files.  After opening your server type in the following command:

cd /usr/local/cpanel/whostmgr/docroot 
rm -Rf fantastico* 
wget -N http://netenberg.com/files/free/fantasticoinstaller.tgz 
tar xzpf fantasticoinstaller.tgz 
rm -f fantasticoinstaller.tgz 

After logging into the cPanel you should notice an icon for the latest version of Fantastico.  By clicking the icon you will be taken to a new page.  Find the install tab and click it.  You will then follow these installation steps:

- Select the version of Fantastico you wish to install onto the cPanel.
- Leave your theme area set to default unless you already have one in mind.
- Check all your scripts as active
- Keep the wget binary path unless you plan to make adjustments.  Leaving it this way is typically suitable for most users.
- Select the appropriate drive for disk space
- Make adjustments to CRON notifications.  You can leave them off unless you plan receive them in your email.
- Choose to receive automatic updates on Fantastico on a daily basis.

After these settings have been made you find the “install” tab and click it.  Installation may take a few minutes before all files are processed.  When installation is complete you will activate Fantastico via the “Features Manager” in cPanel.  After checking the box next to Fantastico you simply click “save” and the application is activated.


The Downside of Open-source Applications

The beauty of open-source programs is one talked about all over the web. Even though many of these applications and web components are free, several companies have been able to turn profits by re-selling them to other vendors and clients. Open-source programs receive contributions from thousands of web developers all over the world. This is because the source code of the application is freely available and has the ability to be expanded upon.

Free software is music to the ears of any web programmer. This could spell trouble for the innocent individual who is merely looking for a capable web host. Open-source programs are a hacker’s heaven. In a sense, they too are developers, which gives them easy access to source codes as well. They can quickly learn how the program works then develop strategies to break it down. As hackers remain busy, upgrades are constantly introduced into web hosting platforms to strengthen security. This only gives a hacker something else to strive for - it is a never ending cycle.