Tag Archive 'cPanel Tutorials'

cPanel Tutorial: Installing and Configuring Fantastico

As the name implies, Fantastico can be described as nothing less than fantastic.  This third-party program is a major attraction of the cPanel control panel and one of the most powerful script installers available.  Fantastico has the ability to install a variety of scripts from bulletin boards and blogs to guestbooks and content management systems.

Fantastico’s greatest attribute is the ease of installing scripts and programs.  These programs can be incorporated into your site in a matter of minutes to provide instant functionality.  The system is quite advanced, designed to frequently update these programs with the latest versions.  This assures proper installations and stability.

Installation

After logging into cPanel, you will notice an icon for the Fantastico program.  Clicking on the icon directs you to a new page where you’ll find an “Install” tab.  After clicking the tab, follow the installation steps below:

  • Choose the version of Fantastico you want to incorporate into cPanel
  • Make adjustments to your theme area if you have a few ideas in mind
  • Check all the scripts you want to use as “active”
  • Leave “wget” as your binary path. You can change this although it tends to be suitable for most users
  • Choose the designated drive for storage space
  • Make configurations to your CRON notifications. This is only important if you want to be notified of successful jobs via email
  • Choose to receive daily updates of Fantastico.

Once these adjustments have been made, locate and click the “install” tab.  The installation normally takes a few minutes to process all the files.  When its complete, you can activate Fantastico in cPanel’s “Features Manager”.  From there, simply check the box beside “Fantastico” and click “Save” to activate the program.

Getting Started

To access the program, simply click on the icon above the “Fantastico” text from the main interface of cPanel.  Once it opens, you will be greeted with a separate interface offering a number of options.  You can check out some of the additional tools by scrolling down the interface and accessing the “Extra” menu.  Here is what you’ll find:

Language - this option allows you to change the default language originally assigned by the server administrator.  The supported languages include, English, French, Italian, Dutch, Spanish, Polish, Indonesian and Polish.

Side Menu Appearance - here you can change the look of your side menu with a few built-in themes.

Full List - this is a default option used to display all the supported programs Fantastico is able to install.  Each one is categorized by a specific program type.

Drop-down menus - this allows you to view Fantastico’s three primary categories: Navigation, Scripts and Extras.  By selecting a specific category, you will be presented its associated information.

Email Notification - here you can submit your email address into Fantastico.  By doing so, you will receive a notification via email after a new script has been installed, updated or modified.  If updates are available, the system will send notification so you can login and update the appropriate scripts with the latest versions.

Navigation - in this menu you will find two links - one is designated for the cPanel homepage for your hosting account while the other is for the Fantastico homepage of your account.

Installations Overview - this section displays the current scripts and programs you have installed.  It shows you their version number and location.

All of your scripts can be installed from within the “Full List” section of Fantastico.  Keep in mind that you must have one empty database per installation.


An Introduction to cPanel - cPanel Tutorials Ch.1

cPanel is a highly advanced web based program that integrates with web hosting servers.   As an enhancement of the typical control panel, this software was created to add ease and simplicity to administrative functions of a web site.  cPanel is very popular for it’s numerous features, a user friendly system. This program appeals to the least experienced individual as it allows for easy and comfortable management of your website.      

The cPanel software is most commonly used for web hosting clients to have more freedom at controlling their site. It easily manages email accounts with extensive features such as mail forwarding, maintaining your database, files, payment procedures and much more.  It is also frequently used by web hosts to maintain the server and manage resources.  This mode is known as the WHM (Web Host Manager).  The Web Host Manager handles user accounts and system maintenance while interacting with enhancements such as the powerful MySQL database and FTP.    

There are many add-ons available for cPanel which include Moodle, Joomla, Drupa, SMF, Tiki Wiki and many more popular web applications.  This software gives it’s best performance when installed on a fresh operating system.   

cPanel differs from rival web hosting administrative panels by way of compatibility and features.  It is capable of automatically upgrading web applications such as Apache and PHP.  This is done so that all components remain up to date with cPanel and perform accordingly.

Though cPanel integrates smoothly with many servers it is most commonly used on Apache over the Linux operating system though it is currently being configured for Windows.  When integrated with other web applications cPanel allows users to easily add bigger and better features to their website.  Blogs, message forums, photo galleries and chat rooms are just a few of the many features that can be produced through cPanel.        

After purchasing a quality hosting account that supports cPanel you will receive a confirmation email.  This will contain a user ID and password.  From there cPanel can be launched in a web browser like Internet Explorer.  The following is an example of the most common way users log into cPanel.  www.joedomain.com/cpanel   This will direct you to the proper section where you are able to a enter password and user name. 

While this tutorial will elaborate on the features of cPanel you should observe a few things right away.  General information is displayed on the left hand side of your control panel.  Details such as disk space, the number of add on and sub domains, and email accounts will be familiar.   It’s best to assure that all the account information is correct before continuing on with cPanel.  

System requirements for cPanel program:

266 MHZ processor or faster
65 MB and 1 GB of RAM for multiple domains
10 GB or more of HDD space