Webmin is easy to install, easy to use and has many useful features such as instant and scheduling of startups / shutdowns, notifying when services go down, backups, site admin ...

webmin com

Is that usd 'with' xampp or instead of it?

Thanks for the suggestion.

oz

webmin is a server admin panel. It allows you to administrate all aspects of a Linux server (servers, networking, hardware, logs, backups).

I have not used xampp (only the separate components of it). Googling xampp control panel linux indicates that there are some dedicated xampp control panels which you can use for starting / stopping xampp.

If you want to make administrating the whole server easier then webmin would be a better tool to use.

Thanks Frank.

It does look good, but would it mean I would have to do separate installs on Apache, phpmyAdmin, mySQL etc. if I sacked Xampp?

oz

BTW. This just came into my inbox as I left twring the above..

A new GUI for ubuntu

[packages.ubuntu.com...]

oz

If you already have apache, mysql ... installed then they can be started / shutdown via standard linux commands.

Something like:

/etc/init.d/mysql stop

or

/etc/init.d/mysqld stop

All webmin would do in this case is to run those commands when the 'Stop MySql' button is pressed.

You keep the same installation of your current apps and just install webmin as a separate admin app.

But if all you want to do is to stop and start your apps then either use the command line or an xampp gui.

Hi Frank,

Yes that's what I do now..use the terminal and the commands..

in my case it is /opt/lampp/lampp stop or start and it is fine that way. Just thought it would be quicker to have something on the Desktop or in the tray that needed a click or two!

Am I correct in thinking that if I did install it, I can either have the option of using xampp or webmin? Now that sounds good.

Being a Dos/ Windows slave for so many years, lately with the graphics interfaces from XT to XP, I have become rather lazy and spoilt I guess.

oz :-)

I think there is slight confusion here. I have not used xampp but I believe it is just a bundled package which installs some or all of the following:

apache
mysql
php
perl
phpmyadmin

That's fine - as it does it all for you rather than having to download rpms, build from sources etc.

If you want to install webmin you don't need to reinstall apache or mysql. The current xampp installations stay as they are.

Webmin will allow you to administrate apache or mysql such as changing timeout limits, shutting the processes down, restarting etc. but you don't need to reinstall any current app.

---

If you can't find any other GUI type control panel then could just create your own control panel webpage with php.

Another alternative is email. You can use procmail to read emails for startup and shutdown codes and correspondingly start / shutdown processes.

Thanks Frank,

Will give it a go.

Appreciate the tume and advice.

oz :-)

A bit late to join this discussion, but a few things strike me.

1) Did you install xampp from repos, or the download from the xampp site? Its always better to install from repos but I do not know if any distros have xampp in the repos.
2) Ubuntu has a meta package for installing a LAMP stack in one gp. Mandriva has a GUI for installation and BASIC configuration of Apache and some other popular server stuff (ftp etc.). Even without that installing from a repo is relatively easy, and there are lots of set up guides for all the popular distros.
3) There are desktop GUIs for starting and stopping processes, but these vary from distro to distro. Most distros have something (e.g. in Mandriva its in the Mandriva Control Centre).
4) There is a command line app that gives you a sort of pseudo GUI for starting and stopping processes, but I cannot remember what it is called. More secure than webmin for a remote server as you only need to keep the ssh port open.
5) You can also run GUI apps (from 3) over ssh if you have them installed on the server.

Thanks for the info and help.

Yes I first installed Apache etc in the MEPIS distro then once that was up and running, downloaded from xampp.

It all works okay but as I am used to cpanel on my shared host's servers, Webmin was suggested. I am slowly getting into command line stuff like I did 35 years ago when I started with computers, however it's hard to reach an old dog new tricks as they say! :-)

Mepis does not have a gui for start/stop so tried the ubuntu one however I can't get it to work. I have to change the code paths in the text as it asks to be saved in a dir that does not seem to exist in the Mepis distro and not sure what to change it to.

This is the text..

If I can't get it to work, I think I may start again with ubuntu as that one seems to ahve more help and more apps.

Many thanks,

oz
:-)



To use the sweet gtk/python control panel:

Run in a terminal:
Code:

Kwrite ~/.local/share/applications/xampp-control-panel.desktop

Paste the following into the open file and save and exit.
Code:

[Desktop Entry]
Comment=Start/Stop XAMPP
Name=XAMPP Control Panel
Exec=gksudo "python /opt/lampp/share/xampp-control-panel/xampp-control-panel.py"
Icon[en_CA]=/usr/share/icons/Tango/scalable/devices/network-wired.svg
Encoding=UTF-8
Terminal=false
Name[en_CA]=XAMPP Control Panel
Comment[en_CA]=Start/Stop XAMPP
Type=Application
Icon=/usr/share/icons/Tango/scalable/devices/network-wired.svg

"XAMPP Control Panel" will show up in your applications menu under Internet. Use the Alacarte Menu Editor to move it around.

I take it that means you installed Apache etc from the repositories (apt-get or synaptic)?. If not I would uninstall and re-install from the repos.

I would try webmin, or just use the command line: you are used to Mepis, you might as well stick to it.
Webmin instructions here: [webmin.com ]

As far as help goes, remember most advice for Debian applies to Mepis - especially for server stuff.

Do you have to have Apache? I have done PHP MySQL development using Cherokee and PHP FastCGI . Of course your server config will be different, but PHP and MySQL remain the same.

The nice thing about Cherokee is that it comes with a web admin interface. You have to start it from the command line, but you change the config in the browser.