Domain aliases/redirection - no simple way to create?

It seems I may be missing something in Virtualmin Pro. What I’m looking for is the simple ability to set up web and mail redirection from one site to another.

For example, let’s say that domain1.com is my primary domain. But I also own domain1.org. I want visitors to www.domain1.org to be redirected to www.domain1.com and see that in their browser’s URL bar. I’d also like mail that’s sent to user1@domain1.org to simply be redirected to user1@domain1.com.

I can recreate most of that functionality by hand using the Apache and Postfix mail modules in Webmin, but it requires quite a bit of effort. Most other control panels seem to have a very simple "alias" function that sets everything up for you.

Is this somewhere in Virtualmin that I’m just missing? Or is there a simpler solution? Or is this an upcoming feature? :slight_smile:

There is definitely an alias feature in Virtualmin that will accomplish exactly what you’ve described. However, the button appears to be missing in the current version. Please refer to[A HRef=“http://www.virtualmin.com/bug-tracker/bug?bug_number=235”>Bug #235</A> for more details.

What’s the ETA for putting this button back (i.e. what’s the ETA for version 3.07)? It’s an important feature to many of my clients.

Can you at least post what the url is for this page in Usermin? I can at least give that to them for now to keep them happy.

Hey Joshua,

Your example is already done by default. A www alias is created when you create the domain–you don’t need to add one.

Here’s how you do it (the following assumes you’re using the new Virtualmin Framed Theme, where a lot of this stuff is pulled right out front so you can see it a little better):

To create an Alias server:

Select the domain you’d like to alias in the dropdown at the top left.

Click "Create Server" in the left-hand menu bar to open out the server creation menu.

Now you can select whether to accept mail for the domain, create DNS domain, etc.

If you’re using any other theme, there is an outstanding bug about the Create Alias server button going missing in version 3.06. It will return in 3.07, which is coming out very soon.

Hi Joe,

Thanks for replying so quickly. The server ID business was not a problem, since I can grok the site ID that from the other urls within the admin.

Funnily enough, when I got home tonight, Josh had already upgraded to the framed version, which is a good start towards usability. (Joshua helps me admin the box, so when we’re talking about the server, we’re probably talking about the same one… LOL)

I know this isn’t the place to ask this question, but would anyone on your end be interested in some help with usability? I realize that some of the modules may not be extensible in a way that makes buttons, etc easy to move around, but I would be happy to at least throw together some mock-ups. I realize that many of you may be focusing on functionality and security (which is of course critical), but as a commercial product, ease of use is somewhat important as well.

Hey Alison,

The new version 3.07 just rolled into the repository moments ago. Give it a try.

We certainly welcome usability feedback, and as should be obvious from the major changes in presentation found in the Virtualmin Framed theme, and a lot of changes in Virtualmin over the past six months to make the vast array of existing functionality more obvious to users, we’re taking the usability issue very seriously. We also know we’re not there yet…Virtualmin and Webmin and Usermin could be quite a bit easier than they are in a lot of small ways (and a few major ways). But I believe that every version is getting better, and incorporates changes from users who’ve had the gumption to complain about things that are confusing.

So, let fly with suggestions. We’ll listen and probably do something about them, unless you ask us to make the background black and the text smaller. If you make mockups, we’ll look at’em, and integrate the bits where we agree (or where it is clear the majority of users agree and I see the idea work better, even if we don’t quite understand it).

And let us know what you think of the changes in the new theme, and if we’re on the right track.

Hey Alison,

The simple solution is to upgrade to the new Virtualmin Framed theme, which still has a Create Alias Server link in the left-hand menu bar. But if you have another theme that you strongly prefer, 3.07 will be out very soon–like tomorrow sometime, I think.

The URL solution isn’t a very good one, as it is of the form:

https://192.168.1.1:10000/virtual-server/domain_form.cgi?to=112244541410266

Where, as you can see, there’s a crazy server ID at the end that identifies what domain this alias is attached to. Not a useable solution at all.

BTW-This is not Usermin functionality. It is in Virtualmin, so your domain owners need to login to Webmin to get at it. Usermin is a very tightly restricted tool, intended for web mail, email forwarding and auto-reply configuration, and possibly database management and file upload/download. Domain administration happens via Webmin.

Hi Joe - Josh was just installing 3.07 right now :slight_smile: (We seem to having some issues with email, but I’ll let him post about that if he needs to, since he’s the one watching the logs)

Glad to hear you’re open to feedback! The framed version is definately a step in the right direction! And please don’t ever think I’m complaining, just offering constructive criticism to make your product even better than it already is! :wink:

And for the record, I would fling myself off a building before I would suggest a black background and/or smaller text :slight_smile:

My primary bread and butter is web-based application design, so I’m happy to help. I’m not even referring to the colors or the image icons, but more from a navigational usability issue.

One example that leaps to mind is that when you read e-mail (at least as root), when you are in the messages area, there is no option to go back to the virtual site interface, only to return to the full list of users. Details like that are more like what I had in mind. I think the default theme looked fine - and the framed theme looks fine too - no complaints there at all. I’m in a good position to look at the logic and workflow objectively, since I am just learning how the system works, as many other people will be doing. (I know how hard it can be to look at a project objectively when you’re the one who built it. YOU know where everything is, after all!)

I will try to keep some notes as I continue to learn where things are, and I’ll get them organized for you once there is a decent chunk. I’m always pleased to contribute to a good product.