Since you mention it…<BR><BR>
I’ve been looking for this kind of solution for almost a year now. An lightweight ISP solution that had
<BR>1) a one-click website creation (dns, postfix, apache, etc.),
<BR>2) a powerful interface for administrators,
<BR>3) a tier of resellers,
<BR>4) a simple interface for the customers and of course
<BR>5) free or low-cost.
<BR><BR>
After trying ISP-config, VHCS, Cube and one other “nameless” solution, I had been disappointed for one reason or another. They met some of my demands, but always had some major drawback. So my test server has been reformatted a dozen times trying to find the one-best-solution. I finally tried the GPL version, which to be honest, really made me skeptical about the Virtualmin Pro version. The GPL version offered the one-click website creation along side the powerful, existing Webmin interface, but I wasn’t convinced to pay money (even though it’s very little money) for that level of a solution. But, for some reason, I still decided to take a risk and pay for Virtualmin Pro, just hoping that you would surprise me. I paid, reformatted my test machine again, and ran the cript. I was nervous, sleepy and wondering if had made a mistake. But then…[BR><BR>
With each click of the mouse, from the login screen to one-click website creation, from the very clean default skin, to the symbiotic relationship with good ol’ Webmin, I was seeing all my dreams coming true. One serious mistake of other products I’ve tried (I haven’t tried ensim, cpanel or plesk, mind you) was that their approach to automation made it impossible or very difficult for the administrator to customize or tweak anything. The administrator’s level of control was very limited. With Virtualmin Pro, I am able to get the automation I’ve been looking for yet without losing the control/customization. I think this has mainly to do with the use of Webmin in the solution. Webmin offers so much more control via the same interface, so after creating a website, I can easily tweak the dns entry, or group memebership for example.<BR><BR>
Creating and maintaining websites is a snap with Virtualmin Pro. It offers all the necessary automation, powerful controls, delegated authority (resellers), an intutitive design (great for those pesky customers) and it’s worth every penny of it’s very, very low cost. I agree that people should pay if they want professional-quality service and software. I recommend this above all other free/inexpensive solutions out there. It’s ideal for a small but serious hosting environment.