WebFaction joins GoDaddy

jakob · 2019-03-14 07:28:43

Hi jpdupont! Similar thoughts here. For me, it’s too vague and too late for the moment and I hope to have moved over to a new GB-based host (for the GB-based client) before then.

Weren’t you trying out Infomaniak? How did that go?

jpdupont · 2019-03-14 07:52:35

Hi Jakob!

Yes, I took a cloud server at Infomaniak, which I currently pay per quarter, not to commit myself. I installed two WP sites (customers want a standard tool, it is more and more imposed, and Textpattern is unknown for them) working, before switching to the final domain.

The installation of LE certificates is not ideal (errors)
Depending on the path chosen, the installation of a site is done at the root of the hosting rather than in a clean folder (and we must start again)
This makes me think that their Cloud panel programming is not optimal, and the actions are not sufficiently protected (by programming, and help popups explaining the errors)

At the level of the WP backend, while I should have significant resources just for me, the plugins update freeze, the appearance of screens is very slow. I had to go back to WebFaction to work smoothly, and making an exact copy.

Conclusion: I am not convinced.

jakob · 2019-03-15 09:03:33

Thanks for the feedback!

jpdupont wrote #317039:

The installation of LE certificates is not ideal (errors)

I can’t speak for the host but it might not be their ‘fault’: sometimes one’s own .htaccess file can interfere with the Let’sEncrypt validation procedure. On webfaction (and elsewhere too, going by other reports on the net), if all http traffic is redirected to https it can prevent the validation procedure working when a first certificate is created (or when new domains are added to a certificate), because it must necessarily check the .well-known directory using http as there is no prior certificate. The solution there is to add access to the .well-known directory as an exception to the htaccess http-to-https redirect. That could vary from host to host depending on how they’ve implemented it. The htaccess for HTML5Boilerplate details these here.

Depending on the path chosen, the installation of a site is done at the root of the hosting rather than in a clean folder (and we must start again)

Interesting. My usual web host in Germany – all-inkl – doesn’t place any special restrictions, so one could theoretically also end up in that situation. However, I prefer that flexibility as it does mean I can organise sites cleanly in separate folders. Their domain UI is also flexible enough to specify one’s own folders for each domain, including the one that the account was set up with.

The host I’m trialling in GB as a replacement for webfaction (Guru) uses cPanel. It seem that with cPanel the main domain has to go in /public_html and all subsequent add-on domains (as they call them) are by default placed in subfolders of that, which I think is suboptimal*. I’ve tried relocating those to other folders alongside (rather than within) public_html but really I’d also like to change the default web root (public_html) to something else. It seems I can’t do that. Can any cPanel aficionados advise?

*it also makes a subdomain of the main domain for each add-on domain, Ugh. Wish I could prevent that too! Any tips?

Destry · 2019-03-15 09:47:24

bici wrote #317033:

some of the dedicated smart folks at webfaction are breaking away and forming a new hosting service

I wish it well, but… the TxD to Kaisen Garden experience did me in with spin out situations. I’ll check back in 5 years. ;)

Returning to my neck of the woods…

I’m rather impressed with my recent choice, o2switch. Everything is working and smooth. They do seem like a tight operation, technologically speaking. Docs are pretty decent too, even in French. ;)

Although, I’m a little baffled by one thing: I still can’t figure out what their stance is with data privacy. For reasons beyond me, I failed to even consider that when signing up. Like, I literally didn’t check anything about GDPR-compliance on them; forgot to even check if they provide a DPA (as WF and Proton do, and presumably others).

So I wrote them about it about 10 days ago. Crickets. I will write them again when I have some other more important tasks off my plate.

But I’m surprised by this vagueness, considering they’re supposed to be this progressive French web host, in a country with a data authority, CNIL, that wields a heavy hammer and is dutifully bound by GDPR. I don’t get it.

At the moment I’m running without a DPA from them, and I’m not sure I’ll get one. And they seem to love using IP addresses. Require one from me just to use SSH connection. White-list, or something.

To be continued.

defulmere · 2019-03-15 16:17:27

bici wrote #317033:

so. once more: Hope for the Future …
some of the dedicated smart folks at webfaction are breaking away and forming a new hosting service

i have signed up to be placed on their waiting list. Even though i am now committed to a2hosting for the next year. I would love to support Opalstack

stay tuned and follow, if interested, here

Sean from Opalstack here, thanks for the plug!

Destry wrote #317060:

I wish it well, but… the TxD to Kaisen Garden experience did me in with spin out situations. I’ll check back in 5 years. ;)

Ok, we’ll see you at that time :)

bici · 2019-03-15 22:25:52

jakob wrote #316659:

Another one for your collection :-) might be namecheap. I don’t have any direct experience of their hosting, only of their domain registration (which is fine)

hmm i am going to consider moving my domains from Dotster to namecheap

bici · 2019-03-18 16:43:17

colak wrote #315998:

Does anybody have any experiance with www.a2hosting.com/?

I do now. i have moved 75% of my sites over to a2hosting.com

Overall the experience has been pain free. Their support is top notch.— both in terms of quick responses and well informed answers. Lets Encrypt is automatic when adding a domain. My sites seem to load fast. Email setup is ok, but management of the accounts is not as robust as it was with webfaction. I have sftp and ssh access. i have setup easy monthly routines to backup my Databases and website files to Strongspace.

The bad: having to use cPanel. And having to use 2 or 3 three different webpages to accomplish various maintenance issues.
Overall i have had no major or negative experiences.

I will stay with them for at least the next year.

In the meantime I will be testing out opalstack when it becomes available.

bici · 2019-03-28 22:18:12

i have two domains left to migrate. On one of the sites there is an email user who only uses WEBMAIL to access their email.
So how do i move their email over to the Webmail on the new server?
Stumped.

defulmere · 2019-03-28 22:22:02

bici wrote #317383:

i have two domains left to migrate. On one of the sites there is an email user who only uses WEBMAIL to access their email.
So how do i move their email over to the Webmail on the new server?
Stumped.

WebFaction’s webmail system is an IMAP client. If you need to move messages from WF to any other IMAP host, you can use tools like offlineimap, imapsync, or even drag/drop in a desktop IMAP client.

There are some offlineimap examples in the WF forum here.

bici · 2019-03-28 22:34:57

@defulmere thanks for your suggestions.

forgot to mention that the user is not tech-savy. i have to move the mail on her behalf. i was hoping not to have to ask her for the password.

I was hoping i could somehow use admin access to archive the old email then upload it to the new server.

I have used the IMap options on my desktop on my other own emails with no issue. I create a NEW account, on the new server and drag and drop the old emails from te OLD account to the new inbox and it syncs to the new server.

bici · 2019-03-28 22:38:14

ps where are mailboxes stored on Webfactiion? can an admin tar the inbox and download it?

jakob · 2019-03-28 22:54:10

bici wrote #317387:

ps where are mailboxes stored on Webfactiion? can an admin tar the inbox and download it?

I think they’re somewhere entirely separate and that’s not possible but you might want to check on the webfaction forum.

However, because they are separate from your domain, you can still access the mailboxes after you’ve changed your dns for as long you still have your account at webfaction (i.e. to retrieve or transfer mails. Sending or receiving will not work). I moved my client at the weekend along with 23 mailboxes and discovered it was possible to go back and snag mails that arrived between the transfer.

If your new host has a migration method in which you provide webfaction’s user name, pw and mailserver, then that will work.

defulmere · 2019-03-28 23:36:50

bici wrote #317387:

ps where are mailboxes stored on Webfactiion? can an admin tar the inbox and download it?

They’re on a pool of servers separate from WF’s web servers.

You should be able to open a ticket and ask WF support to zip up the mailbox for you.

At Opalstack, we’ll always support drop-in maildir migrations whenever possible.

bici · 2019-03-29 03:24:49

i received a zip’ed file of the mailbox from webfaction. how do i import them to the new server?

The image on the left is the new mail directory, the one of the left is the webfaction email dirctory.

defulmere · 2019-03-29 14:31:09

bici wrote #317390:

i received a zip’ed file of the mailbox from webfaction. how do i import them to the new server?

The image on the left is the new mail directory, the one of the left is the webfaction email dirctory.

If your destination host is using Maildir for mail storage, then drag cur, new, and tmp from WF into INBOX at the destination.

Also, put subscriptions in the root of mailboxes, or maybe in annie if that doesn’t work. (This is the list of folders to which your IMAP client is subscribed.)

Ignore the dovecot* files, they’ll be rebuilt automatically on the new host.

Textpattern CMS support forum

#106 2019-03-14 07:28:43

Re: WebFaction joins GoDaddy

#107 2019-03-14 07:52:35

Re: WebFaction joins GoDaddy

#108 2019-03-15 09:03:33

Re: WebFaction joins GoDaddy

jpdupont wrote #317039:

#109 2019-03-15 09:47:24

Re: WebFaction joins GoDaddy

bici wrote #317033:

Returning to my neck of the woods…

#110 2019-03-15 16:17:27

Re: WebFaction joins GoDaddy

bici wrote #317033:

Destry wrote #317060:

#111 2019-03-15 22:25:52

Re: WebFaction joins GoDaddy

jakob wrote #316659:

#112 2019-03-18 16:43:17

Re: WebFaction joins GoDaddy

colak wrote #315998:

#113 2019-03-28 22:18:12

Re: WebFaction joins GoDaddy

#114 2019-03-28 22:22:02

Re: WebFaction joins GoDaddy

bici wrote #317383:

#115 2019-03-28 22:34:57

Re: WebFaction joins GoDaddy

#116 2019-03-28 22:38:14

Re: WebFaction joins GoDaddy

#117 2019-03-28 22:54:10

Re: WebFaction joins GoDaddy

bici wrote #317387:

#118 2019-03-28 23:36:50

Re: WebFaction joins GoDaddy

bici wrote #317387:

#119 2019-03-29 03:24:49

Re: WebFaction joins GoDaddy

#120 2019-03-29 14:31:09

Re: WebFaction joins GoDaddy

bici wrote #317390:

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