Re: [cobalt-users] New GUI For Raq3

[Kris Dahl <krislists@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

on 6/6/00 12:40 PM, Thescripter@xxxxxxx at Thescripter@xxxxxxx wrote:

> Hi, I know there are alot of you out there that have the same thought as me: W
> hy are we still using the Cobalt Control Panel? - It lacks SO many features,
> like dissabling ftp, adding pop/forwarding accounts WITHOUT a corrisponding
> user account, scheduling jobs, you must add the dns and the domain (not just
> the domain and the DNS automatically), does not let users add their own
> subdomains  - And the MAIN problem: Their WHOLE GUI is pictures, and some
> people who administer there Raq3 remotely via a 56k connection have a LONG
> wait, I have > 90 domains on my raq3, and if I had a 56k, it would take HOURS
> to download the whole main page!

Pictures don't typically impact download times that much, especially if they
are small low color gifs that are cached--which is the case of the Cobalt.
You download the image once and that is it.  Believe it or not what will
impact your performance more than anything is the rendering the tables.  If
you want to cut 'perceived' download times, break the tables into sets of 10
or so.

The images on the cobalt interface that pertain to the "virtual site list"
take like 10k.  The ones that are repeated are less than 3k, and get
cached... so the impact on a page with 90 domains is utterly negligible.
The HTML alone would be more 80k.  And it gets even more negligible the more
sites you have.  I can trim well more than 10k out of that just tweaking
some HTML. 

I spend a significant amount of time implementing web interfaces, and have
some experience with this.

The total download of 90 sites would be approximately 100k, or roughly 20-30
seconds on a 56k connection.

I'm not dogging optimization... Its a good thing.  Just that I hope you do
some scientific comparisons and actually optimize the code and
pictures--while keeping the interface clean and easy to use.

> I have already started to write the frame work for a New GUI for the Raq3 -
> But, it is a big job. I would really like any help i can get from you guys. If
> you guys just have snipplets of code for adding domains, dns, users and
> other usefull functions i would REALLY appreciate it. I am setting up a
> website (http://www.elitehosts.com/NewUI/) and I will let you contribute code
> and uploads, and I will let all you contribute work to it!

I would *highly recommend* using a template based system.  Like
FastTemplates if you are going to be using PERL.  I'd use PHPlib if you are
using PHP as a front end.  Honestly the UI and the logic should be 100%
seperate.  It would also be easier to maintain and optimize code.

I would be more than willing to contribute, but would require that the work
be released under an Open Source license and that it be super easy to
optimize and change stuff.  Otherwise essentially we have the same problems
we've got with the Cobalt interface--we'll be stuck with it and relying on
the people who built it to improve it.

Another advantage would be that we could use code snippets from other admin
interfaces such as Webmin, etc.

It'd be cool to get hosted on like SourceForge as well, so we can use their
listserv, CVS, etc., bug tacking etc.

> Adding email accounts that DONT need user accounts to work

I'm not sure that I follow.  How would this work?  Do you mean forwarding
accounts?

> Password Protect directory

This would be cool.

> And admin can add dns, domain, admin user account ALL AT ONE TIME!

This is a good one--I have built scripts to automate DNS stuff, and this is
essentially the same thing.

> Also, something very good: wildcard DNS entries (anything.domain.com will
> goto www.domain.com or anywhere else!)

I would add the following:
* Setup wildcard catchall email addresses
* Auto update capabilities (security patches, etc.) w/
notification/confirmation
* Superior Backup configuration -- perhaps integration with third party
backup tools
* Implement a System.map type config file that would easily let you move
this interface to any system.
* Improved Parsing ability

> Please reply to me personally at thescripter@xxxxxxx, because this list is
> TOO SLOW.

Perhaps you should set up a specific mailing list for this project?

Also, most of my experience is with Qube2's, Raq2's, Nasraq's, and
CacheRaq's.  I have never admin'd a Raq3 but have a lot of applied
knowledge.

I am actually not using Cobalt equipment at the new job and would be
primarly wanting to build a general purpose web hosting admin tool that is
keyed towards cobalt equipment (but not exclusively).  Many of these tools I
am building on my own for our new server (including remote monitoring
stuff)... it would be simple enough to use both components.

-k