Re: [cobalt-users] One Good Reason ..

[Jeff Lasman <jblists@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Russell wrote:

>  .. and notice that cobalt knowledge base doesn't
>     even have Raq4 articles ..

Probably too new.

>     are they going out of business and just
>     not saying anything ??

They were bought by Sun.  And aren't saying anything <wry grin>.

>  I know this ain't no 12 step support group, but
>  I'm ready to bail on my rental contract w/
>  a company leasing me a RaQ4r ..

Quitting this soon <smile>?

Just use the group.

>  First, I must be able to run some kind of
>  shared SSL, it will be quite hard for me
>  to sell what I have and ask folks to pay
>  $ 125 - $ 300 per cert, when joe blow
>  down the street gives it away on a $ 22.00
>  per month web site ..

Joe Blow down the street is most likely violating the agreement he made
with the company that issued his cert, but that's his business.

Okay, let's presume you'd like to violage the agreement as well
<smile>...

>  Try using a virtual site ../sitename.com/siteadmin/
>    login, and HTTPS is forced (no choice) which
>    of course reports a name mismatch on the cert ..
> 
>  This is pretty cute for customers to log into.
>  I wouldn't think this is a confidence builder
>  for my customers ..

This is only partially a Cobalt issue.

The real problem is that Certs only work for one domain name.  The
purpose of a cert is to certify the site belongs to whom it says it
belongs.  So a cert can only really be used on one site.

You can take that up with Verisign and others; they'll most likely try
to set you up as your certification authority; it's quite expensive.

>  Just what the H*ll is cobalt thinking of here.
>  I'll need to privately purchase a $ 300 cert
>  just to keep my customers who use the web
>  based /siteadmin/ UI ??

The only other choice I can think of would be for your users to log in
as yourname/theirsite.com etc.

Is that what you want?

>    .. How to make SSL available to virtual sites ?
> 
>   What about this ..
> 
>   * But 1 additional cert for www.mysecurehost.com
>   * Give my virtual sites a user account under
>      www.mysecurehost.com/~user1/cgi-bin/
> 
>      Pretty awkward if folks want to work with
>      their own cgi files .. requires seperate
>      log ins ??

As I said, it's the nature of what a cert is all about.

>    If someone might give me one good reason
>    why I shouldn't chunk this whole project
>    right out the window ..

Actually, you probably should, if you can't see the forest for the
trees, which is how your problem appears to be to me.

>    I certainly don't feel I'm in the promised
>    land of web hosting ..

Okay, we agree on something <smile>.  Everything requires work. 
Everything requires learning, and most things play better when we play
by the rules.

That place you wrote about at the top of your email, you know, the one
chrging $22 per month?  Do they offer a cobalt style administration
system as well?  Do they offer it through customerdomain.com?

No?  I didn't think so.

>    Please, no admonishment for whining here.
>    I'm sincerely frustrated, with money and
>    so far plenty of hours working my way
>    through the Raq, only to find it will
>    probably not be able to compete with
>    normal hosting packages .. and not even
>    come close as a server to run cgi
>    shopping cart enabled sites from ..

The issue is NOT Cobalt.  It's not the nature of certs.  It appears to
be your expectations, combined with your knowledge of what other hosting
companies do and how they do it.

Obviously, many of us make a good living with RaQs.  If your business
model doesn't fit in with RaQs, then you'd be best served by ending your
contract as soon as possible and finding something else.

Jeff
-- 
Jeff Lasman <jblists@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
nobaloney.net
P. O. Box 52672
Riverside, CA  92517
voice: (909) 787-8589  *  fax: (909) 782-0205