RE: [cobalt-users] Raq550: A quick review - I feel like a crash test dummy

["Robert Roose" <robertr@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

One word...

AMEN!!!

> -----Original Message-----
> From: John D. Gorena [mailto:Support@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] 
> Sent: donderdag 17 oktober 2002 3:16
> To: Cobalt-Users List
> Subject: [cobalt-users] Raq550: A quick review - I feel like 
> a crash test dummy
> 
> 
> Greetings Group,
> 
> I admit that I waited to buy a Raq550 because it was new but 
> apparently only a few are having problems or I have a bad 
> system.  I migrated the Raq4 accounts and hardly anything 
> worked (CGI, Password Protection,
> other stuff).   I'll try the restore CD if I can figure it out. 
> Thinking back, I have not seen anyone really give a good or 
> bad review. 
> Therefore, I want to give a review to the group on the Raq550 
> and Since I use Raq4's, I'll compare them to help get my point across.
> 
> Overall, If you have a Raq4, then you may be disappointed 
> with the Raq550.  Stay with the Raq4 - it is a paradigm shift 
> to go to the raq550.  Here are some good and some bad things. 
>  Good news first since there is not that much of it.
> 
> GOOD THINGS:
>  - Seems to work OK as a simple Hosting machine.
>  - Seems to be faster with the 1.26 Ghz processor.
>  - reboots quicker than the raq4.
>  - has better notification services to the administrator(s).
>  - The Interface is different but not in too bad of a way 
> though it is a little tougher than the raq4 to get around.  
> There seems to be a few more options.
>  - You can add other administrators and limit 3 areas of 
> access: IP Hosting, Root, etc . . .
>  - Seems to be build physically good.
>  - The Beta Versions of the Cobalt Migration Utility (CMU) 
> seemed to worked well enough though I had to go and change 
> all the DNS entries. 
> My Clients are still using the Raq4's because of all the 
> problems that we experienced with the Raq550.
> 
> BAD THINGS:  
> Bad because you would think Linux is Linux.
>  - The GUI Interface is tougher to get around.  For example,  
> most things are across several screens instead of a single 
> page that you can scroll down.  I think it is better to have 
> it all on one page and then click save.  The screens only 
> list 25 domains per screen and they are not in any particular 
> order that I can tell.  I constantly have to use the search 
> feature to find a single domain name.  The other options are 
> the same way as if the designers did not like to scroll down 
> and they use a small screen less than 640x480 resolutions so 
> they can constantly click and wait for the browser to refresh 
> - very frustrating.
>  - Cobalt does not know how to write a manual.  With all the 
> information that the 275+ pages in the PDF file, you would 
> think that there would be something simple like "Steps on how 
> to setup a virtual domain account." 
> Or in the section about how to add the memory chip "What kind 
> of memory do we use?" or "How to properly set up DNS's 
> because the 'Automatic DNS'
> in the GUI does not really work."   You have to delete the 
> one A-record
> that it creates to do it right.   The manual is filled with such
> blunders and omissions.
>  - The so-called 'Automatic DNS' feature does not work as was 
> mentioned somewhere.  As described above, it only creates one 
> A-record that you have to delete.  It creates a 
> www.domain.com record for the IP but then you cannot add 
> domain.com without deleting the www.domain.com record first.  
> You would think that it would resolve to create appropriate 
> mx records and c-mames BUT NOOOOOO!
>  - Adding an alias to make www.domain.com and domain.com work 
> gives an error but it seems to work anyway.
>  - The Structure of how Domains are built seems to be really 
> straight forward in the Raq4i .  All the E-mail files on the 
> Raq4i are in /home/spool/mail and listed by User name and the 
> virtual sites are
> numerically numbers.   In the Raq550, they are randomly 
> numbered and it
> does not seem to have any particular pattern.  In the Raq550, 
> the mail file is like 
> /home/.sites/XX/site1/.users/XXX/username/mbox where 'X' is a 
> random number.  The files are separated by the virtual domain 
> in the Raq550 like E-mail is called mbox and httpd file info 
> are in separate files by domain.
>  - Restarting the .httpd file returns error messages that 
> 'NameVirtualHost xx.xxx.xxx.xxx has no VirtualHosts', etc . . 
> .  I have sent this to the group but I have seen a response 
> and I could not find one in the archives.
>  - The common Linux operating files are not used the same.  
> In the Raq4, the httpd.conf file has each virtual domain info 
> listed.  In the Raq550 there are no domain names and etc . . .
>  - Regular password files that we like to use (.htaccess) for 
> password protection for virtual site administrators, all 
> users, or specific login/passwords do not seem to be used in 
> the raq550.  For example, files like 'shadow' and 'passwd' 
> would list the users on the Raq4i but on the Raq550 they are 
> virtually empty.  On the Raq550 gives an error message that 
> says CI is not installed.
>  - I migrated about 300 users (about 50 domains) and not one 
> of them were in the passwd type of files.  I thought about 
> using a program like the Raq4's 'meta-verify' but the Raq550 
> does not have this file and I have yet to read any responses 
> (I don't think I missed any) concerning the 'meta-verify' and 
> the raq550.
>  - Squirrel Mail does not work but I guess there is a fix 
> somewhere.  I assume the main problem is the related to the 
> virtual sites structure.
>  - Basic CI programs do not seem to work - returns errors.
>  - I am sure that there are other problems but I probably 
> will find them as I work these problems above.
>  
> 
> SUMMARY:
> I am sure that others are having problems with the raq550 
> that are trying to use it for more than a simple virtual 
> hosting machine. I really wish that these problems were made 
> more evident and the solutions for them were posted before I 
> bought a system.  I am sure with much diligence and really 
> getting into the programming language that a working solution 
> may someday be reached but I really do not want to have to go 
> there.  If I could get my money back without penalty, then I 
> would return this thing ASAP and get Raq4's instead.  Maybe I 
> would buy it after a year on the market with actual solutions 
> to the problems.  For those of you who have the smarts and 
> time to fix these problems should be working for Cobalt.  
> Apparently they need you.  PLEASE post complete 
> instructions/solutions to help the rest of us solve these problems.
> 
> -- 
> 
> John, a cobalt crash test dummy
> 
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