Remote Hosting ISP Requirements

From ZebraDots Support

[edit] Overview

The ZebraDots website framework can be hosted with any ISP hosting account that meets certain guidelines. ZebraDots is comprised of a suite of web-based applications based on open standards, and is widely supported.

We provide complimentary technical support to all our customers via our web-based ticket system.

[edit] Update the PC Software First

Before you begin, if you intend to host with an ISP other than ZebraDots, we highly recommend updating your PC software from our downloads page. Applying this update will make the website setup tool compatible with more hosting platforms, and will accommodate quirky or cheap mass-hosting setups better.

[edit] Will ZebraDots Work with XYZ's $5.95/month Hosting Plan?

We encourage testing the ZebraDots framework with as many different hosting providers as you wish. While the ZebraDots framework may function on a $5.95/month hosting account, it isn't likely. These discount hosting plans do not offer the secure settings and environment required to host the robust framework that ZebraDots is built upon − instead, they are structured for high-volume hosting in which thousands of sites are hosted on a single machine, and the resources provided by such a platform are understandably limited − this is why they are provided at such a low cost.

[edit] Hosting Requirements

Below are all known requirements for hosting the ZebraDots Website 2.0 framework. The framework is based on open standards, and runs on a common platform of open-source technology. There are no proprietary or uncommon requirements for this framework to run.

Not every specific version given may be needed, e.g. Apache need not be the latest version − we are simply providing a known list of functional components.

• Apache 2.2.X
  • Process owner must be able to read, write and execute recursively in the public HTML directory
• MySQL 5.0.X
  • Requires 1 database
• PHP 5
  • MySQL support
  • "register_globals" off
  • "safe_mode" off (though it may work with safe_mode on)
  • FastCGI supported also (but not required)

While we will do our best to provide open information about all known requirements, we cannot provide technical support for configuring Apache or any other component.

[edit] Troubleshooting a Remote ISP

Below is information on diagnosing and correcting common errors that you may encounter with various hosting platforms.

[edit] HTML Path

Ensure that you have uploaded the website to your root HTML folder. The website cannot be in a subdirectory.

[edit] Invalid Serial Number

If you see the message "Invalid Serial Number" in your browser, you will need to apply the PC Software Update from our downloads page, and then re-run the website setup tool from the Start Menu to create and upload your website again. Recent software modifications now accommodate more ISP setups, and this update will likely correct the issue for you.

[edit] Server Diagnostics

1. Download http://www.zebradots.com/media/downloads/diag.zip to your hard drive
2. Unzip the archive (right-click it, or use a tool such as [PeaZip])
3. Upload the diag.php file to your web hosting account
4. Open the file diag.php in your browser (ask your ISP if you don't know how to do this)
5. Carefully review the test results, and compare them with the requirements on this page

[edit] Installation Fails to a Blank Screen

The key to troubleshooting software that has been uploaded to your ISP is to view the Apache error logs. These logs contain a timestamp and an error message. Often, your ISP will disable these errors from being displayed on the website itself, and will redirect these errors to be added to a logfile that looks like this:

[Sun Aug 28 13:52:11 2008] [error] [client 192.168.17.151] File does not exist: /home/user/public_html/myfile
[Sun Aug 28 14:01:54 2008] [error] [client 192.168.35.66] Use of uninitialized value in scalar dereference at
     (eval 17) line 3., referer: http://user.com/myfile.php

If you are encountering errors during installation or use of your website, then you will need to speak with your ISP's technical support team to determine where the error log is located and how you can view the errors it contains. When you encounter an error during installation, for example, you will be able to read the error message and diagnose the problem. In most cases, permissions settings or server modules will need to be changed by your ISP in order to resolve the errors you encounter. We cannot make these changes for you − only your ISP can assist you with these issues.

[edit] MySQL Connection Errors

If, upon installation, your website complains of being unable to connect the MySQL database, then you will need to contact your ISP to determine the database server's name, your username, and the correct password. Then you will need to restart the ZebraDots Website 2.0 setup program, enter this information into the wizard to generate the setup files, upload them to your hosting space again (overwriting the old ones), and then open your home page and proceed with installation. If you encounter a similar error, then the information you entered is incorrect. You will need to repeat these steps to enter the *correct* information. Your MySQL hostname, username and password are information that only your ISP can provide you with.

One of the most frequently-reported errors is that MySQL is expected to be found on localhost when MySQL is actually located on a different server. The value for localhost would then need to be changed to the actual database server's hostname. We cannot provide this information because we do not know it. You MUST contact your ISP's technical support team for this information.