Install to pre-existing server configuration

Buckfutter

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Apr 1, 2004
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5
Hi there, first let me say that the customers we have using DA as their control panel really seem to enjoy it, and I'm particularly pleased that it doesn't neuter servers the way an install of PSA does. Anyway, I have a question and I am hoping someone has done this already:

We've got a customer who already has all of his domains running on a server with us and he'd like DirectAdmin. Now I know I can probably manage to get DirectAdmin installed and have his sites up and running, but I'm wondering if there is a way to go about it so I don't break his sites. Importing his apache configuration is my main concern, I was thinking something along the lines of doing the install, and then killing the DirectAdmin apache processes, starting up the one that's already installed on the box and then adding all his domains to directadmin.

As I mentioned, I know I can do it, I'm just concered about disrupting his sites as little as possible, so if anyone has done this and would like to share their experiences I'd appreciate it. I'd sooner go in to this with a few tips rather than just diving in to it. :)

The box in question is running FreeBSD 4.9 with your average ports install of all the usual apps (Apache, PHP, MySQL 4.0.18).
 
Are you talking about updating his machine to DA after it already has sites installed?

You should be able to do that, because DA doesn't touch the /home directory, but there most likely will be downtime, and you won't get any support from DA, as officially DA must be installed on a newly installed server.

Are you running Plesk on his box already?

If so you should know that Plesk and DA put the bind system in incompatible locations, and that Plesk uses qmail, which DA (using exim) won't know how to handle.

I'd say to be at least reasonably safe you'll have to try the install first on a clean box, first duplicating his system and then trying the update in place.

And of course if you can do that, then you can install him to a new box or a temporary box while you do the changeover.

We have a lot of clients still on Plesk for this very reason.

(We used to be a Plesk gold partner.)

Jeff
 
Hello,

I think you are on the right track... DA does install apache, so I'd recommend just doing a backup of your httpd.conf file, letting the installer do it's thing, then restoring the backup (while saving the one DA installed)

John
 
Thanks for your suggestions. The server is not curently running any type of control panel, it's currently a managed box. Installing to another server isn't possible, but I will make backups of all configurations and databases just to be on the safe side.
 
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