frontpage extension, does DA support it?

[lkbryant]

does DA support frontpage extension?

I could not find it anywhere inside the control panel to enable this.

thx

 

[floyd]

Not if you are running Apache 2.

FrontPage Server Extensions are history. Microsoft doesn't support them anymore.

 

[lkbryant]

i am running litespeed.

is there anything in particular i should be doing to get this enabled?

and i happen to think that there are many people still wanting frontpage extensions.

its not like i have a choice =/

 

[floyd]

You are correct, you and your users do not have a choice. Microsoft has stopped providing updates for FrontPage Server Extensions. Soon it will become a major security problem like all old software. You and your users can either learn to use FTP now or wait until your server is hacked and you lose everything. Even when FrontPage was kept up to date it was a security risk. Even more so now.

 

[tlchost]

You and your users can either learn to use FTP now or wait until your server is hacked and you lose everything. Even when FrontPage was kept up to date it was a security risk. Even more so now.

It might also have something to do with some of the built-in things like forms, etc. that FrontPage offers....there are some folks who may not have the skills to use other applications....

 

[floyd]

Just because somebody wants to use Windows 95 doesn't mean they should be allowed to. Same thing with FrontPage Server Extensions.

But to get back to the original question: Its not a DirectAdmin issue really. Since you are using litespeed you need to figure out how to get FrontPage Server Extensions to work with litespeed. If you can figure that out you can get DirectAdmin to work with it even if you have to make your own plugin.

 

[donkeyKICK]

webDAV?

What about webDAV? It works fine with Sharepoint Designer (the FrontPage replacement), and seemed to work fine with FrontPage on an old system I was on a while back...

Will it be/is it supported by DA?

 

[nobaloney]

i am running litespeed.

is there anything in particular i should be doing to get this enabled?

and i happen to think that there are many people still wanting frontpage extensions.

I suppose you could post to any existing litespeed forum and ask them to support a package that Microsoft no longer supports, and that Microsoft no longer allows them to offer code to support. It's a Microsoft product, and Microsoft controls it. The code written to work with apache was written under contract to Microsoft, under their license.

its not like i have a choice =/

You're absolutely right. You don't.

Jeff

 

[donkeyKICK]

Are you saying that even the new products aren't supported? I am a little confused (sorry if I am being an idiot). Sharepoint Designer (which uses webDAV or FrontPage extensions) is a new release from MS. So what I am to understand is that MS is releasing products that can't be supported?

 

[nobaloney]

You can support WebDAV.

Jeff

 

[floyd]

Sharepoint Designer (which uses webDAV or FrontPage extensions)

Uses FP Extensions that are already on a server for backward compatibility.

The way I understand it is that technically we cannot install FP Extensions on new servers. That's why we cannot download them from the developer anymore. Read my sig.

 

[donkeyKICK]

How do I enable webdav?

 

[netstepinc]

Frontpage "Distributed Authoring" replacement

I'm finally moving to Apache2 and letting go of Frontpage Extensions.

However, I work at home, office and on the go with my laptop. I use Frontpage because I can log into any web site from either computer and work on the site without having to maintain local copies of every site on my machines.

Frontpage > login > edit > save > live.
FTP > login > download > edit > save > upload > live.

I routinely save local copies to my computer and network attached storage, but only as backup.

It's also nice because I'm constantly making backup versions of my files before I edit (080523_filename.php) and all those files are available to me on the server instead of being scattered around my three computers.

I also love being able to compartmentalize content into sub-webs. For example, I have a highly enhanced set of core osCommerce files and all the content for each site is in one directory (sub-web). I can blow out and reload the entire core without affecting the content at all.

It enables me to work very quickly between sites...and I maintain 95 domains all myself so flexible speed and efficiency is a big deal.

The Apache2 version I'll be installing includes WebDAV, but I've had mixed reviews from my other server support guys as follows:

"The problem is that it's (WebDAV) all apache-uid based, which is horribly insecure. It would mean all public_html data would have to be chowned to apache which I wouldn't trust at all. The DirectAdmin interface isn't the issue, I can add that quickly once a good solution is in place, but apache uid's for all files is opposite to everything we've currently go in place (ftp, suPhp, DA filemanager.. etc..) all uses the system owner, not apache owner. I think there was some sort of apache module like "ruid" or something that rings a bell.. you run apache as root, but it then runs the full apcahe process as the system user (no need for suphp) and everything works wonderfully.. I havn't looked into it though. It would mean apache runs as root which is also risky.

If the whole point of modav is for a frontpage client.. then i'd still push people to use the "ftp" upload option which *does* exist in frontpage. To me, uploading through a program designed to only read from disk and send files, is a bit off. (which is why it runs as apache.. so that it *doesn't* have write privileges)"​

What is the best practice for "distributed authoring and versioning" that will enable me to author AND manage web site file systems, publish between sites, etc. LIVE on the server?

 

[nobaloney]

I believe the above information comes from DirectAdmin support. I also believe that the same problem existed with Frontpage Extensions.

Can anyone come up with a suggestion that's not insecure?

Jeff

 

[netstepinc]

webDAV vs Subversion

When I asked this same question of my Rackspace support team I received the following response. Does anyone have any experience with subversion?

In regards to technologies to consider, subversion comes to mind. It too can be configured to run with mod_dav in apache, and it can be configured to run as a stand alone service.

Subversion falls outside of our Spheres of support. Installation via 'up2date' or 'yum' can be performed on your behalf, however extensive configuration and administration is considered billable at 75$ per half hour.

http://svnbook.red-bean.com/

For an overview of the Subversion project, visit
http://subversion.tigris.org/

Read the FAQ: http://subversion.tigris.org/faq.html
Quickstart:http://svnbook.red-bean.com/en/1.0/ch01s07.html
​

 

[nobaloney]

Subversion is an excellent version control system; it may or may not be overkill for your needs it keeps an original file and lots of diffs as you make changes; you can track versions and always go back to any version.

I don't see how it could write through webDAV without having the same issues with security, but I'd think the best place to ask would be on a Subversion list or forum.

Jeff

 

[netstepinc]

Subversion isn't exactly what I need because I already manage my previous version files. The main challenge I'm facing is "distributed authoring" that will enable me to log into the server with a program, edit and manage files on the server, publish to other sites (server > server) instead of all local editing and ftp upload everything.

Thank you for looking into this. It is very helpful. I do want to move toward more secure not less so if I have to change the way I manage sites, then so be it.

 

[sebaX]

Front Pages

Actually, I have a client that he can't upload his website with M$ Webexpression anymore with FP extensions enable.

He get this error

Cannot open "access.conf": no such file or folder.

Error: Cannot open "srm.conf": no such file or folder.


Then if he try to unninstall FP extension in his site he received another msg like this:

Error removing the frontpage extensions: Starting fulluninstall, port: 80.
Error: The FrontPage Server Extensions are not installed
on www.clientsite.com:80

Any clues ???????????

My server conf

Server version: Apache/1.3.41 (Unix)
Server built: May 23 2008 16:35:08
Server's Module Magic Number: 19990320:18
Server compiled with....
-D EAPI
-D HAVE_MMAP
-D HAVE_SHMGET
-D USE_SHMGET_SCOREBOARD
-D USE_MMAP_FILES
-D HAVE_FCNTL_SERIALIZED_ACCEPT
-D HAVE_SYSVSEM_SERIALIZED_ACCEPT
-D SINGLE_LISTEN_UNSERIALIZED_ACCEPT
-D DYNAMIC_MODULE_LIMIT=64
-D HARD_SERVER_LIMIT=32768
-D HTTPD_ROOT="/etc/httpd"
-D SUEXEC_BIN="/usr/sbin/suexec"
-D DEFAULT_PIDLOG="/var/run/httpd.pid"
-D DEFAULT_SCOREBOARD="/var/run/httpd.scoreboard"
-D DEFAULT_LOCKFILE="/var/run/httpd.lock"
-D DEFAULT_ERRORLOG="/var/log/httpd/error_log"
-D TYPES_CONFIG_FILE="conf/mime.types"
-D SERVER_CONFIG_FILE="conf/httpd.conf"
-D ACCESS_CONFIG_FILE="conf/access.conf"
-D RESOURCE_CONFIG_FILE="conf/srm.conf"

 

[jep]

Some people say that it is not supported anymore, but:

server:/usr/local/directadmin/customapache# ./build | grep -i frontpage_ap2
./build mod_frontpage_ap2

That is what I use, and the module loads. But: It does not really work.

So I wonder if it is supported or not.

 

[floyd]

FrontPage is not supported by Microsoft anymore and they have not agreed to let anybody else support it. Stop trying to make outdated software work.