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Hi Gang,

Whats crack’in from Seattle!

I have a few clients looking at the MSM package.  I operate a server and IPs, how do I set it up to run say to separate domain names each with a specific IP address?

Note - I am on Linux running WHM and C-Panel.

Thanks, Tim R.

As long as all domains are on the same server the setup would be no different from any other multiple domain setup.

The fact that you are running each domain on a separate IP address should be irrelevant.

John’s right- EE doesn’t specify a specific IP.  That said- I don’t think a typical multi-hosted domain setup allows the different domains to use separate IPs- I think that due to a google search.  And under WHM, that’s how I’d typically setup a client t run the MSM.

So- nothing on EE’s end per se that would prohibit it, but the server would need to be set up in such a way that all of EE’s requirements are met.  Beyond that- I suspect it will be more of an issue with how Cpanel handles things.

Make sense?

Doh!

So it sounds like I point the dns record for both domains to point at 1 IP address. Then in Cpanel, use the Add on Domain, for Domain 2.  Then change the record in EE deal to look for the second domain?

Thanks, Tim

Doh!

So it sounds like I point the dns record for both domains to point at 1 IP address. Then in Cpanel, use the Add on Domain, for Domain 2.

This is a question for your hosting provider.  There are too many possible server configurations for us to advise you on this.  I believe Robin is using EngineHosting which does not support Cpanel.  From my experience, WHM lists all available IP addresses when you create a new domain but your situation could be different. 

Then change the record in EE deal to look for the second domain?

As long as you have the correct settings in your path.php file which is placed in the public root of the second domain then you should be good to go.  Check the instructions for the multiple domain setup that I linked to earlier.

Been a while since I dinked with WHM- but basically, yes.  I set up the multi-hosted domain- that will create a folder inside the main public folder where the second domain will pull.  Point domain servers as instructed- I don’t recall doing it via IP, but whatever the Cpanel instructions are.  Once the second domain resolves as intended, the EE bits kick in- and you’d follow the MSM installation docs- the biggie relevant here being setting up domains, subdomains- where you basically put a copy of index.php and path.php in that subfolder that was created for the multi-hosted domain.

That help?

Robin, John,

I think I will sleep on this one. Its been a long night. Thanks for the input. We will give it a go later today.

Tim - Seattle.

OK.  The “setup domains..” page says:

Copy an existing Site’s path.php and index.php (the ones from your main directory, not from the system directory) files into the directory from which you wish to access your new Site.

Now, I’m a bit confused.  Let’s say that:

I have domainONE.com and set up my expression engine,
I install/activate MSM. 
I create a new site - domainTWO, which will have as its url http://www.domaintwo.com.
I’ve registered domainTWO, and own this site. 

Now, for the crucial domain setup step:
Yes,  I’ve registered domainTWO, but apparently I also have to get a webhosting plan on the server for, like $8.95/mo or whatever they charge.  And all I have to put in that site is a path.php and index.php copy?  Because after all, all the database stuff is on the first site, right? 

I’m not really up on how these domains work.  This seems too complex.  Have I misunderstood?

Is there a way to simply have domainTWO.com exist solely to redirect to a folder in domainONE.com (say “www.domainONE.com/TWO”).  Then in that folder (“directory?”), we have the above-mentioned index.php and path.php files?  With this setup, can we still have expression engine show the URL as domainTWO.com…?

Of course, if you set this up on a separate domain, and you need a $system_path variable that’s relative, well, it can’t be relative if you’re in a separate domain’s folder…

It may be apparent to you that I’m not even sure what a “directory” is.  In any case, the directions in “Setup domains and sub-domains” were a wee sparse for me. 

Help!  Thanks in advance!

Sounds like you understand it just fine to me.  😉

You are totally correct.  If you were to purchase two different hosting accounts with your host then you need an index.php and path.php file at both locations. 

The system files and database can sort of operate independently of either of those locations.  It does not really matter which domain hosts the system files nor does it matter where the database is located.  Just as long as everything is on one server you will be fine.

Your idea of doing the redirect… that sounds even more complicated to me.  😉

So forget about the redirect.  Just remember that each site root needs its own index.php and path.php and then one of your sites needs to take the additional job of playing host to the system files and database.

The wildcard is that your host may allow you to setup multiple domains on one account without having to pay extra.  You will have to contact them to see how they handle this though.

Thanks!

So, while I’m sorting out that second domain (I just have it registered now, no hosting set up) can I temporarily set it up in a sub-domain on my current account?  http://www.domainone.com/TWO ? 

And then when the time comes, simply go into admin>system preferences>general configuration and change the url to the root directory of the site from the subdomain, over to the newly set up domainTWO.com?

That’s pretty simple.  I suppose in that way, I can also easily change the domain from time to time.  Say I decide that was a terrible thing to name my company.  Hey presto, I get a new domain (http://www.domainnew.com), put the index.php and path.php files in it, and change the url to the root directory in admin back at the control panel. 

And POOF!  A migration has miraculously occured to a new domain.

Have I missed anything?  This is all a bit too easy, like no-fault divorce.

So, while I’m sorting out that second domain (I just have it registered now, no hosting set up) can I temporarily set it up in a sub-domain on my current account?  http://www.domainone.com/TWO?

That depends on how your hosts has the internets tubes setup.  If your host allows you to host multiple domains on the same account (as opposed to creating two completely different accounts) then the second domain will likely be a sub-folder (not a subdomain (note that a sub-directory and a sub-domain are two different things.)  Either way, you will either have to enable this in your control panel or talk to your host.  All providers do this differently.

I have used the exact method you describe to set up an MSM installation with 2 sites. Main site (example.com) as a ‘main’ account under cpanel and then setup an addon domain to that account, which creates a subdirectory which is by default named identically with the domain of the addon domain (e.g., example.com/example2.net/)

I did run into some trouble regarding a cpanel bug, not allowing me to ‘add on’ the domain because the NS records on the 2nd domain were different to those of the main domain, but these are easily solvable by your hosting company no doubt (or ensuring you set it so that the NS records are identical)

Unfortunately, or rather thankfully :p, cpanel sets each different account created via WHM as a new user, so you cannot run MSM accross user accounts as you’ll run into permission problems - a definite no for that option.

(note that a sub-directory and a sub-domain are two different things.)

Ah!  I didn’t understand the “subdomain” concept.  Googled it.  Wikipedia says:

Note that “subdomain” expresses relative dependence, not absolute dependence: for example, wikipedia.org comprises a subdomain of the org domain, and en.wikipedia.org comprises a subdomain of the domain wikipedia.org. In theory, this subdivision can go down to 127 levels deep, and each label can contain up to 63 characters, as long as the whole domain name does not exceed a total length of 255 characters. But in practice some domain registries have shorter limits than that.

Who knew.  Not me.

Daniel,

I take it you mean you used the redirect method?  So, in your hosted site, you had example2.net as a folder? 

What does the url look like when people go on to this site?  Do they still see example.com/example2.net?  Or just example2.net?

Is an “addon domain” yet another thing?  Maybe a cPanel thing, which I don’t use.  And the NS issue - well, if you’re just using the redirect method that doesn’t seem relevant.  Maybe I’ve misunderstood.

John:

If your host allows you to host multiple domains on the same account (as opposed to creating two completely different accounts) then the second domain will likely be a sub-folder (not a subdomain (note that a sub-directory and a sub-domain are two different things.) Either way, you will either have to enable this in your control panel or talk to your host.

So, you’re saying it’s up to the host if I have to pay for 3 full hosting plans or can just pay for one but have 3 separate domains show up in the browsers.  Is that what most people do?  Buy 3+ hosting plans?

I don’t know why I assumed when I got MSM that, as everything was on one server/one database, that the other domains were redirects to subfolders, but that the address would appear as the separate domains.  It seems unnecessary to have to set up a hosting plan on the other sites.  Well, maybe to get email accounts for those sites. 

Still not quite getting it…

Rez

So, you’re saying it’s up to the host if I have to pay for 3 full hosting plans or can just pay for one but have 3 separate domains show up in the browsers.  Is that what most people do?  Buy 3+ hosting plans?

No, most people have a host that will let you have multiple domains on the single account.

For example, you can do this on EngineHosting. EngineHosting will set up the two other domains for you, you just point your DNS settings to the EH DNS servers.

Then you have to update a path.php file for the other two domains, etc.

But if your host doesn’t allow it, you’re out of luck.