Thread

I’m no server guru, hence my questions: Short of giving a site its own IP address, if you have to develop a site on a shared server when the domain name hasn’t been registered or just hasn’t been pointed to your server - are there any tricks I’m missing?

For example, I’m developing a site and have placed it on a shared IP address on my server. Until the domain name is pointing to the IP address, I can’t do anything with the site by IP alone…it has to look like either of these:

<a href="http://my.ser.ver.ip/~acctname/">http://my.ser.ver.ip/~acctname/</a>
<a href="http://myservername.com/~acctname/">http://myservername.com/~acctname/</a>

I can’t seem to log into the control panel using that as a ‘path’, i.e. ‘http://my.ser.ver.ip/~domain/system/’
Is there any way I can use something like a subdomain for a top level domain? (http://acctname.myservername.com == http://myservername.com/~acctname/) so I can correctly update my config.php file and work on the site in the meantime?

I feel like I’m missing something elementary. Thanks!

I have done this on a number of servers, sometimes there are particulars with your host that you need to be aware of.

I am on a server that uses Webhost Manager and Cpanel. For that I would need to use a URL such as:

http://host.myservername.com/~acctnam

When I don’t use “host” it doesn’t connect.

I’m wondering if there is a way to access it without the tilde. Like “host.acctname.myservername.com” - at least until the domain is pointing properly. And if you can do that…how?

I usually just setup a subdomain off my main company domain and park it on the main account. So, for instance (in cPanel/WHM), you would go to the cPanel for the new account, go to park a domain, and park clientdev.masugadesign.com right on it. cPanel will automatically create the correct DNS records for it to work.

Man, I love that avatar. The illustration is top notch.

I’m not sure I’m following. I have a full VPS. My hostserver is, let’s say, “myhostserver.com”. I set up a new account for my client through WHM. Because they hadn’t pointed the A record (mind you, we’re only doing the A rcord, not the nameservers…their mail is elsewhere) to my server yet, the only way you could get to the site is the IP for “myhostserver.com” and their account name behind a tilde: “00.000.00.000/~clientacct” or “myhostserver.com/~clientacct”. 

What you’re saying is to:

1) Log into my hostserver and create a subdomain, like xxtest.myhostserver.com. (Which is basically what I do for a lot of client dev sites).

2) Log into cPanel for the client account and park that same subdomain I just made?

I just tried that and it didn’t work. I’m guessing this won’t work if the nameservers are elsewhere? Cause it says right there below the error:

Domains must be registered with a valid registrar before they can be parked. In addition, they will not be functional unless they are configured to point to your DNS servers.

Sigh. This stuff drives me bonkers.

Thanks again re: the avatar!

You want to make your subdomain off a domain that’s already working and fully propagated. I’d suggest your main corporate domain, masugadesign.com. *Don’t* make the A record or subdomain or anything first. The first, and only step, is to go to cPanel or WHM for the client account, and park something like “clientdev.masugadesign.com” on top of it. cPanel will take care of setting up a subdomain on your main domain, and making A records. You do not have to, and shouldn’t, make this subdomain first.

Then you’ll be able to access the client’s account without the tilde.

Does that make sense?

Makes sense. I just went into the cPanel for the client account, and went to Parked Domains. Entering a totally non-existent subdomain of one of my main accounts results in this error:

Error from park wrapper: redwings.masugadesign.com is controlled by another user. You cannot park it.

Do I need to log into the cPanel for the client account as root user?

Ryan,

I create an entry in my HOSTS file to point to the development address.  Every Windows and *nix system has a HOSTS file and it allows you to override the DNS settings of your ISP.

Pros:
Easy way to get access via domain name before DNS makes the switch.

Cons:
If the server you are working on still sees the domain name at the old location then you have to make sure all your resources are linked either by relative URL’s or by server paths.  Otherwise the system will try to grab those resources from the old location (if you have a VPS or dedicated server you can get around this by editing the HOST file on that system as well.)

You need to keep changing the HOSTS file if you want to switch back and forth between old server and new (you should still be able to access stuff like Cpanel on the old server by just using the IP.)

You forget about entries in your HOSTS file and it causes funky issues when you do.

OK, this is a decidely low key solution, but why not simply install it in a subdirectory of a domain you have acces to? Having said that, I don’t see why

<a href="http://example.com/~acctname/">http://example.com/~acctname/</a>

should not work? Basically, the tilde means a link to the users homedirectory, but the server should be sorting that out just fine.

OK, this is a decidely low key solution, but why not simply install it in a subdirectory of a domain you have acces to? Having said that, I don’t see why

<a href="http://example.com/~acctname/">http://example.com/~acctname/</a>

should not work? Basically, the tilde means a link to the users homedirectory, but the server should be sorting that out just fine.

Ingmar, for whatever reason I couldn’t log into my CP when referencing the site with a tilde (ghost in the machine?) so I was just looking for another way to look at the site without it. Had this been on a dedicated IP, I don’t think I would have had a problem, as I could have used the IP address alone, I think.

Thanks for all your help, guys. The domain is pointing to the right spot now, so it’s a moot point on this install, but I’m always taking notes to make my work easier down the line.

Do I need to log into the cPanel for the client account as root user?

Sorry, didn’t see this until now. Yes, I login to WHM as root to do this.

I just came upon this issue again today, and have to admit that I’d LOVE to see a screencast of someone setting up an account.

This is a new VPS, no accounts set up at all, a tabula rasa.

Client has an existing site on another server (let’s call it “oldsite.com”), which would be too much of a pain to duplicate to this new server account. So, I’d love to just make an account that’s tied to “dev.oldsite.com” on this new server, and be able to install EE at this location and work on it until we’re ready to launch.

Then I think we’d create an account on the new server for their main account, change the A record(s) for the main account to point to this new server and I’d move the files from the dev account to the main account.

Sounds like it would work, but I think I’m missing something. I just re-read this thread and can’t put together the pieces. Back to google, which, interestingly, is what brought me back to this thread.

Still cPanel Ryan?

I just found this info. Does this sound correct to those who have more server/DNS knowledge than I do?

On Original Server
In WHM go to “Edit a DNS Zone”, click on oldsite.com, and at the end add this:

dev.oldsite.com. 14400 IN A 00.000.00.000 (<—this is IP of the new server)

On New Server
Create an account on the new server’s WHM with the name “dev.oldsite.com”

Then I should be able to install EE and go nuts on the dev account, which happens to be at the IP of the new server. Sound right?

I have access to cPanel and WHM on the new server (and root access for that matter), but on the old server, I might have cPanel access, or I might have to put in a service ticket with that host to do anything I’d need to do.

Yes. That will work. PM me if it still doesn’t, because my setup is just like it.