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Web Hosting and Cloud Computing Control Panels
<div class='quote'>So, confused about this. I thought alias servers merely were for, well, just that, an alias of an existing domain. But then I saw the option to "setup website for domain".</div>
An alias is an alias. If you don't give it a website, it won't alias the website--only mail, DNS, and other services.
<div class='quote'>Wouldn't this make it more like what is currently called a subdomain?</div>
No. The "website" in question is the primary website.
<div class='quote'>Does it count against the license limit?</div>
No. Aliases never count against the licensed domain limit.
<div class='quote'>To replace subdomains perhaps?</div>
No. Nothing replaces subdomains. Subdomain accounts were an ill-conceived notion, inspired by a couple of loud cPanel users who wanted Virtualmin to behave like cPanel. There are now only three types of account (with the fourth type, subdomains, hidden by default and never recommended, and it will eventually be completely removed from Virtualmin):
Virtual servers - A master account type with a Webmin user account for managing the website and mailboxes and such.
Sub-servers - A virtual server that is owned by an existing virtual server account. This can provide pretty much everything a regular virtual server can. The primary difference is ownership--it doesn't create a new administrative user.
Alias servers - A virtual sever that points to an existing virtual server. It is owned by an existing virtual server, and cannot have it's own website--the website would be the existing virtual server.
And, of course, subdomains are cPanel style subdomains. They're ugly, and clunky, and the name is confusing, and we regret ever adding them to Virtualmin. We have suffered long for the mistake. (And we continue to suffer, as the confusion continues.) ;-)
So how did you end up with a system that has subdomains available, at all? Is this your FreeBSD install or another OS? Was it installed with install.sh? (I want to fix this one...sub-domains make my stomach hurt every time I have to think about them.)
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<div class='quote'>So how did you end up with a system that has subdomains available, at all?</div>
I don't know, this was a fresh install on Centos 5.2 using the script installer. Got me! I my have turned them on accidently.
I don't want to use subdomains.
The ability to load a website for an alias makes little sense to me. Why have it, presumably, the website is already created since it's an alias to something, right?
Making the website optional is probably unnecessary...but users asked for the ability; I presume someone wanted to be able to accept mail for .net, .org, or whatever, but didn't want to hurt their page rank by having duplicate content across multiple URLs (though a redirect would resolve that, too). Sometimes Jamie doesn't fight adding options are strongly as I would. ;-)
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<i>you: "The ability to load a website for an alias makes little sense to me."
Joe: "If you don't give it a website, it won't alias the website--only mail, DNS, and other services."</i>
There are situations where one would want to alias the mail but not necessarily the website. In such situations one can then disable the website option.
I am confused.
I want to create an alias for a exsiting domain mydomain.com so user directory would be /home/mydomain
I now want to create an alias mydomainalias.com that will take me to mydomain.com. I dont want mail ability for mydomainalias.com.
Under enable features they are three options.
Accept mail for domain?
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If enabled, the server will be configured to accept email addresses to mailboxes or aliases at the specified domain. The management of mailboxes and aliases within the domain will also be enabled.
Setup DNS zone?
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If selected, new name records for this domain, including mail records, and NS records, will be added to the BIND configuration.
Setup website for domain?
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The module can create any or all of the following services for a new domain: mail, name service, web service. If this option is set to Yes, a new VirtualHost configuration section will be added to the Apache configuration and a new website home directory will be created.
Since i dont need mail for this alias i assume i can unselect the mail option.
The website option though tells me it will create a new home directory for this alias? I dont want that sine i just want it to take me to mydomain.com which already has a home directory witl all the files.
Do i need to select the dns option?
You're correct, if you don't want mail, just uncheck that.
And yes, you do want DNS.
Aliases do create a directory within /home/mydomain/domains/myaliasdomain. It's okay, you can just ignore that directory :-)
-Eric