Installing Applications Using ISPmanager Web-scripts

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Installing Applications Using ISPmanager Web-scripts

Overview

ISPmanager provides a large library of applications that are available from the Web-scripts menu. These applications are usually PHP based, and use the MySQL database. Nearly 200 applications are available to choose from, and include blogs, eCommerce apps, picture galleries, bulletin boards, and much more. Many popular applications such as WordPress, Joomla!, and Drupal are all installed from Web-scripts.

Warning These applications are not provided by eApps, they are provided by APS Standard and packaged in a format that allows them to be installed via ISPmanager.

If you have any issues installing these applications from the Control Panel, or need assistance with the applications, please contact Technical Support. If there is an eApps User Guide for the application it will be supported to the extent documented in the user guide. Other assistance may be offered as a billable service.

Web-scripts overview
    Website and user for Web-scripts
    Applications required for Web-scripts

Installing Web-scripts
    Updating Web-scripts as the root user
    Installing Web-scripts as the correct user
    Web-scripts installation from ISPmanager

Troubleshooting Web-scripts installation

Web-scripts overview

Unlike server applications such as Tomcat or WildFly which run as a service, Web-scripts are installed on a per-website basis. For example, Tomcat would only be installed once on the Virtual Server, but WordPress (available as a Web-script) would be installed for each website that was using it.

Website and user for Web-scripts

Using Web-scripts assumes that you already have a user and a web domain created in ISPmanager. The Web-scripts will be installed on a per-website basis, by the user who owns that website.

Applications required for Web-scripts

Since the majority of the applications available in Web-scripts rely on PHP and MySQL, you will need to have those applications installed on your Virtual Server. You may also have to install additional PHP extensions and make changes to the PHP configuration.

  • If you need to install PHP, instructions for both ISPmanager 4 and ISPmanager 5 can be found in the PHP User Guide. The PHP user guide also explains how to install PHP extensions and how to do PHP configuration.

  • If you need to install MySQL, instructions for both ISPmanager 4 and ISPmanager 5 can be found in the MySQL User Guide.

Installing Web-scripts

Before installing any Web-scripts, you will need to first update the list of available Web-scripts as the root user. Then, to install a Web-script, you will have to work as the user who owns the website where the Web-script will be installed. This means either logging in to ISPmanager as that user, or logging in to ISPmanager as the root user and becoming that user.

The location of the Web-scripts and how to install them are different depending on which version of ISPmanager you are using. How to determine which version of ISPmanager you are using can be found here - ISPmanager versions

Updating Web-scripts as the root user

Note! Web-scripts have to be installed by the owner of the website that will be using the Web-scripts. But before any Web-scripts can be installed by the website owner, the root user will have to make sure that Web-scripts are available. This is done by updating the Web-scripts. This must be done before the website owner will be able to install Web-scripts.

To do this you will need to log in to ISPmanager as the root user, and then Update the Web-scripts.

  • For ISPmanager 4, go to Management Tools > Web scripts (APS), and click on Update. It may take several minutes for the process to complete. Once it does, the available Web-scripts will be visible.

  • For ISPmanager 5, go to System > Web-scripts, and click on Update. It may take several minutes for the process to complete. Once it does, the available Web-scripts will be visible.

Installing Web-scripts as the correct user

To install a Web-script, you will need to install it as the user who owns the website where the application will be used. This means that you need to log in to ISPmanager as that user, or log in to ISPmanager as the root user, and then become that user. You cannot install a Web-script as the root user from ISPmanager.

Logging in to ISPmanager as the root user and switching to the correct user

  • For ISPmanager 4, as the root user, go to Domains > WWW domains, and click on the domain name where you want to install an application from Web-scripts to highlight it. Then click on Enter in the upper right corner. This switches you from the root user to the website owner.

  • For ISPmanager 5, as the root user, go to Domains > Web-domains, and click on the domain name where you want to install an application from Web-scripts to highlight it. Then click on Log in just above the list of domains. This switches you from the root user to the website owner.

Logging in to ISPmanager as the website owner

Web-scripts installation from ISPmanager

Once you are logged in and working as the website owner, you can install Web-scripts.

Web-scripts are organized differently by default depending on which version of ISPmanager you are using.

  • For ISPmanager 4, Web-scripts are arranged in this order:

    • Applications whose names start with numbers first
    • Applications whose names start with capital letters second (in alphabetical order)
    • Applications whose names start with lowercase letters last (in alphabetical order)

  • For ISPmanager 5, Web-scripts are arranged in this order:

    • Applications whose names start with lowercase letters first (in reverse alphabetical order)
    • Applications whose names start with capital letters second (in reverse alphabetical order)
    • Applications whose names start with numbers last (in alphabetical order)

You can change the default arrangement by clicking on Name.

For ISPmanager 4 there is no Search function, you will need to page through all the Web-scripts to find the one you want. For ISPmanager 5 there is a built-in Search on the upper right (the box that says Ctrl + Shift + F). That box only searches in the page you are on, click the arrow to the right of that box to create a filter to search all available Web-scripts.


The method for actually installing a Web-script differs between ISPmanager 4 and ISPmanager 5.

  • For ISPmanager 4, click on the name of the Web-script you want to install and then click Install in the upper right.

  • For ISPmanager 5, click on the name of the Web-script you want to install and then click List in the upper left. This will take you to a screen that will show all the available versions of this application that can be installed, oldest to newest. Select the version you need to install, and then click Install in the upper left.

    NOTE - unless you have a very specific reason not to, ALWAYS install the newest version of your selected application. Older versions may have security issues that could result in your Virtual Server being hacked.

The installation process for Web-scripts is generally the same for ISPmanager 4 and ISPmanager 5. There are some differences in the wording, but the basic steps are common between both Control Panels.

NOTE - for ISPmanager 4, you may see this message: "The web-script is missing in the local repository. It may take a long time to download the web-script." This simply means that the application needs to be downloaded from the application repository. This message is to be expected and is not an error.

The first step asks for the Domain and Path (ISPmanager 4) or the Web-domain and Directory (ISPmanager 5).

  • Domain/Web-domain - select the domain (website) where you want to install the application from the drop down list. If there is only one website associated with this user, you will only have that choice

  • Path/Directory - this determines where the application will be installed relative to the DocumentRoot of the website. If you leave this blank, then the application is installed directly in the DocumentRoot of the domain. If you enter a path here, such as drupal (notice the lowercase letters), then the application will be installed in a drupal directory just below the DocumentRoot.

As an example of the Path or Directory, assume your website is at http://eapps-example.com. If you leave the Path or Directory blank, then when you go to eapps-example.com, you will see the main Drupal page.

However, if you set the Path or Directory to drupal, then you will need to go to eapps-example.com/drupal to see the main Drupal page. Going to eapps-example.com will show whatever content you are serving from the DocumentRoot.

Once you have made your selections, click on Next.

In ISPmanager 4, the next step is the License Agreement. In ISPmanager 5, the License Agreement shares the same page with Application settings and Installation settings.

  • License agreement - if the software you are installing has a license, you will need to accept that license here. For ISPmanager 4, click Next. For ISPmanager 5 you will stay on this screen.

  • Settings/Application settings and Installation settings - ISPmanager 4 has all the required application settings in one screen, ISPmanager 5 separates this same information into two sections on the same screen as the License Agreement.

This information will be different for each Web-script. Some will ask you to create admin users and set the passwords, some will require you to create databases and database users, some will require additional configuration specific to that application.

Pay attention to any passwords or user names you use, because you will not be able to get back to this screen again once the application installs. You will have to manage these from the application itself.

Once you have entered the settings, click on Next.

In ISPmanager 4 you may see an Access point screen that shows the URL where you can access the application. There is no such screen in ISPmanager 5. For ISPmanager 5 you will need to remember the website and path that you configured.

This completes the installation. While not every Web scripts installation will be identical, they should all be generally similar.

Note! Because the applications available in Web-scripts are provided by third party vendors, there may be additional manual configuration required for them to work correctly. Please consult the documentation for that application for assistance if necessary.

Troubleshooting Web-scripts installation

Most of the Web scripts rely on PHP and MySQL being installed. Some of them also need specific PHP extensions to function correctly. If you try to install a Web script without having the right applications or extensions installed, you may receive errors, and the errors may come at different points in the install process.

The error messages will generally say exactly what the problem is, such as PHP missing or a PHP extension is not installed. These errors will have to be resolved by or as the root user - the website user will have no access to these functions in ISPmanager.

Some of the more common errors when installing Web-scripts are:

  • PHP not installed - the vast majority of Web-scripts require PHP. If PHP is not installed, the Web-scripts installation will fail. The PHP 5 User Guide has instructions on installing PHP.

  • MySQL not installed - the vast majority of Web-scripts require MySQL. If MySQL is not installed, the Web-scripts installation will fail. The MySQL User Guide has instructions on installing MySQL.

  • PHP not activated for the website - if PHP is installed but not configured for the website, the Web-scripts installation will fail. The Websites - ISPmanager 4 and Websites - ISPmanager 5 user guides have instructions on how to activate PHP for the website.

  • PHP extension missing - some Web-scripts may need a specific PHP extension installed, the most common one being the mysql PHP extension. The PHP 5 User Guide has information on installing PHP extensions.

  • PHP configuration issue - due to the size of the files for some Web-scripts, the default PHP configuration for file sizes and memory alloted to PHP may need to be increased. The PHP 5 User Guide has information on changing the PHP configuration.

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