Dedicated server ...

[dbeezzz]

I'm going to try to run an webhosting site on it's own dedicated server with goDaddy. The deal seems to be a pretty good one ... 1GB RAM, 500GB BW, 120GB hd, celeron 2.0GHz with Fedora Core 2 for $90/month plus extra for ftp backups and ssl cert.

What I'd like to do is to sell domains names as well. But I'm wondering as to the sign up process exactly. I want to give my customers an option to host their site on their own domain name.

1)But I'm assuming that everytime I add a virtual server to my apache2.conf I'll have to restart the apache server ? Is there another way around this ? And no, I'm not thinking of running two servers, not for the meantime anyway.

2)Also, is there an automatic way that I can get the response on the domain name purchase from godaddy/icann and just have it put on my server automatically ? I'm assuming that they just send you an email saying that the domain purchase was successful ?

3)Do you think the ssl cert is worth it for a startup like mine ? I know that it's a relative question, but wouldn't it be just easier to rely on paypal ?

4) Basically I'm interested to know anything that anyone might think that I'd find useful about this whole scenario

 

[RhythmAce]

If you want to be able to add virtual hosts without having too edit httpd.conf and reboot, you will want to use mass virtual hosting. Here's a link to the apache FAQs that discusses that verry subject. faq65-1836 In short, mass virtual hosting resolve the requested domain by matching DocumentRoots rather than ServerName as in Name based addressing. You would create a virtual host container only once.