Multiple domains using the same PHP scripts

cupoftea · 11th August 2008, 09:59 PM

I've got a United Hosting reseller account, and I have a small number of domains hosted on it. They all use the same PHP scripts and database structure, so what I'd really like is to have all of these domains pointing to the same place for web content, and I'd like to serve it using a single set of PHP scripts and a single MySQL database. However, I would also like to keep the functionality of separate domains: email, ftp, and things like that.

Each of the domains, naturally, points to its own isolated directory, so if I want to run identical scripts on x.com and y.com, I have to have copies of the scripts at both of those domains. I don't really want that because

(a) when I update my scripts, I have to change them in more than one place, which is inelegant (and time consuming, because my scripts are rubbish and I keep needing to update them); and

(b) I want users to have control of their domain and its email and ftp etc, but not to have access to my immaculate scripts.

I thought I could set up aliases so that domains x.com, y.com and z.com all really go to a.com. The problem with that is that I would surely lose the functionality associated with a proper separate domain for x, y and z.com.

So I really want the best of both worlds: I want to have a full, normal, lovely UH installation for each domain, but I also want to have all web content served from the same set of PHP scripts in the same installation. Does a nice solution exist? I can see why it might not be doable, but on the other hand I can't be the only person who want a setup like this, so I worry that I've just missed something obvious...

UH-Tony · 11th August 2008, 11:07 PM

Sorry to say that due to the security features of our hosting environment it isn't possible to achieve the state which you are wishing for (the best of both as you put it).

While we can certainly understand the desire to do so, the added security is greatly more valuable than the increased convenience offered by what you are wishing to accomplish.

cupoftea · 11th August 2008, 11:28 PM

Thanks very much for your reply. I thought there must be a good reason why everyone wasn't doing it. Oh well, at least I know now that there's no point trying to set things up that way.

However, I'd be interested if anyone has any thoughts or tips about keeping track of and maintaining similar PHP installations on different domains. I suspect I might just have to be organised. Not sure if I've got it in me...

UH-Matt · 12th August 2008, 08:28 AM

If this was possible it would also be possible for ANY other site on the server to view/use/abuse your scripts which is why its simply not something thats possible inter-site.

The key would be to maintain organisation here. Updates for most common scripts these days don't actually take long to run, and usually come with a self installing way of implementing them. It would just be a case of subscribing to the scripts mailing list to be informed of new releases, and keeping a note of any scripts your using so you have a list of places to go run the updates when they get released.

MrBen · 12th August 2008, 09:06 AM

Further to the above, you can share databases between different sites on the same server. The database has to belong to one of the sites and everyone has to use the same user account to login to that same database. Any storage space used by that database is also logged against the site it belongs to.

The only issue is with the script files. These can't be shared - unless you become a dedicated server customer when you can do as you please!

Ben

percepts · 12th August 2008, 11:06 PM

You could do it by reading the script file from another site and processing the file. But that would kill your site performance so is really not practical UNLESS you write some code to fetch a little file which has a flag in it saying script x y z have been updated. If they have, then you read those scripts and update the script file in your other site/s and set a flag file to say you've got the latest version. That way there would be neglible overhead and you only have to update scripts in one place.

But just as simple, if you have updated the scripts locally and assuming you have some decent ftp software, is to us the ftp software auto update many sites in a specified group with the updated scripts. SmartFTP can do this but you need to be very careful as the potential for accidentally overwriting stuff is great.

L Plates · 13th August 2008, 01:27 AM

I have found on a similar setup to achieve the same results as you want is to:
Have a central shared database where you keep the scripts, have a secure admin panel on each site that has a version number on and update link, when you update the script clients click the update and the files get rewritten. This is a quick overview but it is possible if you have a good php knowledge. I have done a similar setup to update administration panels over a number of sites that use the same admin type.

cupoftea · 13th August 2008, 11:14 PM

Thanks for the suggestions. I might look at implementing something like that at some point, bearing in mind that there are probably security issues I should think about if I'm going to open scripts up for moving across the internet.

The current setup might mean I can't be as lazy as I want to be, but it's reassuring that United Hosting are protecting people like me from themselves.

Anyway, for the moment I suppose I should really concentrate on making the scripts work in the first place...

Cheers.