I'm tired of using the command line so I made a GUI tool for server setup

Hi @SiteMakerTools_com,

This looks like a really sweet utility. I think it’s really different by being a utility you run on a workstation that connects to your server. Most similar tools run directly on the server itself.

What distros are you supporting?

As a Windows developer myself, I’m intrigued - what is it built in? .NET, C++ MFC?

Cheers
Andy

Hey Andy,

You nailed it! Being a utility you run on a workstation that connects to your Linux server is what makes VPS Bootstrapper different.

Because, currently if you need a GUI to manage your Linux server you have only one option - use a web-based control panel like cPanel or something like that.

But how do you get a web-based control panel like cPanel?

• Firstly, you have to pay for a subscription on a monthly or yearly basis, whereas VPS Bootstrapper's license is perpetual.
• Secondly, you have to first configure a web server and install that web-based control panel, and that's not a easy task if your hosting provider doesn't provide the installation service. But if your hosting provider install it for you, you kinda relying on that hosting provider I must say. With VPS Bootstrapper, you just throw it a "blank Linux server" provided by any hosting company and it takes care the rest!

Re. Linux distros, currently the following are tested:

• Ubuntu Server 21.04
• Ubuntu Server 20.10
• Ubuntu Server 20.04
• Ubuntu Server 18.04

And I'm working on testing against Debian. What do you think?
Re. development tool of VPS Bootstrapper, I use Delphi because I can make fast programs with it ;)

Cheers
Edwin Yip

You can buy the latest version at 50% off price and obtain another year of free software upgrade.
Or if you don't buy the new version, you can keep using any of the existing versions you downloaded during your free-upgrade period. So don't forget to keep all copies of the installer files you downloaded.

The 'perpetual' license is virtually meaningless. This is basically a subscription service. That is fine, but I'd suggest you call it what it is. Not a big deal, just an observation on how this is going to be perceived by customers.

Why is this system better or different from Virtualmin https://www.virtualmin.com/ or the open-source version Webmin https://www.webmin.com/ ?

Why do I want to work from a PC than via the web on my server? What is the advantage? Is it because I can manage several servers from my home machine? (I am assuming Vitualmin must be installed on each VPS? I use the SSH command line and am pretty good at it so I don't know much about control panels.)

I'm a Mac user so I can't consider this but it looks very nice. I hope you are successful with it but you are up against some very large and well-established competition.

@SiteMakerTools_com --

This is not an appropriate forum for selling your product(s).

-- sw

@acanton77,

Thanks for the questions!

VPS Bootstrapper's licensing is not subscription-based, the 'perpetual' license is similar to, in the old days, you buy Microsoft Office 2013 and you can use it forever, but you cannot get the new Office 2016 for free. The VPS Bootstrapper license works in the same way as that.

Re. difference when comparing with web-based control panels like virtualmin or webmin, well, it's all about handiness and easiness.

Just take a look at the related DO tutorial how complex it is just to install Virtualmin! On the other hand, with VPS Bootstrapper you just download and double click to install it, than tell it your server's IP and login user, that's it!

Actually, you can think of VPS Bootstrapper is just your terminal like putty, but you just execute the commands with a graphical user interface ;)

Hope it helps.

Cheers,
-- Edwin Yip

Hi @stevewi,

This is not an appropriate forum for selling your product(s).

Can you point us in the direction of where this is stated as forbidden or discouraged?

The product as introduced by @SiteMakerTools_com could help to make Linodes more accessible to the lesser experienced, which I see as a good thing.

The reason I ask is I also have a product/service I’m working on which (as well as being built on and running on the Linode platform) I feel it will be useful for anyone who manages multiple Linux boxes.

I would like to introduce it on here once it’s ready but if I’d be violating some Ts & Cs then I will of course abide by them.

This is not an appropriate forum for selling your product(s).

I have no problem with someone presenting their product so long as it is appropriate to Linode. How else would I (we) find out about 'stuff' that is out there that might help admin a server or site?

@stevewi,

Sorry, somehow I overlooked your reply.
Re.

This is not an appropriate forum for selling your product(s).

I'm posting the launch of VPS Bootstrapper here because I think:

• It'll benefit both Linode the company (has the potential to broaden their user base with an easy-to-use VPS control panel) and Linode users who want a very easy tool to setup a website.
• It has a free edition for non-commercial use (eg. not-for-profit organizations)

Hope it helps.

OK, added the feature to view Nginx error.log file content inside VPS Bootstrapper, so that you can check website errors easily ;)

You check the version history page.

-- Edwin Yip