Getting your Web site up and Running
This page provides the fundamental instructions necessary to create an Internet presence with your
new VPS2. The following information assumes you are setting up your first, and primary web site on
your server. This is the site your primary domain name, or hostname, will point to. Files for
this domain are stored in your /www/htdocs directory.
Moving Your Web Site to the VPS2 Server
To move your web site from your current provider to your new VPS2 server, perform the following steps:
- Add your domain to our name servers
- Access the current DNS registry for your domain, and set the TTL (Time To Live) on the
current DNS to 0.
- Use the Domain Name
Wizard to add your domain to our name servers.
- Prepare files for transfer
- Configure scripts
It may be necessary to configure any scripts currently running on your website to work on your
VPS2 server. This may require installing software on your server, or configuring existing
CGI files.
- Create compressed archives of large, unused files before moving them to your VPS2 Server
- Resolve any dynamic content difficulties or database interaction issues.
Any interconnectivity issues between your server and another database will need to be resolved
prior to completion. We do not offer support for outside software issues. Any problems should be
resolved first with the manufacturer.
- Create a Webmaster user account
Your administrative user has access to the primary content directory /usr/local/apache/htdocs and
can be used as the webmaster without any special settings. You can also create a separate webmaster
account by following the instructions below.
SSH to your server, su
to root and run the vadduser command (press Enter
after completing each line below):
> su
password:
# vadduser
Set the webmaster user account permissions to include
at least Web and FTP access.
You will need to delete the default www directory given to the user, and instead provide a symbolic link
to the primary www directory (press Enter after completing each line below):
# cd /home/webmaster
# rm -rf www
# ln -s /usr/local/apache www
# chown webmaster www
# chgrp webmaster www
The webmaster user will now be able to FTP content directly
to the www directory.
- Use your administrative user to copy content using an
FTP client to
/www/htdocs
- Test the site using http://USERNAME.tempdomainname.com. This is your default hostname,
and points to your /www/htdocs directory.
- Modify Domain Registration
Once you are sure the content is working correctly, you should submit a domain name modification
request to your current domain name registrar. You must modify the Primary and Secondary Name
Server information so the domain is resolved by our Primary and Secondary Name Servers.
Nameserver 1 hostname: NS1.ALPINEWEB.COM
Nameserver 1 IP address: 192.220.124.203
nameserver 2 hostname: NS2.ALPINEWEB.COM
Nameserver 2 IP address: 192.220.125.203
Contact your domain name registrar for more information concerning the modification of your
domain name registration.
- Test the site again using your domain name. You should switch this domain name to your
hostname by contacting the AlpineWeb Service Staff.
- Wait one week to one month before you cancel your original server account to ensure the domain
is fully propagated, and that you have uploaded all of your necessary content.
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