VPS2 Frequently Asked Questions

1. How does Sub-hosting work on VPS2

   
   The default location for sub-hosted Web content in VPS2 is in the content owner's www directory. This is the easiest way to manage sub-hosts in a multi-user environment. Other methods such as a common vhosts directory (as in VPS1) can also be used, but this can cause complications with ownership and file permissions. For more information, see Sub-Hosting.

2. What is the difference between the Admin user, Root, and standard users?

   
   The main differences between the different classes of users is based on what permissions that user has. A normal user can only affect his or her own files, where the Admin user can affect some system files. The root user has the ability to control anything, including files owned by other users. Because of the power the root user has, the root user can only access the server using SSH, and does not have FTP or E-mail access. For more information on the abilities of different users, see VPS2 Users.

3. Why is Java2 not installed on my VPS2?

   
   Sun's Java2 license does not allow Java to be redistributed. Those who wish to use Java2 must go to the Java Web site and agree to the license before downloading the program. Because the Java1 license does allow redistribution, we do have Java1.8 available by default on the VPS2. For instructions and more information, see our Java page.

4. How do I install custom applications or use the FreeBSD Ports collection?

   
   The VPS2 environment allows you to install and run most FreeBSD compatible software exactly the same way it would be done on a dedicated FreeBSD server. This includes the ability to install software from the FreeBSD Ports collection, which is available in the /ports directory on your server. See The FreeBSD Ports collection for details on what is available and how to use the Ports.
   
   Many common programs that require additional configuration or special installation steps are available using the vinstall utility.
   
   There are some limitations and information that you should be aware of before trying to install custom programs on your VPS2. See the Advanced VPS2 Administration section to learn more about these issues.

5. What are some of the differences between VPS2, VPS, and dedicated FreeBSD UNIX?

   
   VPS2 was designed with the goal to emulate the behavior of a dedicated FreeBSD server in a shared environment. Because of this, VPS2 will appear and feel much more like a Dedicated FreeBSD server than the older VPS. One of the key limitations of VPS2 is that, because of the shared environment, the VPS2 root user does not have the ability to modify kernel or hardware related systems. The core services and all applications are within the area controlled by VPS2 root. It is significant to note, however, that any of the system files not specifically changed by the VPS2 administrator will continue to be maintained and updated by our staff. For more details on how this works, see the Advanced VPS2 Administration section of our Web site.
   
   While many of the VPS based utilities have been extended to VPS2, the multi-user environment makes application management slightly different. The VPS2 Admin User has many of the capabilities that the Primary User on VPS had. New software, however, must be installed by the root user, which has total control over the VPS2 (and can also be used for management). Because even the shell is within the virtual environment, the use of the virtual command has become obsolete. Added functionality also allows sub-users to have Shell access, install some of their own programs, and increases the security of your server.

6. Can a VPS2 have more than one IP address?

   
   No. VPS2 accounts come with a single dedicated IP address and are not able able to have additional ones.

7. Can a VPS2 handle multiple SSL certificates?

   
   Because VPS2 has only one IP address, you can only access one SSL certificate using the standard SSL port (443). You can, however, configure your server to listen for SSL requests on other ports, and use different certificates for these different ports. Doing this would require you to indicate the port number in the URL, or alternatively, the mod_rewrite apache module could be used to force domain-specific requests to a different port. If you choose to provide multiple certificate on your VPS2, please be aware that this configuration is not supported by our Technical Support representatives.

8. What do the commands shutdown -r and reboot do on my VPS2?

   
   The shutdown and reboot commands have been designed to behave on a virtual level as close as possible to the same way they would on a dedicated UNIX server. Because you do not have access to the physical system to manually start up the system, you can not completely halt your VPS2 (the -h option in shutdown is disabled), but you can restart all the services on your server.
   
   The shutdown command will attempt to cleanly halt and restart services on your VPS2, including running the /etc/rc.shutdown commands. Any processes that do not exit cleanly are then killed, and the init process is restarted (init will then read your rc files and start up other services).
   
   The reboot command is different from shutdown because it does not attempt a clean shutdown of your system. Instead, reboot simply kills all your running processes and then runs init (which will run the rc scripts).