Best Host/CPanel for scripts, arcade games, php, forums, etc.

[shpgrl]

Not exactly sure how to ask this. I don't know too much about installing scripts, php, cgi, msql, etc. I feel like not knowing this is holding me back from developing the ideas that I have for my sites. I am working on limited funds (actually 0!!) so can't afford to hire someone to implement all of the ideas I have.

I have no idea where to start trying to figure out how to install scripts to be able to run forums, arcade games, a search engine, etc. on sites. And what the heck is php? I can't even seem to figure out how to install the free templates that I downloaded several months ago from another site. I downloaded them but don't know what to do with them!!

I have been using microsoft publisher98 for the past 5 years with my own sites (perfumes/ebooks). It is a simple wysiwyg. But it is extremely limited in what I can do. So when I get these templates, I have no idea what to do with them within microsoft publisher. Can they even be used in publisher?

Basically, what I am trying to ask is, is there a host that makes it easy to install this stuff. Like a host where all you have to do is go into the cpanel and paste some script and wala!! everything works!!!

Maybe it is not that simple. But right now I am with GoDaddy and their control panel drives me nuts. Luckily with publisher and the simple designs that I do I don't have to go there much.

Also, I operate a forum related to one of my perfume books but it is through invisionfree boards. So it is totally separate from my site. But I would eventually like to incorporate into my own pages.

Soooo, anyone have any suggestions of hosts (or even software that makes it easy to just plug in a script and upload). Does a software/or host like that even exist?

 

[Camron]

You may want to checkout a webmaster forum.

First for installing php, take awhile and learn html, it's very simple. Get frontpage or dreamweaver, if not there is a free alternative, NVU. Google it, download it, it's great software, WYSIWYG, easily edit the html of that template, if the logo is in photoshop you will need to spend some money for that software.

Keep looking, there are answers to these questions everywhere, btw, installing forums, search engine type scripts, and basically any php software is very easy, cgi on the otherhand, not so easy.

Google is your friend, use it

 

[JYM]

Many cPanel web hosts come with something called Fantastico, which is a scripts library where just a few clicks can install a forum, blog, CMS, shopping cart, etc...

Many web hosts have this, I do not know which to recommend since I am looking for good hosting as well.

 

[shpgrl]

Thanks guys. You say it is easy, and I usually pick up on things pretty fast, but this stumps me.

When you say installing scripts, php, etc. is very easy, where do you put it? I don't get where it is supposed to go. In publisher there is a box where you can put html code. I do this quite frequently when installing the code for my statcounter and for google adsense. But the html box does not accept scripts. Not as far as I know. And they talk about folders and site maps, etc. I have no idea what this is. And have no idea about the templates. Are they meant to be cut and pasted onto the page? Or are the standalone and you just go in and fill in the blanks. I don't remember it being as easy as filling in the blanks. The templates I have received have everything broken into pieces, so it just looks like it would be a cut and paste job and not a seamless page like on the picture.

StackedTech, I'll check out the webmaster forums and JYM that fantastico sounds like just what I need!

Who has fantastico?

P.S. I just realized (after reading another post) that cpanel is really a brand. What I meant above was control panel. The control/administrative part of a hosting account. It seems like cpanel is what I need maybe?

 

[CrazyTech]

Well, with the questions you're asking, something like Fanastico is what you'll want. Microsoft publisher is a nice tool, but if you're going to run scripts you're going to need something more advanced. Publisher, in a nutshell, is a basic program for getting sites on the internet and is not really interactive. Take a look at Microsoft Frontpage or Dreamweaver (I recommend Dreamweaver) if you want to be able to implement scripts. However, scripting in a complicated task, not something you're going to be able to do overnight.

That's why we're all saying Fantastico, which is part of cPanel (a control panel). It does the hard part of installing the scripts for you. Most (if not all) of the scripts installed have websites full of howto's or a community that can help you from there.

As for who has it, most companies that have cPanel have it. It can usually be confirmed on the page that includes information about the hosting. We carry it and our clients certainly love it.

 

[zachary0611]

i feel your pain im trying to load php arcade script to my website and now i cant figure out how to add a file to mysql

 

[BeZazz]

i dont want to come across as trying to be be "smart" but fantastico isnt a part of cpanel it is a seperate company as far as im aware and fantastico is an addon to cpanel it dosnt actually come with cpanel

@shpgrl if you would like an account with cpanel and fantastico to mess about with PM me and i will set one up
NOTE: the account will be free but it wont actually be for web hosting just to learn with

 

[Jo]

Hi,

If you are talking about those free web templates I have used a couple of them and modified them in notepad.

If you go into the file you downloaded and double click the index.html file this will load the file into IE browser so you can see the template. Then you would go to "view" and then "view source" and then you'll see all of the HTML in notepad. Not sure how Microsoft Publisher98 works but maybe you could copy and paste the index.html file from notepad into the publisher.

After you have what you want on the template and it's ready to go live you'll need to upload all the files onto your server in the exact way they are set up in the template. So the main page would be called "index.html" and most likely your image files are in an image folder so you'll have to create an image folder to upload the images into.