KB / Getting Started
From DreamHost
Welcome to DreamHost!
Here we have some basic introductory help on how to get your services with us up and running. We really recommend you look through as much of this knowledge base as possible to really get a full sense of everything your new account is capable of.
Happy Exploring!
Parent Article
Sub-Articles
- KB / Getting Started / Building your website
- KB / Getting Started / Glossary
- KB / Getting Started / How do I check whois record of my domain?
- KB / Getting Started / How does...work?
Accessing your database before switching DNS
To access your database, you will need a hostname. As your domain's name servers are not yet pointing to us, you can't use it to create the hostname. What you can do instead is adding a free dreamhosters.com subdomain at Domains --> Add Domain (https://panel.dreamhost.com/index.cgi?tree=domain.add_domain& ) and then use that to create a hostname for your database.
Viewing site before DNS change
There is a way to check what your site will look like on our servers before actually pointing your domain name servers to us.
To check your domain content before the DNS switch, you first need to upload your content to your domain folder. We'll send you setup instructions after you sign up for the hosting plan, or after you add new domains to your hosting plan. In those instructions you will find the dreamhost server name that you will need to use as host in your FTP setup - instead of your domain name. (You can start using your domain name after you flipped the DNS switch) .
Then, you need to add free dreamhosters.com subdomain at Domains--> Add Domain (https://panel.dreamhost.com/index.cgi?tree=domain.add_domain& ) and set it to mirror your domain (you will be given this choice while adding the subdomain). Within a few hours you can check the subdomain in a broswer and you'll see what your site looks like on our servers.
Setting up email
To get email going for your domain or subdomain, you need to set it up on our servers, as well as on your computer. Here's how:
- On our server: Once you have set up hosting for your domain, go to the Mail tab of the Account Control Panel to set up a mailbox for holding incoming mail, and aliases to direct the mail to the addresses where you want it to go. Click here to learn about setting up new mailboxes.
- On your computer: Now you need to set up the email program on your computer (Outlook, Netscape, etc.), so you can download the mail from our servers, and read it on your computer. Click here to learn about setting up your email program
- That's it! You're done! The changes won't take effect immediately. Changes usually take one or more hours yo become active. If it takes longer than 24 hours, please contact technical support. [how do I do that?]
Do all plans come with Telnet / SSH access?
Yes! For security reasons, new users are set up as "ftp-only" by default. If you want to have shell access for a user, you can turn it on for them by going to the Users > Users area of our web panel and clicking the [edit] link for that user!
What is a Web ID? Is it the same as my username?
Your Web ID is the identity you created for your DreamHost account (for example: allyourbase1, cooluser, inyourface, jdaniels, and so on.)
You cannot change your Web ID.
Your Web ID is not the same thing as your FTP, email, or shell account username.
How do I set up email on my computer?
My account is all set up, my web site is ready, etc. Now I'd like to get my email working. How do I set up email? What email clients do you suggest I use? I'm new to this stuff!
Setting up your email is easy to do. Once you have set up your mailbox and addresses on our servers, the next step is to choose an email client. An email client is a program that allows you to download mail from your mailbox on our server, and read it on your computer.
Choosing An Email Client
Most email programs are fairly similar. You get a list of messages that you've received, often seperated into different folders so that you can easily organize your various email messages for later retrieval. An email program isn't just a place to send and receive email, but is also a database of past communication with others. Here are some common email programs people use:
Windows:
Mozilla Thunderbird
Netscape Communicator (comes with an email client built in)
Qualcomm Eudora Pro/Eudora Lite
Microsoft Outlook Express
Macintosh:
Netscape Communicator (comes with an email client built in)
Bare Bones Mailsmith
Qualcomm Eudora Pro/Eudora Lite
Other operating systems, such as Linux, BeOS, PalmOS, and MacOS X, have a multitude of other email clients available for use. The instructions given below should generally apply to just about all email programs.
Configuring Your Email Client
After you've chosen an email client that you like, you'll still need to configure it for use with our servers. In particular, you should consult your program's manual to find a place to enter an IMAP/POP3 server. For this value, you should type in the mail.yourdomain.com.
Another setting you'll need to type in is the SMTP server. This is ALSO mail.yourdomain.com. If your ISP blocks port 25 however, you may have to use THEIR SMTP server. All ISPs provide one, and should have told you theirs when you signed up.. mail.earthlink.com is earthlink's for example. If your email program has the option, you should select that "My SMTP (outgoing) server requires authentication". We do this so spammers can't use our outgoing mail server to relay spam.
You should also be prompted to type in your email account name and password. There, type in the same username and password you received when you created your mailbox on our web panel.
Your email client may have a number of other configuration items that you may choose from, such as signatures or special sorting preferences. These you will need to consult the manual for, but the values given above should get you started.
How do I use Telnet or SSH to access my site?
Telnet is a protocol, like FTP, that allows you to access another computer. However, unlike FTP, Telnet lets you do more than simply upload and download files. You can actually run programs on the other computer, edit your web files using one of many Unix/Linux text editors, and generally do all sorts of powerful stuff with the likes of CGI and Perl. Telnet isn't for everyone, but if your site demands a little extra flexibility, it would be wise to learn how to use Telnet to add more value to it.
We would suggest, however, that you use SSH instead (see below).
Getting Telnet For Your Computer
Telnet programs are very similar, even though some offer features that are missing in others. You may have to look around to find the best one for your needs.
For the Macintosh, we recommend the following Telnet clients:
NiftyTelnet http://andrew2.andrew.cmu.edu/dist/niftytelnet.html
NCSA Telnet ftp://ftp.ncsa.uiuc.edu/Mac/Telnet/Telnet2.6
For Microsoft Windows-based PCs, there are several Telnet clients you can choose from. However, Windows actually comes with a very basic telnet client already. You can use it by going under the Start Menu, selecting the 'Run' option, and typing in 'telnet yourdomain.com' (yourdomain.com should be replaced with your actual domain name). Note that this is not available with some very old versions of Windows.
The BeOS also includes basic telnet, which is one of the best command line clients we've seen. It is modeled after the standard telnet client present on most Unix/Linux boxes, and can be run from a command line by typing in 'telnet yourdomain.com' (as in the previous example, yourdomain.com should be replaced with your actual domain name).
SSH?
There is another standard out there that you may find useful known as 'ssh', which stands for 'Secure Shell'. This standard, just like Telnet, allows you to log into another computer. However, it has one added bonus: Security. All ssh clients encrypt whatever travels through the connection in a very secure manner, ensuring that nobody is able to see things such as passwords while in transit from machine to machine. Although we don't require an ssh client to use our servers, we do recommend them to users who are worried about the security of their site. Note that you cannot disable telnet to your domain if you're a shared hosting customer.
You can find links to a number of free SSH clients at: http://freessh.org/
We would particularly recommend Putty for Windows, and MacSSH for Mac. If you have a Unix or Linux machine, you can SSH from the command line assuming you have SSH installed.
We currently support both version 1 and 2 of the SSH protocol, but we plan to phase out protocol 1 soon. *UPDATE* We HAVE PHASED OUT PROTOCOL 1. USE SSH2 FOR YOUR CONNECTION* We do support sftp and scp.
Important Note for New Accounts: For security reasons, new users are set up as FTP-only by default. If you want to have shell access for a user, you can turn on SSH for them by going to the Users > Users area of our web panel and clicking the [edit] link for that user!
Why can't I access my domain/site after signing up?
I signed up with Dreamhost and was given the option to select a domain that I wanted. However, when I go to my domain from my web browser or through ftp, I get a message saying that the domain doesn't exist. What's up with that? Why can't I access my site?
Although it usually takes no more than twelve hours for us to get everything set up on our end, there are a few reasons why most sites are not immediately available after they are set up.
Domain Registration Process Hasn't Finished
When you register a domain name (such as 'realultimatepower.net'), it must be approved and set to filter through the DNS system. DNS, which stands for 'Domain Name Server', is a technology that allows Internet domains to be accessed using a domain instead of an IP address. Any time a person accesses a domain in their web browser or telnet program, their computer asks a DNS server for the location of that domain. Until all DNS servers on the Internet know about your domain, however, it won't be accessible to everyone.
Once a domain has been registered and you have received a notice confirming it, it usually takes up to two or three days before the domain information propagates throughout the 'net. As DNS changes do not happen immediately and instantly on all servers, some users may be able to view a domain while others receive a message that it does not exist. Don't worry, this is temporary, and goes away within a day or two. Unfortunately, there really isn't any way that we can speed this part of the process up, as each DNS server is set to refresh at different times.
Haven't Registered Domain Yet
Have you registered the domain yet? If not, then you definitely will not be able to access it or put up your web page.
To check whether you have registered your domain, log into the Account Control Panel. Select the Domains tab, and click on the Add Domain link.
Enter the name of your domain here:
<img src = "./images/illustrations/domainname.gif">
Fully Hosted refers to traditional domain name hosting. If you would prefer to 'park' or 'mirror' a domain, be sure to make the appropriate selection in the drop-down box.
Finally, press the Continue button.
- If you have registered the domain, we will tell you so.
- If someone else has registered the domain, you will be notified, and given the whois information.
- If you have registered the domain, and it is not pointing to DreamHost, you will be given instructions for transferring it.
- If the domain has not been registered, you will be offered the opportunity to do so.
Subdomains
If your site is hosted as a subdomain of an existing domain (such as 'ilove.dreamhosters.com' or 'oink.whenpigsfly.com'), you will still have to wait for our DNS changes to propagate throughout the Internet. However, you won't have to wait for a confirmation from Internic, which tends to speed up the process by a day or so.
Success!
Once you are able to visit your site from a web browser and view an empty directory listing (this is how they always start, before you put files into them), your domain is active! From that point, feel free to start uploading your web files!
Viewing your site before your domain is up!
If you'd like to view your uploaded site on our servers (to check that everything is working, or whatever!) before your domain is up, you can! Simply go to the Domain > Add Domain area of our web panel and add a free dreamhosters.com sub-domain (e.g. "yourdomain.dreamhosters.com"). Choose it to be a "mirror" domain and set it up to mirror your real domain that hasn't gone live yet. When you're done, within an hour you'll be able to see your site at http://yourdomain.dreamhosters.com/ exactly as it will be when your domain is transferred!
I would like to host a web page. What do you offer?
We offer a number of plans, available to anyone from individuals to organizations, from America to Zimbabwe. They are all described in detail at our [../plans.html web site] and in these FAQs.
