Domains Control Panel

The Domains Control Panel is the tab of the DreamHost Control Panel which provides you with a means to add domains and sub-domains to your account, as well as configure various domain and login related functions and features from one easily accessible spot. As of May, 2006, it features seven sections, called "sub-tabs":
 * 1) Overview
 * 2) Manage Domains
 * 3) Registrations
 * 4) Reg. Transfer
 * 5) Remap Sub-Dir
 * 6) Anonymous FTP
 * 7) Proxy Server
 * 8) DNS (Advanced)

To get to a sub-tab, click on the sub-tab name in the menu bar on the left side of the page. The sub-tab presently visible in the page is indicated by the name of the sub-tab in the menu bar being highlighted a triangle and displayed in bold text.

Overview
The Overview sub-tab gives you a brief explanation of the main four sub-tabs, Manage (Domains), Registration(s), Remap Sub-Dir, and Anon(ymous) FTP. (For some reason, it uses different names for the subtabs than are on the subtab titles.) It will give you some orientation when you are new, and probably will be unnecessary to you once you are more expert.

Manage Domains
From the Manage sub-tab, you can view a summary of all of your domains and their associated services (such as web, dns, etc.). You can also add new domains or sub-domains, add new services to your domains, or edit existing services.

The Manage Domains sub-tab shows a summary of all of your domains and subdomains. It has five columns:
 * Domain: The first column has the domain name, and then links in square brackets that let you operate on the content at that domain name. The links are:
 * [DNS]: lets you edit DNS entries for the domain (this is for advanced users only)
 * [visit]: links to the that domain, so that you can see how visitors will see it (a convenience link). Not displayed for domains with a web hosting setting of None.
 * [FTP]: links to an ftp: URL for that domain (a convenience link). Displayed only for domains with a web hosting setting of Fully or mirror; not displayed for domains with a setting of redirect or None.
 * [add IP]: lets you add a dedicated IP address. A dedicated IP means that you alone get to use that particular IP address, improving compatibility with legacy browsers and allowing you to setup SSL.
 * [X]: lets you delete this domain if you no longer wish to use it.
 * Registration: This column will inform you of the registration status of the domain, if DreamHost manages it. The word "Unknown" in this column means that DreamHost doesn't have a record of your domain name registration.
 * Web Hosting: This column displays four items: the type of hosting associated with the domain, some further information in parentheses, and links to let you make changes. See below under  for details.
 * Secure Hosting: You can add secure hosting (SSL). Please note this requires a unique IP address and a security certificate.
 * Email: The final column shows a summary of the e-mail addresses associated with the domain.

At the bottom of the window, there are three links, "[Add New Domain / Sub-Domain] [Add Jabber IM]".

The [Add New Domain / Sub-Domain] link brings up a form that lets you specify a new domain or sub-domain to add to the Manage Domains sub-tab.

The [Add Jabber IM services] link lets you add Jabber instant messaging to your web site.

Web Hosting options
DreamHost offers several web hosting options. For each option, the information displayed in the Web Hosting column is slightly different. The list below shows different possibilities, and what they mean. In these examples, example.com and example2.com are domains and eguser is a user ID.

Possible contents of Web Hosting column:
 * Fully (eguser) [Edit] [X]: indicates that the domain is fully hosted, and eguser is the manager of that domain. That is, DreamHost hosts the domain. By clicking the [Edit] link, you can modify the fully hosted options.
 * redirect (example2.com) [Edit] [X]: indicates that the domain is redirected. That is, if any browser looks for the domain, they are redirected to example2.com, and example2.com's domain is visible as the URL in the browser.
 * mirror (example2.com) [Edit] [X]: indicates that the domain is mirrored. A "mirror" of another one of your site's content, but the browser URL shows as the domain you are currently editing.
 * Parked: indicates that the domain is parked. DreamHost displays a place-holder web site with a generic DreamHost 'coming soon' message.
 * Cloaked: Indicates that the domain is cloaked. This is "mirroring" for any URL. It uses a frame so browser URL doesn't change. Some users find this very annoying because it makes it harder to bookmark specific pages in the site or to see where you've been in the browser history.
 * none [Add]: DreamHost is not providing any kind of hosting for this domain name. By clicking on the [Add] link, you can specify a hosting option and its parameters.

Editing Web Hosting settings
see also Add a domain Clicking the [Edit] link in the Web Hosting column brings up a second form, entitled Please edit the hosting for example.com. This form has several sections, one for each of the above. The sections are described below. The section for the current web hosting option is highlighted. Each section has a form letting you specify the settings for that web hosting option, and a button that you click to save the modified settings. By clicking the button for the current web hosting option, you save the settings. By clicking the button for a different web hosting option, you switch to that option.

Fully Hosted settings
The Fully Hosted section has the following settings:
 * Domain to host: _______ (sub-domains okay!) In this box you should enter ______________.
 * PHP Version? 5.2.x   4.4.x: Please note, as of 8/26/08, new domains cannot choose PHP 4 and old domains cannot switch back to PHP 4.  PHP is a system for generating web pages dynamically from templates and databases. This setting is a pair of radio buttons which lets you choose which version of PHP you want.  (Note: the exact version numbers will change from time to time as DreamHost upgrades their PHP software.) Many other of the applications available from the control panel require PHP to operate; some work only with version 4, some with version 5, and some with both.  Refer to the PHP article and the documentation at php.net for guidance on this choice.
 * [ ] Extra Web Security? (highly recommended): if checked, DreamHost enables the use of a special security module for your website. This is highly recommended.  See KB / Extra Web Security for more information.  The "(highly recommended)" link searches this wiki for information on mod_security.
 * [ ] FastCGI Support? (advanced): if checked, DreamHost provides FastCGI support, "a language independent, scalable, open extension to CGI that provides high performance without the limitations of server specific APIs." See the FastCGI article for more information. The "(advanced)" link searches this wiki for information on FastCGI.
 * FTP user / CGI-runs-as user: Every website hosted with DreamHost is "owned" by exactly one FTP user (Users). The web site files are stored in the user directory of this user ID. CGI also runs as this user ID. From the pop-up menu, select the user ID which you wish to own this website.  The link (Add a user) is a convenience to let you create a new user ID to assign to this web site.
 * Web Directory: In the text box, type the name of a subdirectory which will contain the files for this web site. Dreamhost creates this subdirectory in /home/username/. The default value is the domain name.
 * Logs Directory: Informs you of the subdirectory which will contain the log files for this web site. Dreamhost uses /home/username/logs/example.com/http/.
 * How do you like the www in your URL? This option lets you choose how the web server will handle "www." at the start of URLs. You can choose to have the web server require the "www." to be present, or absent, or respond to either case. Select one of the three radio buttons, as appropriate.

When you are done, press the Change fully hosted settings now! button to set the web hosting option to fully hosted and save these settings.

Redirected settings
The Redirected section has the following settings:
 * Redirect to URL: In the text box, type the name of another URL. DreamHost will detect any web requests to your domain, and redirect them to the corresponding URL in the other domain.
 * Press the Redirect this domain now! button to set the web hosting option to redirected and save these settings.

Mirroring settings
The Mirroring section has the following settings:
 * Domain to mirror: In the pop-up menu is a list of other domains managed through this same DreamHost ID. Select a domain from this list.
 * Press the Mirror with this domain now! button to set the web hosting option to mirrored and save these settings.

Parked settings
The Parked section has no settings, and a single button. Press the Park this domain now! button to set the web hosting option to parked.

Cloaked settings
The Cloaked section has the following settings:
 * Site to Display: In the text box, type the name of another URL. DreamHost will detect any web requests to your domain, and display a frame containing the URL you supply.
 * Title in browser: In the text box, type some text. DreamHost will display this text as the title of the "cloaked" browser window.
 * Press the Cloak this domain now! button to set the web hosting option to cloaked and save these settings.

Registrations
From here you can renew domains you registered through DreamHost, modify WHOIS information (including nameservers), change auto-renew settings, and of course register new domain names.

Suggestion: Lock the domains you register with DreamHost (or any registrar), to prevent domain slamming.

Reg. Transfer
From this section of the panel you can request that your domain name be transferred to Dreamhost from another registrar or approve transfers away from Dreamhost to another registrar.

Transferring registrations TO us (.com, .net, .org & .info top level domains only):

You will need an authorization code from your current registrar in order to transfer it. When you get the authorization code from your current registrar, also make sure that at least one of the whois e-mail contact addresses is configured to go to an account you have access to. Transfer authorization messages are sent those address. If you don't receive them and respond accordingly your transfer will time-out and fail! Update the whois contact e-mail addresses as necessary before initiating the transfer to us in our control panel.

Transferring registrations AWAY from us:

You will find the authorization codes in this section of the panel for the registrations you have with us. While you're there make sure that at least one of the whois e-mail contact addresses is configured to go to an account you have access to. Transfer authorization messages are sent those address. If you don't receive them and respond accordingly your transfer will time-out and fail! Update the whois contact e-mail addresses as necessary before initiating the transfer to us in our control panel. You can update the whois information by going to (DOMAINS > REGISTRATION) in our control panel and clicking on the "modify whois" link for the domain in question.

Remap Sub-Dir
From here you can over-ride the directory that sub-directories of your domain serve from! This is useful if you want to give a separate ftp user access to say  http://www.example.com/myfriend/  without giving them access to your whole site.

Anonymous FTP
This sub-tab lets you set up or alter an Anonymous FTP configuration. Anonymous FTP is a file transfer service where people can download files from your account without requiring a password.

DNS (advanced)
The functionality of the Custom DNS tab has been merged into the Manage Domains area, but the tab still exists. There are no controls left on this tab.