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Ask HN: Which managed VPS will you recommend?

7 points by anujkk 16y ago

Need some recommendations for managed VPS hosting for someone who is n00b in linux administration. Something like linode 512 but managed. Budget is less than $50/month.

olalonde 16y ago
If you're noob in linux administration, look for a host who offers cPanel.
- anujkk 16y ago
  Any specific recommendations?
  - olalonde 16y ago
    http://iweb.com http://iweb.com
- lsc 16y ago
  a control panel without a sysadmin is /not/ a substitute for a managed service. Now, I have something of a vested interest in saying this, so make of it what you will, but /someone/ needs to know how to fix it when it breaks. My opinion is that a control panel does not make a managed service. I mean, a control panel is a great addition to a managed service, but a control panel without someone who actually understands how things work who is willing to clean up the mess when something happens that the control panel can't fix is a time bomb. I think that if you don't want to learn how it actually works, you should find someone else who is willing to help you clean up when your system breaks. These things happen from time to time. Now, if that person or business that has agreed to help you out wants to give you a control panel so that you can do administrative tasks yourself? That's great! that's exactly what control panels are for, and some of them perform admirably in that role. This entity who agrees to help clean up your mess? This computer janitor? This could be a friend who owes you big time, or it could be a consultant, or it could be your service provider. But you want to make this agreement ahead of time. You don't want to be posting desperate ads on craigslist while your system is down. And this person, the one who will be picking up the pieces when it breaks, should help you pick out an appropriate control panel. It is important that this person understands how that control panel modifies the configuration of the system. How well this person understands the internal workings of that control panel is going to be more important than how "good" the control panel is in the general case.
ksdsh 16y ago
servint.com is pretty good.
jonafato 16y ago
Linode is great. Even if you don't use them (you should), their docs are definitely worth looking at, as they have tutorials on most of the setup and config stuff you'll want to do.
- anujkk 16y ago
  I personally use and like linode but this is for a friend who has no experience with linux. He develops on WAMP and till date has been using shared hosting. Linode library has good documentation but I doubt Linode is for someone like him. What he needs is better performance than shared hosting( specifically in terms of handling high traffic) and ease of use. Ideally, a preconfigured VPS with a control panel.
  - selectnull 16y ago
    http://www.webfaction.com/ http://www.webfaction.com/ might be a good choice. I used it two years ago for a while and was very satisfied with performance and their (custom) control panel. Also, I remember they had very good docs and support staff that actually knew what they were doing. Highly recommended based on my two years old experience. edit: It's not a VPS, but based on your description, you should check it out.
    - mbesto 16y ago
      Second this! I have a linode (use for OpenVPN) and a webfaction (personal websites). The nice thing about webfaction is that its kind of a cross between VPS and a shared hosting. You get shell access (i.e. you get to learn SSH on Red Hat Linux) and makes spawning off as many websites as you want extremely easy to do. Also, is probably the best place to host a django site, the support is amazing. Shameless plug: my webfaction affiliate link is in my profile.
subsection1h 16y ago
RailsPlayground offers VPSs starting at $20 per month with optional management service that costs $15 per month [1]. They offer VPS images that include control panels: cPanel ($12 per month) or Virtualmin (free). That said, you will need to familiarize yourself with the OS, control panel, and the other software that's included in the VPS image that you use. With this in mind, I think your time would be better spent learning how to set up a server. One of the biggest regrets of my career is the time I wasted trying to take shortcuts (e.g., using text editors other than Vim and Emacs). [1] http://railsplayground.com/plans-products/vps/ http://railsplayground.com/plans-products/vps/

7 points by anujkk 16y ago

Need some recommendations for managed VPS hosting for someone who is n00b in linux administration. Something like linode 512 but managed. Budget is less than $50/month.

olalonde 16y ago

If you're noob in linux administration, look for a host who offers cPanel.

anujkk 16y ago
Any specific recommendations?
- olalonde 16y ago
  http://iweb.com http://iweb.com
lsc 16y ago
a control panel without a sysadmin is /not/ a substitute for a managed service. Now, I have something of a vested interest in saying this, so make of it what you will, but /someone/ needs to know how to fix it when it breaks. My opinion is that a control panel does not make a managed service. I mean, a control panel is a great addition to a managed service, but a control panel without someone who actually understands how things work who is willing to clean up the mess when something happens that the control panel can't fix is a time bomb. I think that if you don't want to learn how it actually works, you should find someone else who is willing to help you clean up when your system breaks. These things happen from time to time. Now, if that person or business that has agreed to help you out wants to give you a control panel so that you can do administrative tasks yourself? That's great! that's exactly what control panels are for, and some of them perform admirably in that role. This entity who agrees to help clean up your mess? This computer janitor? This could be a friend who owes you big time, or it could be a consultant, or it could be your service provider. But you want to make this agreement ahead of time. You don't want to be posting desperate ads on craigslist while your system is down. And this person, the one who will be picking up the pieces when it breaks, should help you pick out an appropriate control panel. It is important that this person understands how that control panel modifies the configuration of the system. How well this person understands the internal workings of that control panel is going to be more important than how "good" the control panel is in the general case.

ksdsh 16y ago

servint.com is pretty good.

jonafato 16y ago

Linode is great. Even if you don't use them (you should), their docs are definitely worth looking at, as they have tutorials on most of the setup and config stuff you'll want to do.

anujkk 16y ago
I personally use and like linode but this is for a friend who has no experience with linux. He develops on WAMP and till date has been using shared hosting. Linode library has good documentation but I doubt Linode is for someone like him. What he needs is better performance than shared hosting( specifically in terms of handling high traffic) and ease of use. Ideally, a preconfigured VPS with a control panel.
- selectnull 16y ago
  http://www.webfaction.com/ http://www.webfaction.com/ might be a good choice. I used it two years ago for a while and was very satisfied with performance and their (custom) control panel. Also, I remember they had very good docs and support staff that actually knew what they were doing. Highly recommended based on my two years old experience. edit: It's not a VPS, but based on your description, you should check it out.
  - mbesto 16y ago
    Second this! I have a linode (use for OpenVPN) and a webfaction (personal websites). The nice thing about webfaction is that its kind of a cross between VPS and a shared hosting. You get shell access (i.e. you get to learn SSH on Red Hat Linux) and makes spawning off as many websites as you want extremely easy to do. Also, is probably the best place to host a django site, the support is amazing. Shameless plug: my webfaction affiliate link is in my profile.

subsection1h 16y ago

RailsPlayground offers VPSs starting at $20 per month with optional management service that costs $15 per month [1]. They offer VPS images that include control panels: cPanel ($12 per month) or Virtualmin (free). That said, you will need to familiarize yourself with the OS, control panel, and the other software that's included in the VPS image that you use. With this in mind, I think your time would be better spent learning how to set up a server. One of the biggest regrets of my career is the time I wasted trying to take shortcuts (e.g., using text editors other than Vim and Emacs). [1] http://railsplayground.com/plans-products/vps/ http://railsplayground.com/plans-products/vps/