OVZ/KVM application templates - is there a need/want

mikho

As the topic asks, would there be an interest in ready made templates for different types of virtualization?

If you answer yes, what type of templates would you line to see?

I’m thinking in the line of TeamSpeak servers, openvpn or other vpn software.
Wordpress/joomla/random cms.

Feel free to name drop applications that you would be interested in.

If you are comfortable to install everything yourself and only require a minimal template, please reply with your thoughts why ready made templates are ”bad”.

Thanks!

AC_Fan

People who are using VPS should know the basics. If they are comfortable with using templates, they probably won't bother with security, which will just increase the headache for you. I would rather suggest offering hosted versions of the applications, so that you have:
1. Higher margins
2. Lesser headaches
3. Probably more orders.

Just my .02 dollars. Cheers!

FreeBSD

• Tor relay, for people who want to donate to internet privacy, instead of idling the VPS.
• Teamspeak, for gamers wanting anonymity outside Discord.
• LEMP, with some open source control panel for easy install.
• OpenVPN / Shadowsocks / other forms of VPN with complex encryption.
• Different games, but this is risky for abuses, (examples: Minecraft, Counter Strike 1.6, WoW CMaNGOS, and so on).
• SearX, in case they want their own secured search engine.
• Secured FTP, for storage boxes.
• Secured, beautiful, and preconfigured remote desktop without big resource consumption (like Linux Mint XFCE, or LUbuntu 20.04)
• FreeBSD, because this is damn rare in templates.

Nyr

@mikho said: If you are comfortable to install everything yourself and only require a minimal template, please reply with your thoughts why ready made templates are ”bad”.

Because if someone is unwilling to learn how to set up a simple daemon like TeamSpeak or Shadowsocks, that user is not going to keep the server secure/updated. And in many cases the template will be outdated to start with. TeamSpeak is a specially bad offender since it has a bad track record regarding security and gaming-related servers are a prime target for attacks.

The counterpoint is of course that application templates increase conversions and that's why many providers offer them.

WSS

Basically, everything @Nyr said - however in juxtaposition:

I've been dealing with a hell of a lot of hacked v2ray instances recently; before that it was ShadowSocks. By making your own template with a cron job to ensure everything is updated - makes it easier on the client, and yourself in the long run.

mikho

@Nyr @WSS

To play the devils advocate on the security take.
If the user is not an avid linux user, the installation would probably be done by some script or tutorial from 2006 found on the Internet.

If one could keep the templates using repos (instead of compiled sources) and enable an auto-update feature.
That sounds a bit more secure??

Nyr

@mikho said:

If one could keep the templates using repos (instead of compiled sources) and enable an auto-update feature.
That sounds a bit more secure??

Yes. It would be useful to also enable unattended-upgrades in the templates.

WSS

@mikho said:
If one could keep the templates using repos (instead of compiled sources) and enable an auto-update feature.
That sounds a bit more secure??

That is pretty much precisely my stance on this, yes.

comi

I tried to toy with this idea, but it doesn't seem to work. Templates solve installing the application which is the easiest part. The more difficult part of customizing install for specific needs isn't solved by templates and it creates a gap between a user and an application which makes it worse for support. IMO it really can work only if you go managed with it. Because if I am able to do it myself It makes more sense to use the most stripped down starting point.

WSS

@comi said:
I tried to toy with this idea, but it doesn't seem to work. Templates solve installing the application which is the easiest part. The more difficult part of customizing install for specific needs isn't solved by templates and it creates a gap between a user and an application which makes it worse for support. IMO it really can work only if you go managed with it. Because if I am able to do it myself It makes more sense to use the most stripped down starting point.

If you're not smart enough to learn how to use it, you pay someone to do so. For a $3/yr service, we're only going to hold your hand so damn much.

comi

@WSS said:

@comi said:
I tried to toy with this idea, but it doesn't seem to work. Templates solve installing the application which is the easiest part. The more difficult part of customizing install for specific needs isn't solved by templates and it creates a gap between a user and an application which makes it worse for support. IMO it really can work only if you go managed with it. Because if I am able to do it myself It makes more sense to use the most stripped down starting point.

If you're not smart enough to learn how to use it, you pay someone to do so. For a $3/yr service, we're only going to hold your hand so damn much.

mm.. yeah, that's why I said

@WSS said: IMO it really can work only if you go managed with it

"managed" implies x10 price, no? only for me?

mikho

@comi said: "managed" implies x10 price, no? only for me?

@WSS

My regular fee for consultant/managed work is in the range 800-1500SEK (convert to your favorite currency)
I can't see that going well in the Lowend market.....

seriesn

@mikho said: My regular fee for consultant/managed work is in the range 800-1500SEK (convert to your favorite currency)

Where is the coupon?

elliotc

It sounds like docker.

comi

@mikho said:

@comi said: "managed" implies x10 price, no? only for me?

@WSS

My regular fee for consultant/managed work is in the range 800-1500SEK (convert to your favorite currency)
I can't see that going well in the Lowend market.....

therefore there is no need/want for application templates in lowend market since it is not sustainable
according to me anyway