Re: Best user installable database for perl

In my opinion, you're trying to solve the wrong problem. Your real problem is the fact you are constrained. Figure out why you are constrained (perhaps because those people you are writing your programs for, aren't supposed to run their own database solutions, or at least, not with their current contract, but they may if they upgrade), and what you can do about it. (Use a different hosting service, upgrade contracts, bribe the admins with sushi, or just give them a call).

I've been a sysadmin on a webhosting farm as well, and I can very well understand why some people just have FTP access; they are the once who bring in the least money, and should hence get an appropriate tiny share of the resources. No databases for them. I have (temporarely) disabled peoples FTP access and shutdown websites because they tried to take more resources than they should.

I can give you just one advice: go talk to the people that provide the webhosting. Explain what you want, and negotiate. Getting shell access might not be a problem, or it may involve paying more fees. And if you don't get what you want, take your business elsewhere.

But don't try to piss off the sysadmin. He's far more powerfull than you.

Abigail

Comment on Re: Best user installable database for perl

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Re: Re: Best user installable database for perl by BUU (Prior) on Oct 10, 2003 at 16:26 UTC
I understand completely what you are saying about why people only have ftp access and so on and so forth. But as to your advice, "I can give you just one advice: go talk to the people that provide the webhosting", am I supposed to go around to the webhost of every single person who downloads my script and say "Pretty please give this random user a real database"? If I was the only one using my script I would do exactly what you suggest and find a host that supports what I need for my planned functionality. But this script is going to be publically available so I'd like to make it as accessible as possible with the smallest possible requirements.	[reply]
Re: Best user installable database for perl by Abigail-II (Bishop) on Oct 10, 2003 at 16:39 UTC
Let me rephrase that as Let the people wanting to use your script talk to their providers. I don't think it's a good idea to make it easy for people to backdoor in a database on a shared server they have limited access to. Sure, it's not you who does the actual uploading, but if people are going to use your program, it's not going to make you or Perl popular with the hosting people. Abigail	[reply]
Re^3: Best user installable database for perl by Aristotle (Chancellor) on Oct 10, 2003 at 17:50 UTC
am I supposed to go around to the webhost of every single person who downloads my script They are supposed to spend five bucks for a basic hosting solution. C'mon, any highschool kid can afford shared hosting on a server with CGI support and an SQL database these days just by going to McDonald's once less a month. If they're such cheapskates that they won't even spend that little money, they're not likely to be worth your headaches either. Makeshifts last the longest.	[reply]