Cheetah Documentation Wiki - User contributions [en]

Main Page

2024-02-25T13:57:20Z

Admin: /* Installation & Upgrade */

Cheetah Documentation

This is the documentation wiki for the Cheetah website builder.

The Cheetah Community Website Builder, aka CheetahWSB is a derivative of Dolphin version 7.4.2 by Boonex [https://www.boonex.com/ https://www.boonex.com/].

Boonex [https://www.boonex.com/ https://www.boonex.com/] has announced it will end support of Dolphin by the end of December 2023.

There are many Dolphin fans that do not like their new product. I created Cheetah to continue where Dolphin has left off.

This documentation is far from complete. It's still a work in progress. I am currently seeking documentation writers to assist with the Cheetah Documentation. If your interested in helping with this, you may request access here. [https://www.cheetahwsb.com/doc_writer_request.php https://www.cheetahwsb.com/doc_writer_request.php]

= Table of Contents =
=== Getting Started ===
*[[Introduction (Beginners Guide)]]
*[[Cheetah Troubleshooter]]
*[[Cheetah Licenses]]
*[https://www.cheetahwsb.com/page/hosting Recommended Hosting Providers]
*[https://www.cheetahwsb.com/page/downloads Versions & Downloads]
*[[General FAQ]]
*[[FAQ For End-Users]]

=== Installation & Upgrade ===
*[[Cheetah System Requirements]]
*[[Hosting Server Setup Recommendations]]
*[[Installing Cheetah]]
*[[Cheetah Detailed Install Guide]]
*[[Installation Troubleshooter]]
*[[Upgrade Instructions]]
*[[Installation FAQ]]

=== Administration ===
*[[Administration Guide]]
*[[Administration FAQ]]
*[[Creating app on Facebook for Facebook Connect Module]]
*[[Membership Actions]]
*[[Setting up the SMTP Mailer Module]]
*[[How to personalize your Cheetah Site]]

=== Development ===
*[[Cheetah Features for Developers]]
*[https://github.com/CheetahWSB/Cheetah/milestones Development Roadmap]
*[https://github.com/CheetahWSB/Cheetah Source Code Repository]
*[https://github.com/CheetahWSB/Cheetah/issues View Development Tickets]
*[https://www.cheetahwsb.com/doc/ Documentation Generated From Source Code]
*[[Cheetah Code Convention]]
*[[Creating Your First Cheetah Module]]
*[[How to make automatic upgrade script for module]]
*[[Tools for Extension Development]]
*[[Development FAQ]]

=== Design & Translations ===
*[[Creating Custom Cheetah Templates]]
*[[Translating Cheetah]]
*[[How to change avatar size]]

=== Cheetah Community Support ===
*[https://www.cheetahwsb.com/forum/ Support Forums]
*[[Forum Rules]]
*[https://www.cheetahwsb.com/m/market/freelancer/ Custom Jobs]

=== Cheetah Community Market ===
*[https://www.cheetahwsb.com/m/market/ Cheetah Market Home]
*[[Cheetah Market Terms]]
*[[Cheetah Market FAQ]]

=== Cheetah Community Tutorials ===
<div style="margin-left: 30px;">
==== Server Setup ====
*[[How to setup Cheetah on Nginx]]

==== Administration ====
*[[Tweaking Spam Filters]]
*[[Using Language Keys]]

==== Marketing ====
</div>
=== Resources ===
*[[Mobile Apps]]
*[https://www.cheetahwsb.com/page/hosting Hosting Services]

Installer auto fill

2022-02-28T06:35:11Z

Admin:

Cheetah has a auto form fill feature built into the installer as of Cheetah version 1.3.0.

That feature automatically fills out all of the forms questions during the install process. This feature is intended for developers that frequently need to reinstall the script with the same settings. With this feature, all that needs to be done is to just click next on each screen until the install is complete. It fills all the forms for you which drastically speeds up the install process.

To use this feature, simply create a auto_fill.php file in cheetahs install folder. The contents of that file would be something like this.

<nowiki>
<?php
$aAutoFill = array(
'install_prompt_password' => true,
'install_password' => '$2y$07$BCryptRequires22Chrcte/VlQH0piJtjXl.0t1XkA8pw9dMXTpOq',
'database_name' => 'databasename',
'database_user' => 'databaseuser',
'database_password' => 'databasepassword',
'site_title' => 'SIte Title',
'site_description' => 'Site Description',
'site_email' => 'email@yoursite.com',
'notify_email' => 'no-reply@yoursite.com',
'bug_report_email' => 'email@yoursite.com',
'admin_username' => 'admin',
'admin_password' => 'adminpassword',
'leave_install_folder' => 'true',
);</nowiki>

The leave_install_folder option can be true or false. If true, the inc/header.inc.php file will be modified to allow the install folder to remain on the server so you do not have to remove it.

If you choose to set this to true and leave the install folder, it is advised you also enable a password for the installer. Those are the first two options in this file.

NOTE: The password you enter for the install_password field above is a hash that can be generated from the Developer Tools section on the Cheetah Website. https://www.cheetahwsb.com/m/developer_tools/

The above examples settings will allow you to reinstall that site at any time just by going to yoursite.com/install and entering the set install password.

Installer auto fill

2022-02-28T06:32:47Z

Admin:

Cheetah has a auto form fill feature built into the installer as of Cheetah version 1.3.0.

That feature automatically fills out all of the forms questions during the install process. This feature is intended for developers that frequently need to reinstall the script with the same settings. With this feature, all that needs to be done is to just click next on each screen until the install is complete. It fills all the forms for you which drastically speeds up the install process.

To use this feature, simply create a auto_fill.php file in cheetahs install folder. The contents of that file would be something like this.

<nowiki>
<?php
$aAutoFill = array(
'install_prompt_password' => true,
'install_password' => '$2y$07$BCryptRequires22Chrcte/VlQH0piJtjXl.0t1XkA8pw9dMXTpOq',
'database_name' => 'databasename',
'database_user' => 'databaseuser',
'database_password' => 'databasepassword',
'site_title' => 'SIte Title',
'site_description' => 'Site Description',
'site_email' => 'email@yoursite.com',
'notify_email' => 'no-reply@yoursite.com',
'bug_report_email' => 'email@yoursite.com',
'admin_username' => 'admin',
'admin_password' => 'adminpassword',
'leave_install_folder' => 'true',
);</nowiki>

The leave_install_folder option can be true or false. If true, the inc/header.inc.php file will be modified to allow the install folder to remain on the server so you do not have to remove it.

If you choose to set this to true and leave the install folder, it is advised you also enable a password for the installer. Those are the first two options in this file.

The above examples settings will allow you to reinstall that site at any time just by going to yoursite.com/install and entering the set install password.

Cheetah System Requirements

2022-02-28T06:21:24Z

Admin: /* Server Requirements */

= Cheetah Hosting(System) Requirements =

A default Cheetah installation works with most common configurations of hosting server, however, since Cheetah is a package with multiple scripts and apps, it is very important to ensure that all of the following requirements are met. Most of the technical problems occur due to improper server setup, so make sure that your hosting provider is Cheetah-compatible.

To help avoid trouble, we gathered a number of [https://www.cheetahwsb.com/page/hosting Recommended Hosting Providers] that have Cheetah-ready accounts and experience with managing accounts that have Cheetah installed. Some of them offer instant installation or even pre-installed Cheetah.

Providing that the server is properly configured, it is possible to run Cheetah on a shared hosting account although not recommended. It is strongly suggested that you have at least a VPS for Cheetah. A '''dedicated server''' is even better and is the recommended choice.

'''NOTE:''' If you do decide to go with shared hosting to keep costs down please keep the following in mind. Most shared hosting accounts do not meet the requirements for many of the PHP setting requirements listed below. Especially memory_limit, max_execution_time, upload_max_filesize and exec(). So make sure the hosting company you choose allows those to be changed or you will have problems running Cheetah.

== Server Requirements ==

* Linux/Unix (Red Hat, Ubuntu, Debian, FreeBSD, Mandrake, etc.). Windows OS has also been known to work, but Cheetah is not tested on Windows so is not recommended.
** '''Note:''' Linux kernel 2.6.32 or higher is needed for ffmpeg
** '''Windows OS''' is not recommended. Not many Cheetah users run on Windows based servers, so support will be very limited. Cheetah is also developed for and only tested on Linux based servers.
* '''Apache v.1.3''' and higher or '''LiteSpeed''' web server. Other web servers can be used too, but custom rewrite rules are required, we have one for [[How_to_setup_Cheetah_on_Nginx|Nginx]].
* '''PHP 5.5.0''' or higher. '''PHP 7''' recommended. '''Cheetah is not yet compatible with PHP 8''' 
** '''PHP-CLI''' (command line version) should also be installed, and it should be configured the same way and have the same extensions required by Cheetah as the FPM version.
*** '''For Cheetah versions above 1.2.0'''
**** '''Hosting''' needs to be running '''PHP-FPM'''. PHP as an Apache module(DS0) is outdated and no longer supported. PHP running as a '''PHP-FPM''' application is necessary for the Cheetah update system and other features. You will not be able to update Cheetah without it.
**** '''PHP-FPM''' needs to be running as the same user that uploaded the website files.
**** '''NOTE:''' If your choice of hosting is providing Plesk or cPanel, then this is normally not a issue as these providers normally have PHP setup this way by default. This is normally only a concern for those that are setting up and configuring their own servers.
* '''register_globals''' must be '''Off''' 
* '''safe_mode''' must be '''Off''' 
* '''exec()''' (executable files) must be '''allowed''' 
* '''allow_url_fopen''' should be '''On''' 
* '''allow_url_include''' should be '''Off''' 
* '''open_basedir''' should not have any value 
* '''upload_max_filesize''' should be '''1024M''' or higher 
* '''memory_limit''' should be '''256M''' or higher. '''512M''' or higher is '''highly recommended'''.
* '''max_execution_time''' must be set to '''300''' or higher. Some areas of Cheetah perform database backups. Script timeouts that occur if this setting is too low will cause problems during those backups.
* '''curl, gd, mbstring, xsl, json, fileinfo, openssl, zip, ftp, calendar, exif, pdo,''' and '''pdo_mysql '''extensions''' must be installed'''.
* '''[http://www.mysql.com/ MySQL 5.5.3]''' and higher or '''[https://mariadb.org/ MariaDB 10.x]'''.
* The '''magic_quotes_gpc''' option must be disabled.
* If a security module is installed (such as '''mod_security''' for Apache), it should be able to be configured for specific folders (or disabled).
* '''mod_rewrite''' for Apache
* Direct connection to https://www.cheetahwsb.com/ should be able to be established (i.e. connection without requiring proxy authorization). This is required for license verification.
* '''[https://libgd.github.io/ GD library]''' compiled with '''FreeType''' fonts (for photo processing) or '''[http://imagemagick.org/ ImageMagick]''' as an alternative.
* '''Sendmail''' or '''Postfix''' programs for sending emails.
* Ability to create '''[http://www.unixgeeks.org/security/newbie/unix/cron-1.html Cron Jobs]'''.
* You should be able to run executable files (you would need it for '''ffmpeg''', which converts videos).

== Server Requirements for Media Streaming ==

Some of Cheetah's features (such as Flash Chat, Flash IM, Boards, Video Recorder, Video Comments) require media streaming capabilities. To use those, you need to make sure that the following requirements are met:

* '''VPS''' or '''Dedicated''' server is generally required in order to be able to install and run '''RMS (Ray Media Server)'''. You would need access to the '''root''' or '''administrator''' account on the hosting server.
* '''[http://www.java.com/en/download/manual.jsp JRE] (Java Runtime Environment) ver. 1.6''' or higher should be installed.
* Ports '''1935''', '''1936''' and '''5080''' should be open on the server.
* Allowance of at least 15 KB/sec for media streaming for each user.

-----

'''''It is a good idea to send the list above to your hosting provider to make sure the server is ready for installation. If all the above requirements are met you are all set to proceed to [https://www.cheetahwsb.com/m/cheetah_docs/chapter/installing-cheetah Cheetah Installation]'''.''

-----

== Recommended Hosting Providers ==

Going for one of our [https://www.cheetahwsb.com/page/hosting Recommended Hosting Providers] is a good idea for both starters and those willing to work with companies that have Cheetah experience.

== Recommended Server Setup ==

Since Cheetah is a resource-intensive platform, it is very important to "fine-tune" your server. In some cases (for popular sites) you may have to setup clustered servers, and/or a remote database server. Alternative "web-server" software, such as [http://nginx.org/ nginx] may also be beneficial to your site performance. Please refer to [[Hosting_Server_Setup_Recommendations]] for the details on how you can tune-up your server.

Leaving install folder on server after install

2022-02-28T04:05:39Z

Admin:

As of Cheetah version 1.2.0, you can now get Cheetah to leave the install folder on the server. This is intended for use by developers that frequently need to reinstall the site. You should not do this on production sites.

To do this, after the install of Cheetah, when Cheetah instructs you to remove the install folder, instead do this.

Open inc/header.inc.php and look for this line.

<nowiki>
define('CH_WSB_LEAVE_INSTALL_FOLDER', FALSE);</nowiki>

Change the false to TRUE and save.

You can now proceed to the admin panel without deleting the install folder.

If you had already deleted the install folder, you can edit inc/header.inc.php as instructed above and then re-upload the install folder from the Cheetah zip archive to your site.

REMEMBER. You should not leave the install folder on a production site.

Leaving install folder on server after install

2022-02-28T04:02:05Z

Admin: Created page with "As of Cheetah version 1.2.0, you can now get cheetah to leave the install folder on the server. This is intended for use by developers that frequently need to reinstall the si..."

As of Cheetah version 1.2.0, you can now get cheetah to leave the install folder on the server. This is intended for use by developers that frequently need to reinstall the site. You should not do this on production sites.

To do this, after the install of cheetah when cheetah instructions you to remove the install folder, instead do this.

Open inc/header.inc.php and look for this line.

<nowiki>
define('CH_WSB_LEAVE_INSTALL_FOLDER', FALSE);</nowiki>

Change the false to TRUE and save.

You can now proceed to the admin panel without deleting the install folder.

Installer auto fill

2022-02-28T03:54:32Z

Admin:

Cheetah has a auto form fill feature built into the installer as of Cheetah version 1.3.0.

That feature automatically fills out all of the forms questions during the install process. This feature is intended for developers that frequently need to reinstall the script with the same settings. With this feature, all that needs to be done is to just click next on each screen until the install is complete. It fills all the forms for you which drastically speeds up the install process.

To use this feature, simply create a auto_fill.php file in cheetahs install folder. The contents of that file would be something like this.

<nowiki>
<?php
$aAutoFill = array(
'install_prompt_password' => true,
'install_password' => 'installpassword',
'database_name' => 'databasename',
'database_user' => 'databaseuser',
'database_password' => 'databasepassword',
'site_title' => 'SIte Title',
'site_description' => 'Site Description',
'site_email' => 'email@yoursite.com',
'notify_email' => 'no-reply@yoursite.com',
'bug_report_email' => 'email@yoursite.com',
'admin_username' => 'admin',
'admin_password' => 'adminpassword',
'leave_install_folder' => 'true',
);</nowiki>

The leave_install_folder option can be true or false. If true, the inc/header.inc.php file will be modified to allow the install folder to remain on the server so you do not have to remove it.

If you choose to set this to true and leave the install folder, it is advised you also enable a password for the installer. Those are the first two options in this file.

The above examples settings will allow you to reinstall that site at any time just by going to yoursite.com/install and entering the set install password.

Installer auto fill

2022-02-28T03:54:13Z

Admin:

Cheetah has a auto form fill feature built into the installer as of Cheetah version 1.3.0.

That feature automatically fills out all of the forms questions during the install process. This feature is intended for developers that frequently need to reinstall the script with the same settings. With this feature, all that needs to be done is to just click next on each screen until the install is complete. It fills all the forms for you which drastically speeds up the install process.

To use this feature, simply create a auto_fill.php file in cheetahs install folder. The contents of that file would be something like this.

<nowiki>
<?php
$aAutoFill = array(
'install_prompt_password' => true,
'install_password' => 'installpassword',
'database_name' => 'databasename',
'database_user' => 'databaseuser',
'database_password' => 'databasepassword',
'site_title' => 'SIte Title',
'site_description' => 'Site Description',
'site_email' => 'email@yoursite.com',
'notify_email' => 'no-reply@yoursite.com',
'bug_report_email' => 'email@yoursite.com',
'admin_username' => 'admin',
'admin_password' => 'adminpassword',
'leave_install_folder' => 'true',
);
</nowiki>

The leave_install_folder option can be true or false. If true, the inc/header.inc.php file will be modified to allow the install folder to remain on the server so you do not have to remove it.

If you choose to set this to true and leave the install folder, it is advised you also enable a password for the installer. Those are the first two options in this file.

The above examples settings will allow you to reinstall that site at any time just by going to yoursite.com/install and entering the set install password.

Installer auto fill

2022-02-28T03:54:02Z

Admin:

Cheetah has a auto form fill feature built into the installer as of Cheetah version 1.3.0.

That feature automatically fills out all of the forms questions during the install process. This feature is intended for developers that frequently need to reinstall the script with the same settings. With this feature, all that needs to be done is to just click next on each screen until the install is complete. It fills all the forms for you which drastically speeds up the install process.

To use this feature, simply create a auto_fill.php file in cheetahs install folder. The contents of that file would be something like this.

<nowiki>
<?php
$aAutoFill = array(
'install_prompt_password' => true,
'install_password' => 'installpassword',
'database_name' => 'databasename',
'database_user' => 'databaseuser',
'database_password' => 'databasepassword',
'site_title' => 'SIte Title',
'site_description' => 'Site Description',
'site_email' => 'email@yoursite.com',
'notify_email' => 'no-reply@yoursite.com',
'bug_report_email' => 'email@yoursite.com',
'admin_username' => 'admin',
'admin_password' => 'adminpassword',
'leave_install_folder' => 'true',
);
</nowiki>

The leave_install_folder option can be true or false. If true, the inc/header.inc.php file will be modified to allow the install folder to remain on the server so you do not have to remove it.

If you choose to set this to true and leave the install folder, it is advised you also enable a password for the installer. Those are the first two options in this file.

The above examples settings will allow you to reinstall that site at any time just by going to yoursite.com/install and entering the set install password.

Installer auto fill

2022-02-28T03:50:10Z

Admin: Created page with "Cheetah has a auto form fill feature built into the installer as of Cheetah version 1.3.0. That feature automatically fills out all of the forms questions during the install..."

Cheetah has a auto form fill feature built into the installer as of Cheetah version 1.3.0.

That feature automatically fills out all of the forms questions during the install process. This feature is intended for developers that frequently need to reinstall the script with the same settings. With this feature, all that needs to be done is to just click next on each screen until the install is complete. It fills all the forms for you which drastically speeds up the install process.

To use this feature, simply create a auto_fill.php file in cheetahs install folder. The contents of that file would be something like this.

<?php
$aAutoFill = array(
'install_prompt_password' => true,
'install_password' => 'installpassword',
'database_name' => 'databasename',
'database_user' => 'databaseuser',
'database_password' => 'databasepassword',
'site_title' => 'SIte Title',
'site_description' => 'Site Description',
'site_email' => 'email@yoursite.com',
'notify_email' => 'no-reply@yoursite.com',
'bug_report_email' => 'email@yoursite.com',
'admin_username' => 'admin',
'admin_password' => 'adminpassword',
'leave_install_folder' => 'true',
);

The leave_install_folder option can be true or false. If true, the inc/header.inc.php file will be modified to allow the install folder to remain on the server so you do not have to remove it.

If you choose to set this to true and leave the install folder, it is advised you also enable a password for the installer. Those are the first two options in this file.

The above examples settings will allow you to reinstall that site at any time just by going to yoursite.com/install and entering the set install password.

Cheetah Features for Developers

2022-02-28T03:38:57Z

Admin: Created page with "=== Cheetah Features for Developers === Cheetah has a number of features that are specifically designed for developers. These are noted below, and as more are added, they wil..."

=== Cheetah Features for Developers ===

Cheetah has a number of features that are specifically designed for developers. These are noted below, and as more are added, they will be documented here.

*[[Installer auto fill]]
*[[Leaving install folder on server after install]]

Main Page

2022-02-28T03:36:31Z

Admin: /* Development */

Cheetah Documentation

This is the documentation wiki for the Cheetah website builder.

The Cheetah Community Website Builder, aka CheetahWSB is a derivative of Dolphin version 7.4.2 by Boonex [https://www.boonex.com/ https://www.boonex.com/].

Boonex [https://www.boonex.com/ https://www.boonex.com/] has announced it will end support of Dolphin by the end of December 2023.

There are many Dolphin fans that do not like their new product. I created Cheetah to continue where Dolphin has left off.

This documentation is far from complete. It's still a work in progress. I am currently seeking documentation writers to assist with the Cheetah Documentation. If your interested in helping with this, you may request access here. [https://www.cheetahwsb.com/doc_writer_request.php https://www.cheetahwsb.com/doc_writer_request.php]

= Table of Contents =
=== Getting Started ===
*[[Introduction (Beginners Guide)]]
*[[Cheetah Troubleshooter]]
*[[Cheetah Licenses]]
*[https://www.cheetahwsb.com/page/hosting Recommended Hosting Providers]
*[https://www.cheetahwsb.com/page/downloads Versions & Downloads]
*[[General FAQ]]
*[[FAQ For End-Users]]

=== Installation & Upgrade ===
*[[Cheetah System Requirements]]
*[[Hosting Server Setup Recommendations]]
*[[Installing Cheetah]]
*[[Cheetah Detailed Install Guide]]
*[[Upgrade Instructions]]
*[[Installation FAQ]]
=== Administration ===
*[[Administration Guide]]
*[[Administration FAQ]]
*[[Creating app on Facebook for Facebook Connect Module]]
*[[Membership Actions]]
*[[Setting up the SMTP Mailer Module]]
*[[How to personalize your Cheetah Site]]

=== Development ===
*[[Cheetah Features for Developers]]
*[https://github.com/CheetahWSB/Cheetah/milestones Development Roadmap]
*[https://github.com/CheetahWSB/Cheetah Source Code Repository]
*[https://github.com/CheetahWSB/Cheetah/issues View Development Tickets]
*[https://www.cheetahwsb.com/doc/ Documentation Generated From Source Code]
*[[Cheetah Code Convention]]
*[[Creating Your First Cheetah Module]]
*[[How to make automatic upgrade script for module]]
*[[Tools for Extension Development]]
*[[Development FAQ]]

=== Design & Translations ===
*[[Creating Custom Cheetah Templates]]
*[[Translating Cheetah]]
*[[How to change avatar size]]

=== Cheetah Community Support ===
*[https://www.cheetahwsb.com/forum/ Support Forums]
*[[Forum Rules]]
*[https://www.cheetahwsb.com/m/market/freelancer/ Custom Jobs]

=== Cheetah Community Market ===
*[https://www.cheetahwsb.com/m/market/ Cheetah Market Home]
*[[Cheetah Market Terms]]
*[[Cheetah Market FAQ]]

=== Cheetah Community Tutorials ===
<div style="margin-left: 30px;">
==== Server Setup ====
*[[How to setup Cheetah on Nginx]]

==== Administration ====
*[[Tweaking Spam Filters]]
*[[Using Language Keys]]

==== Marketing ====
</div>
=== Resources ===
*[[Mobile Apps]]
*[https://www.cheetahwsb.com/page/hosting Hosting Services]

Hosting Server Setup Recommendations

2022-02-21T19:24:18Z

Admin: /* Before Starting */

= Hosting Server Setup Recommendations for Optimal Cheetah Performance =

Cheetah is a package of many scripts and it may perform very well only if the server is properly configured. Unfortunately, we have noticed that many server default setups are very inefficient, often leading to false assumptions about Cheetah performance. In some cases hosting providers terminate accounts due to heavy load, although traffic is insignificant. This document covers very basic recommendations on how to improve your site performance by slightly changing your server configuration. Our research shows that very poor and very good combinations of setups may lead to up to '''2500%''' (25x) difference in execution times of certain files.

These recommendations are for dedicated or VPS server owners, however if you are on shared hosting and notice that your server configuration is inefficient, you can ask your hosting support to change these settings on the server, so the whole server would run faster.

You will need root access to the server and also some skills on how to connect to the server using SSH terminal and must know some basic command line tools, like navigating through directories and editing files.

'''Remember, making the wrong changes can take your server "down". So, be careful, backup everything you can and research more if unsure.'''

''A fast and efficient server setup will lead to better page-load time, lower server resources consumption, smaller hosting bills, better search engine rankings and happier site visitors.''

== Before Starting ==

Always backup old data, so you can always return to the original configuration.

Before starting optimization, it is better to monitor your server performance before starting optimization and after, to see how things are changing, if it becomes better or worse. Try "[http://munin-monitoring.org/ Munin]" server monitor, available as a WHM plugin, which you can install from the WHM panel -> cPanel -> Manage Plugins -> click "Install and Keep Updated" near the Munin logo and press the "Save" button at the bottom of the page. After installing, a link to Munin appears in the "Plugins" section of your WHM panel. Allow up to 10 minutes until it generates pages with graphs for you.

-----

'''Table of contents:'''

* [[Hosting_Server_Setup_Recommendations#MySQL|MySQL]]
* [[Hosting_Server_Setup_Recommendations#PHP|PHP]]
* [[Hosting_Server_Setup_Recommendations#mod_php_.28dso_module.29|mod_php (dso module)]]
* [[Hosting_Server_Setup_Recommendations#FPM.2FFastCGI|CGI/suPHP]]
* [[Hosting_Server_Setup_Recommendations#FastCGI|FastCGI]]
* [[Hosting_Server_Setup_Recommendations#Different_PHP_setups_Benchmark|Different PHP setups Benchmark]]
* [[Hosting_Server_Setup_Recommendations#Web-server|Web-server]]
* [[Hosting_Server_Setup_Recommendations#Preparation|Preparation]]
* [[Hosting_Server_Setup_Recommendations#Server_side_content_compression|Server side content compression]]
* [[Hosting_Server_Setup_Recommendations#User_side_caching_for_static_content|User side caching for static content]]
* [[Hosting_Server_Setup_Recommendations#Conclusion|Conclusion]]

-----

== MySQL ==

-----

First you need to check if "query_cache" is enabled on your server. It was noticed that 80% of all SELECT queries are taken from "query_cache" when it is enabled, so if it is disabled on your server

* mysql performance is '''5''' times slower !

To check this, go to the phpMysqlAdmin tool (in most cases it is in your WHM panel -> SQL Services -> phpMyAdmin). Then click the "Variables" tab. The "query cache size" must be at least 16M, "query cache type" must be ON and "query cache limit" value should be around 1M. Example of a good configuration:

<blockquote>[[File:modules/deano/cheetah_docs/uploads/images/hssr-mysql-1-query-cache.jpg]]
</blockquote>
After you realized that you need to change these settings, you need to edit the "my.cnf" file on your server (in most cases it is in the "/etc" folder) and add the following lines in the "[mysqld]" section of the file. If the same configuration options already exist it is better to comment out old ones (with the hash # symbol ) and add new ones near them:

<pre class="wiki">[mysqld]
query_cache_limit = 1M
query_cache_size = 32M</pre>
You need to restart MySQL server to apply the changes, and you can do it from the WHM panel or from a command line,.. the most common command line for linux servers is:

<pre class="wiki">/etc/init.s/mysql restart</pre>
These are the most critical configuration options. Other useful options should be enabled too - "key buffer size", "max heap table size", "tmp table size", "thread cache" are some of them. But the exact values varies from server to server. For example, for a dedicated or VPS server with 1Gb RAM and one cheetah site, these values maybe like this:

<pre class="wiki">[mysqld]

query_cache_limit = 1M
query_cache_size = 32M

key_buffer_size = 64M

max_heap_table_size = 256M
tmp_table_size = 256M

thread_cache = 128
</pre>
There is already a tool in phpMyAdmin which can help you with deciding what configuration values need to be changed. Go to phpMyAdmin and open the "Status" tab, look through this page and pay attention to red values. There is a comment near each value you can use as a guide in changing a particular MySQL option. During changing, remember that memory is always limited, so you need to increase the values adequately to your available RAM. Keep in mind that these values are collected during a period of time, so if you change some value it is better to wait at least 1 day until new data is collected for analysis. After MySQL is restarted, this data is collected from scratch.

This is an example of how many queries becomes cached after introducing "query cache":

[[File:modules/deano/cheetah_docs/uploads/images/hssr-mysql-2-queries-day.png]]

1 day is shown on the graph. In the beginning, cache was disabled, then cache was enabled - the pink zone shows SELECT queries which are taken from cache. So, the benefits are obvious !

-----

== PHP ==

-----

There are many setup options here, and there are advantages and disadvantages between all of them. So choose the most suitable scenario for your situation. PHP is a part of the webserver and it is difficult to describe PHP without the webserver or related to different webservers, so Apache is considered as the webserver in this section. Most common setups are described, but there are more complex setups that may be available.

=== mod_php (dso module) ===

This method is no longer supported. Hosting should be setup with PHP running as a PHP-FPM application.

=== CGI/suPHP ===

Although all of Cheetahs features should work using this setup. PHP-FPM is still recommended. PHP-FPM is now normally the default for most modern hosts providing Plesk or cPanel. You should not use this unless you have to.

PHP is working in CGI mode (suPHP is the same CGI with the exception that the php script is running under a particular user). Server API in phpinfo() looks like this in this setup:

[[File:modules/deano/cheetah_docs/uploads/images/hssr-php-2-cgi.jpg]]

This is the most inefficient setup. The webserver has to load the PHP interpreter each time, especially when small PHP files are executed - the time overhead can be up to 2500% (25x times slower). Even worse is if opcode cache extensions are not compatible with suPHP.

This is used on shared hosting to separate users from each other, so it is considered to be safe on a shared hosting environment. But when an attacker gets access to your server - access to all files is open, and any file can be modified/removed in any folder, so this maybe a more dangerous result in case of a hack attempt.

Advantages:

* all files are always handled under one owner, so you don't need to bother about file permissions
* PHP settings can be changed without a web-server reload

Disadvantages:

* slow
* opcode cache extensions are not supported
* insecure

Conclusion: it is better to switch to another setup if you have a VPS or dedicated server. If you are on shared hosting, try to ask them to move your account to another server with another setup. If you have no choice - try to lower the number of accesses to the webserver. You can do this by uninstalling the following modules in Cheetah (they make periodic lightweight requests to the web-server): messenger, simple messenger, spy and disable floating member menu. Or, at least increase the time between requests.

=== FPM/FastCGI ===

PHP is working as a separate server process. Server API in phpinfo() looks the same as in CGI/suPHP mode:

[[File:modules/deano/cheetah_docs/uploads/images/hssr-php-2-cgi.jpg]]

This setup is very flexible. There are different webserver modules which implement the FastCGI interface. Also, PHP has built-in support for this interface. In general this is the best setup which provides great flexibility and speed, but setting up can be a bit tricky. It can be run under any user, so it can be run under webserver user (nobody or apache, as usual) or under a specific user.

It maybe a complicated situation with opcode cache PHP extensions, if there are many processes under different users running. In this case, each user will have their own opcode cache - meaning more security from one side, but high memory usage from the other side.

Advantages:

* flexibility
* speed
* security (if properly configured)
* opcode cache extensions support
* enabled by default since PHP 5.3

Disadvantages:

* since there are a lot of ways to implement this setup, it may be difficult to tune it up for a specific situation.
* it may incur high memory usage with opcode cache extensions if there are several PHP processes under different users.

Conclusion: This is the best option in most situations. Just check how your site is functioning - maybe some things can be changed to increase speed and/or the security of your site.

=== Different PHP setups Benchmark ===

Tests were performed on the following environment:

* Hardware: Intel Pentium E2140 (1M Cache, 1.60 GHz, 800 MHz FSB), 1Gb RAM
* OS: Gentoo Linux
* Web-server: Apache 2.2
* PHP: 5.3.3
* Clean Cheetah.0.3 development version with default settings with all modules installed

Apache benchmark (ab) tool was used to measure performance:

<pre class="wiki">ab -c 50 -n 200 -C memberID=1 -C memberPassword=XXX http://local-domain/local/path/index.php</pre>
It means 200 requests with 50 concurrency requests and cookies are set to simulate a logged in user. Total test execution time was measured - so the biggest value means the slowest execution time.

The following pages were tested:

* phpinfo() - performance of single and simple php script file execution time.
* XML.php - performance of periodic requests, like checking for updates in Flash messenger, simple messenger, member menu notifications, spy updates.
* faq.php - performance of simple cheetah pages, page with one text block.
* index.php - performance of complex cheetah pages with many blocks from different modules, most complex and slowest page in Cheetah is tested

Finally the result:

[[modules/deano/cheetah_docs/uploads/images/hssr-benchmark.jpg|[[File:modules/deano/cheetah_docs/uploads/images/hssr-benchmark.jpg]]]]

Conclusion: suPHP/CGI is slowest possible setup. More important is that it is '''5x times slower''' for most frequent requests to XML.php and similar pages comparing to the fastest setup - FastCGI+eAccelerator or mod_php+eAccelerator. If you already have a mod_php or FastCGI setup you can easily install eAccelerator and get more than a 200% performance increase !

Also, from Cheetah.0.3 onward, there is built-in support for eAccelerator shared memory cache, so there is even more of a performance increase - not shown, because this test does not include this modification.

 
 

-----

== Web-server ==

-----

The Web-server is most critical part, and optimizing it can give the most performance increase and leverage server load. There are many tweaks to the web-server, but the most critical optimization will be described.

We will consider the recent version 2.2 of [http://www.apache.org/ Apache] as the most frequently used web-server nowadays, however most of the options should apply to Apache 2.0 too.

If you need to configure Nginx web-server for Cheetah then please refer to [[m/cheetah_docs/chapter/how-to-setup-cheetah-on-nginx|How to setup Cheetah on Nginx webserver]].

A new install of [https://www.cheetahwsb.com/ Cheetah] with all Cheetah modules is used as test environment. Internal Cheetah JS/CSS files compression was disabled to show how to do it using your web-server.

=== Preparation ===

I suggest installing [http://www.mozilla.com/ Firefox] browser + [http://getfirebug.com/ Firebug] extension for Firefox + [http://code.google.com/speed/page-speed/ Page Speed] extension for Firebug.

Page Speed is a great tool from Google which shows a lot of optimization advices for the website. We will use it to check if a a particular optimization trick is enabled and/or to check if changes were applied to the website.

Also Page Speed gives every site an overall score. We will watch this score too to see how it will be increased after basic, but the most critical optimization steps are completed. So, in the beginning or the score is '''64/100''':

[[modules/deano/cheetah_docs/uploads/images/wso-0-preparation.jpg|[[File:modules/deano/cheetah_docs/uploads/images/wso-0-preparation.jpg]]]]

'''Please note:''' your score maybe different, due to different server configuration and different content on the site.

=== Server side content compression ===

Despite the fact that Cheetah.0.3 has built-in compression of JS/CSS files, this is still critical optimization step, because internal Cheetah compression compresses only one combined JS cache file and one combined CSS cache file - these two files are where compression is most important and where most of the file size reduction is possible.

'''Please note:''' compression is disabled automatically if CSS/JS cache is turned off.

Let's see the Page Speed analysis for compression for the Cheetah homepage:

[[modules/deano/cheetah_docs/uploads/images/wso-1-compression.jpg|[[File:modules/deano/cheetah_docs/uploads/images/wso-1-compression.jpg]]]]

Half a megabyte size deduction is possible ! It is about 70 seconds of waiting on a fast 56k modem connection speed. It is already a good reduction for the two most critical files - CSS and JS cache files - 400 kb is possible by default from Cheetah.0.3 on, but more optimization is possible. You need to enable [http://httpd.apache.org/docs/2.2/mod/mod_deflate.html mod_deflate] for apache and tune it right (for Apache 1.3 mod_gzip do the same thing).

To check if '''mod_deflate''' is enabled on your web-server you can execute the following commands on your server:

<pre class="wiki">apachectl -t -D DUMP_MODULES</pre>
and see if the '''deflate_module''' is listed in the output. Also, you can try to check '''phpinfo''' (if you have no access to command line):

[[modules/deano/cheetah_docs/uploads/images/wso-1-compression-phpinfo.jpg|[[File:modules/deano/cheetah_docs/uploads/images/wso-1-compression-phpinfo.jpg]]]]

If this module is installed you can begin to configure it. If not - then you need root access to the server to enable it. It is better to ask your hosting support to enable it on your server. If you have cPanel WHM it can be enabled using the [http://www.cpanel.net/documentation/easyapache/ EasyApache] tool, but anyway it is better to perform this via your hosting support.

To configure '''mod_deflate''' you need access to the '''.htaccess''' file in your Cheetah root folder (root access is not necessary here). Insert the following code in your '''.htaccess''' file in the Cheetah root folder:

<pre class="wiki"> # Insert filter
SetOutputFilter DEFLATE

# Netscape 4.x has some problems...
BrowserMatch ^Mozilla/4 gzip-only-text/html
# Netscape 4.06-4.08 have some more problems
BrowserMatch ^Mozilla/4\.0[678] no-gzip
# MSIE masquerades as Netscape, but it is fine
BrowserMatch \bMSIE !no-gzip !gzip-only-text/html
# Don't compress images/archives/music/video/etc
SetEnvIfNoCase Request_URI \.(?:gif|jpe?g|png)$ no-gzip dont-vary
SetEnvIfNoCase Request_URI \.(?:exe|t?gz|zip|bz2|sit|rar)$ no-gzip dont-vary
SetEnvIfNoCase Request_URI \.(?:avi|mov|mp3|mp4|rm|flv|swf|mp?g)$ no-gzip dont-vary

# Make sure proxies don't deliver the wrong content
Header append Vary User-Agent env=!dont-vary

</pre>
It will enable compression for all files except some archives/movies/music/etc files.

After applying the above change, clear the browser cache and press "Analyze Performance" or "Refresh Analysis" button in Page Speed panel. The resulting score is '''71/100''' now, and the first, most important warnings go away:

[[modules/deano/cheetah_docs/uploads/images/wso-1-compression-result-score.jpg|[[File:modules/deano/cheetah_docs/uploads/images/wso-1-compression-result-score.jpg]]]]

=== User side caching for static content ===

This optimization permits static content to be cached in the user's browser, so the server will not be even asked for the most part of the site's content at all. It can save even more bandwidth and server resources in some cases. This type of optimization users "feel" more than all others. It can change a slow feeling site to lighting fast - without any other optimizations.

The following graph shows an example of introducing this type of optimization on one server:

[[modules/deano/cheetah_docs/uploads/images/wso-2-user-side-cache-graph.jpg|[[File:modules/deano/cheetah_docs/uploads/images/wso-2-user-side-cache-graph.jpg]]]]

Optimization was introduced in the beginning of August and you can see that the number of requests to the server reduced twice as much! This is not a Cheetah based site, but a Cheetah site can be even more optimized because there are more static resources in Cheetah than on this site. /p>

IIn Page Speed analysis this optimization comes next - "Leverage browser caching":

[[modules/deano/cheetah_docs/uploads/images/wso-2-user-side-cache-page-speed-before.jpg|[[File:modules/deano/cheetah_docs/uploads/images/wso-2-user-side-cache-page-speed-before.jpg]]]]

Not all files which can be cached in the browser are even listed, so there are a lot of them. This optimization is first on the screenshot because server side compression is already applied and is not shown.

To introduce this optimization for your site you need the [http://httpd.apache.org/docs/2.2/mod/mod_expires.html mod_expires] mod for Apache. You can check if this module already exists with the same command:

<pre class="wiki">apachectl -t -D DUMP_MODULES</pre>
and see if the '''expires_module''' is listed in the output. You can check '''phpinfo''' too the same way as in "Server side content compression".

After you make sure that the module is available you can add the following code to your '''.htaccess''' file in the Cheetah root folder:

<pre class="wiki"> # enable expirations
ExpiresActive On
# expire images/css/js/swf files after a month in the client's cache
ExpiresByType application/x-shockwave-flash "access plus 30 days"
ExpiresByType text/css "access plus 30 days"
ExpiresByType text/javascript "access plus 30 days"
ExpiresByType application/javascript "access plus 30 days"
ExpiresByType application/x-javascript "access plus 30 days"
ExpiresByType application/x-gzip "access plus 30 days"
ExpiresByType image/gif "access plus 30 days"
ExpiresByType image/jpeg "access plus 30 days"
ExpiresByType image/png "access plus 30 days"
ExpiresByType image/x-icon "access plus 30 days"
ExpiresByType image/vnd.microsoft.icon "access plus 30 days"
</pre>
It will cache all images/css/js/swf files for 1 month in user's the browser cache.

After applying the above change, clear the browser cache and press "Analyze Performance" or "Refresh Analysis" in Page Speed. The resulting score is '''76/100''' now, and the second most important warning goes away:

[[modules/deano/cheetah_docs/uploads/images/wso-2-user-side-cache-page-speed-after.jpg|[[File:modules/deano/cheetah_docs/uploads/images/wso-2-user-side-cache-page-speed-after.jpg]]]]

A common Cheetah page has about strong>200 Kb of static resources that can be cached in a user's browser. Most important is that the number of files is about '''60''' - a browser can not load all these files in parallel and has to load 2-3 files in parallel. This means that loading '''60''' files in a total size of '''200 Kb''' with '''2''' simultaneous loads usually take '''10-20''' seconds on a good DSL connection and '''45''' seconds on a good 56K modem connection.

=== Conclusion ===

After applying above web-server optimization tips your web-server will breath easier and most important is that your users will feel it even more!

The benefits shortlist:

* your users will load approximately 700 Kb less data on each page load
* your users will wait approximately 30 seconds on DSL (2 minutes modem connection) LESS each page load
* visible site response time will be much better
* users will surf more pages at the same time
* users will surf more pages in total - since they are loaded faster
* users bandwidth economy
* better and faster search engines crawling
* better positions in search engines
* server bandwidth economy
* less requests to the server
* server load will be decreased
* everyone will be happier :)

= IMPORTANT =

This guide is a work in progress. We will be adding more information as soon as we have new results and findings. Checking back once in a while is highly recommended.

While server setup is very important, we realize that there is a lot of optimization that can be done in Cheetah. We will continue working on every piece of code in Cheetah to make it the fastest and the most efficient CMS in world.

Hosting Server Setup Recommendations

2022-02-21T19:20:30Z

Admin: /* Before Starting */

= Hosting Server Setup Recommendations for Optimal Cheetah Performance =

Cheetah is a package of many scripts and it may perform very well only if the server is properly configured. Unfortunately, we have noticed that many server default setups are very inefficient, often leading to false assumptions about Cheetah performance. In some cases hosting providers terminate accounts due to heavy load, although traffic is insignificant. This document covers very basic recommendations on how to improve your site performance by slightly changing your server configuration. Our research shows that very poor and very good combinations of setups may lead to up to '''2500%''' (25x) difference in execution times of certain files.

These recommendations are for dedicated or VPS server owners, however if you are on shared hosting and notice that your server configuration is inefficient, you can ask your hosting support to change these settings on the server, so the whole server would run faster.

You will need root access to the server and also some skills on how to connect to the server using SSH terminal and must know some basic command line tools, like navigating through directories and editing files.

'''Remember, making the wrong changes can take your server "down". So, be careful, backup everything you can and research more if unsure.'''

''A fast and efficient server setup will lead to better page-load time, lower server resources consumption, smaller hosting bills, better search engine rankings and happier site visitors.''

== Before Starting ==

Always backup old data, so you can always return to the original configuration.

Before starting optimization, it is better to monitor your server performance before starting optimization and after, to see how things are changing, if it becomes better or worse. Try "[http://munin-monitoring.org/ Munin]" server monitor, available as a WHM plugin, which you can install from the WHM panel -> cPanel -> Manage Plugins -> click "Install and Keep Updated" near the Munin logo and press the "Save" button at the bottom of the page. After installing, a link to Munin appears in the "Plugins" section of your WHM panel. Allow up to 10 minutes until it generates pages with graphs for you.

-----

'''Table of contents:'''

* [[Hosting_Server_Setup_Recommendations#MySQL|MySQL]]
* [[Hosting_Server_Setup_Recommendations#PHP|PHP]]
* [[Hosting_Server_Setup_Recommendations#mod_phpdsomodule|mod_php (dso module)]]
* [[Hosting_Server_Setup_Recommendations#CGIsuPHP|CGI/suPHP]]
* [[m/cheetah_docs/chapter/hosting-server-setup-recommendations#FastCGI|FastCGI]]
* [[m/cheetah_docs/chapter/hosting-server-setup-recommendations#DifferentPHPsetupsBenchmark|Different PHP setups Benchmark]]
* [[m/cheetah_docs/chapter/hosting-server-setup-recommendations#Web-server|Web-server]]
* [[m/cheetah_docs/chapter/hosting-server-setup-recommendations#Preparation|Preparation]]
* [[m/cheetah_docs/chapter/hosting-server-setup-recommendations#Serversidecontentcompression|Server side content compression]]
* [[m/cheetah_docs/chapter/hosting-server-setup-recommendations#Usersidecachingforstaticcontent|User side caching for static content]]
* [[m/cheetah_docs/chapter/hosting-server-setup-recommendations#Conclusion|Conclusion]]

-----

== MySQL ==

-----

First you need to check if "query_cache" is enabled on your server. It was noticed that 80% of all SELECT queries are taken from "query_cache" when it is enabled, so if it is disabled on your server

* mysql performance is '''5''' times slower !

To check this, go to the phpMysqlAdmin tool (in most cases it is in your WHM panel -> SQL Services -> phpMyAdmin). Then click the "Variables" tab. The "query cache size" must be at least 16M, "query cache type" must be ON and "query cache limit" value should be around 1M. Example of a good configuration:

<blockquote>[[File:modules/deano/cheetah_docs/uploads/images/hssr-mysql-1-query-cache.jpg]]
</blockquote>
After you realized that you need to change these settings, you need to edit the "my.cnf" file on your server (in most cases it is in the "/etc" folder) and add the following lines in the "[mysqld]" section of the file. If the same configuration options already exist it is better to comment out old ones (with the hash # symbol ) and add new ones near them:

<pre class="wiki">[mysqld]
query_cache_limit = 1M
query_cache_size = 32M</pre>
You need to restart MySQL server to apply the changes, and you can do it from the WHM panel or from a command line,.. the most common command line for linux servers is:

<pre class="wiki">/etc/init.s/mysql restart</pre>
These are the most critical configuration options. Other useful options should be enabled too - "key buffer size", "max heap table size", "tmp table size", "thread cache" are some of them. But the exact values varies from server to server. For example, for a dedicated or VPS server with 1Gb RAM and one cheetah site, these values maybe like this:

<pre class="wiki">[mysqld]

query_cache_limit = 1M
query_cache_size = 32M

key_buffer_size = 64M

max_heap_table_size = 256M
tmp_table_size = 256M

thread_cache = 128
</pre>
There is already a tool in phpMyAdmin which can help you with deciding what configuration values need to be changed. Go to phpMyAdmin and open the "Status" tab, look through this page and pay attention to red values. There is a comment near each value you can use as a guide in changing a particular MySQL option. During changing, remember that memory is always limited, so you need to increase the values adequately to your available RAM. Keep in mind that these values are collected during a period of time, so if you change some value it is better to wait at least 1 day until new data is collected for analysis. After MySQL is restarted, this data is collected from scratch.

This is an example of how many queries becomes cached after introducing "query cache":

[[File:modules/deano/cheetah_docs/uploads/images/hssr-mysql-2-queries-day.png]]

1 day is shown on the graph. In the beginning, cache was disabled, then cache was enabled - the pink zone shows SELECT queries which are taken from cache. So, the benefits are obvious !

-----

== PHP ==

-----

There are many setup options here, and there are advantages and disadvantages between all of them. So choose the most suitable scenario for your situation. PHP is a part of the webserver and it is difficult to describe PHP without the webserver or related to different webservers, so Apache is considered as the webserver in this section. Most common setups are described, but there are more complex setups that may be available.

=== mod_php (dso module) ===

This method is no longer supported. Hosting should be setup with PHP running as a PHP-FPM application.

=== CGI/suPHP ===

Although all of Cheetahs features should work using this setup. PHP-FPM is still recommended. PHP-FPM is now normally the default for most modern hosts providing Plesk or cPanel. You should not use this unless you have to.

PHP is working in CGI mode (suPHP is the same CGI with the exception that the php script is running under a particular user). Server API in phpinfo() looks like this in this setup:

[[File:modules/deano/cheetah_docs/uploads/images/hssr-php-2-cgi.jpg]]

This is the most inefficient setup. The webserver has to load the PHP interpreter each time, especially when small PHP files are executed - the time overhead can be up to 2500% (25x times slower). Even worse is if opcode cache extensions are not compatible with suPHP.

This is used on shared hosting to separate users from each other, so it is considered to be safe on a shared hosting environment. But when an attacker gets access to your server - access to all files is open, and any file can be modified/removed in any folder, so this maybe a more dangerous result in case of a hack attempt.

Advantages:

* all files are always handled under one owner, so you don't need to bother about file permissions
* PHP settings can be changed without a web-server reload

Disadvantages:

* slow
* opcode cache extensions are not supported
* insecure

Conclusion: it is better to switch to another setup if you have a VPS or dedicated server. If you are on shared hosting, try to ask them to move your account to another server with another setup. If you have no choice - try to lower the number of accesses to the webserver. You can do this by uninstalling the following modules in Cheetah (they make periodic lightweight requests to the web-server): messenger, simple messenger, spy and disable floating member menu. Or, at least increase the time between requests.

=== FPM/FastCGI ===

PHP is working as a separate server process. Server API in phpinfo() looks the same as in CGI/suPHP mode:

[[File:modules/deano/cheetah_docs/uploads/images/hssr-php-2-cgi.jpg]]

This setup is very flexible. There are different webserver modules which implement the FastCGI interface. Also, PHP has built-in support for this interface. In general this is the best setup which provides great flexibility and speed, but setting up can be a bit tricky. It can be run under any user, so it can be run under webserver user (nobody or apache, as usual) or under a specific user.

It maybe a complicated situation with opcode cache PHP extensions, if there are many processes under different users running. In this case, each user will have their own opcode cache - meaning more security from one side, but high memory usage from the other side.

Advantages:

* flexibility
* speed
* security (if properly configured)
* opcode cache extensions support
* enabled by default since PHP 5.3

Disadvantages:

* since there are a lot of ways to implement this setup, it may be difficult to tune it up for a specific situation.
* it may incur high memory usage with opcode cache extensions if there are several PHP processes under different users.

Conclusion: This is the best option in most situations. Just check how your site is functioning - maybe some things can be changed to increase speed and/or the security of your site.

=== Different PHP setups Benchmark ===

Tests were performed on the following environment:

* Hardware: Intel Pentium E2140 (1M Cache, 1.60 GHz, 800 MHz FSB), 1Gb RAM
* OS: Gentoo Linux
* Web-server: Apache 2.2
* PHP: 5.3.3
* Clean Cheetah.0.3 development version with default settings with all modules installed

Apache benchmark (ab) tool was used to measure performance:

<pre class="wiki">ab -c 50 -n 200 -C memberID=1 -C memberPassword=XXX http://local-domain/local/path/index.php</pre>
It means 200 requests with 50 concurrency requests and cookies are set to simulate a logged in user. Total test execution time was measured - so the biggest value means the slowest execution time.

The following pages were tested:

* phpinfo() - performance of single and simple php script file execution time.
* XML.php - performance of periodic requests, like checking for updates in Flash messenger, simple messenger, member menu notifications, spy updates.
* faq.php - performance of simple cheetah pages, page with one text block.
* index.php - performance of complex cheetah pages with many blocks from different modules, most complex and slowest page in Cheetah is tested

Finally the result:

[[modules/deano/cheetah_docs/uploads/images/hssr-benchmark.jpg|[[File:modules/deano/cheetah_docs/uploads/images/hssr-benchmark.jpg]]]]

Conclusion: suPHP/CGI is slowest possible setup. More important is that it is '''5x times slower''' for most frequent requests to XML.php and similar pages comparing to the fastest setup - FastCGI+eAccelerator or mod_php+eAccelerator. If you already have a mod_php or FastCGI setup you can easily install eAccelerator and get more than a 200% performance increase !

Also, from Cheetah.0.3 onward, there is built-in support for eAccelerator shared memory cache, so there is even more of a performance increase - not shown, because this test does not include this modification.

 
 

-----

== Web-server ==

-----

The Web-server is most critical part, and optimizing it can give the most performance increase and leverage server load. There are many tweaks to the web-server, but the most critical optimization will be described.

We will consider the recent version 2.2 of [http://www.apache.org/ Apache] as the most frequently used web-server nowadays, however most of the options should apply to Apache 2.0 too.

If you need to configure Nginx web-server for Cheetah then please refer to [[m/cheetah_docs/chapter/how-to-setup-cheetah-on-nginx|How to setup Cheetah on Nginx webserver]].

A new install of [https://www.cheetahwsb.com/ Cheetah] with all Cheetah modules is used as test environment. Internal Cheetah JS/CSS files compression was disabled to show how to do it using your web-server.

=== Preparation ===

I suggest installing [http://www.mozilla.com/ Firefox] browser + [http://getfirebug.com/ Firebug] extension for Firefox + [http://code.google.com/speed/page-speed/ Page Speed] extension for Firebug.

Page Speed is a great tool from Google which shows a lot of optimization advices for the website. We will use it to check if a a particular optimization trick is enabled and/or to check if changes were applied to the website.

Also Page Speed gives every site an overall score. We will watch this score too to see how it will be increased after basic, but the most critical optimization steps are completed. So, in the beginning or the score is '''64/100''':

[[modules/deano/cheetah_docs/uploads/images/wso-0-preparation.jpg|[[File:modules/deano/cheetah_docs/uploads/images/wso-0-preparation.jpg]]]]

'''Please note:''' your score maybe different, due to different server configuration and different content on the site.

=== Server side content compression ===

Despite the fact that Cheetah.0.3 has built-in compression of JS/CSS files, this is still critical optimization step, because internal Cheetah compression compresses only one combined JS cache file and one combined CSS cache file - these two files are where compression is most important and where most of the file size reduction is possible.

'''Please note:''' compression is disabled automatically if CSS/JS cache is turned off.

Let's see the Page Speed analysis for compression for the Cheetah homepage:

[[modules/deano/cheetah_docs/uploads/images/wso-1-compression.jpg|[[File:modules/deano/cheetah_docs/uploads/images/wso-1-compression.jpg]]]]

Half a megabyte size deduction is possible ! It is about 70 seconds of waiting on a fast 56k modem connection speed. It is already a good reduction for the two most critical files - CSS and JS cache files - 400 kb is possible by default from Cheetah.0.3 on, but more optimization is possible. You need to enable [http://httpd.apache.org/docs/2.2/mod/mod_deflate.html mod_deflate] for apache and tune it right (for Apache 1.3 mod_gzip do the same thing).

To check if '''mod_deflate''' is enabled on your web-server you can execute the following commands on your server:

<pre class="wiki">apachectl -t -D DUMP_MODULES</pre>
and see if the '''deflate_module''' is listed in the output. Also, you can try to check '''phpinfo''' (if you have no access to command line):

[[modules/deano/cheetah_docs/uploads/images/wso-1-compression-phpinfo.jpg|[[File:modules/deano/cheetah_docs/uploads/images/wso-1-compression-phpinfo.jpg]]]]

If this module is installed you can begin to configure it. If not - then you need root access to the server to enable it. It is better to ask your hosting support to enable it on your server. If you have cPanel WHM it can be enabled using the [http://www.cpanel.net/documentation/easyapache/ EasyApache] tool, but anyway it is better to perform this via your hosting support.

To configure '''mod_deflate''' you need access to the '''.htaccess''' file in your Cheetah root folder (root access is not necessary here). Insert the following code in your '''.htaccess''' file in the Cheetah root folder:

<pre class="wiki"> # Insert filter
SetOutputFilter DEFLATE

# Netscape 4.x has some problems...
BrowserMatch ^Mozilla/4 gzip-only-text/html
# Netscape 4.06-4.08 have some more problems
BrowserMatch ^Mozilla/4\.0[678] no-gzip
# MSIE masquerades as Netscape, but it is fine
BrowserMatch \bMSIE !no-gzip !gzip-only-text/html
# Don't compress images/archives/music/video/etc
SetEnvIfNoCase Request_URI \.(?:gif|jpe?g|png)$ no-gzip dont-vary
SetEnvIfNoCase Request_URI \.(?:exe|t?gz|zip|bz2|sit|rar)$ no-gzip dont-vary
SetEnvIfNoCase Request_URI \.(?:avi|mov|mp3|mp4|rm|flv|swf|mp?g)$ no-gzip dont-vary

# Make sure proxies don't deliver the wrong content
Header append Vary User-Agent env=!dont-vary

</pre>
It will enable compression for all files except some archives/movies/music/etc files.

After applying the above change, clear the browser cache and press "Analyze Performance" or "Refresh Analysis" button in Page Speed panel. The resulting score is '''71/100''' now, and the first, most important warnings go away:

[[modules/deano/cheetah_docs/uploads/images/wso-1-compression-result-score.jpg|[[File:modules/deano/cheetah_docs/uploads/images/wso-1-compression-result-score.jpg]]]]

=== User side caching for static content ===

This optimization permits static content to be cached in the user's browser, so the server will not be even asked for the most part of the site's content at all. It can save even more bandwidth and server resources in some cases. This type of optimization users "feel" more than all others. It can change a slow feeling site to lighting fast - without any other optimizations.

The following graph shows an example of introducing this type of optimization on one server:

[[modules/deano/cheetah_docs/uploads/images/wso-2-user-side-cache-graph.jpg|[[File:modules/deano/cheetah_docs/uploads/images/wso-2-user-side-cache-graph.jpg]]]]

Optimization was introduced in the beginning of August and you can see that the number of requests to the server reduced twice as much! This is not a Cheetah based site, but a Cheetah site can be even more optimized because there are more static resources in Cheetah than on this site. /p>

IIn Page Speed analysis this optimization comes next - "Leverage browser caching":

[[modules/deano/cheetah_docs/uploads/images/wso-2-user-side-cache-page-speed-before.jpg|[[File:modules/deano/cheetah_docs/uploads/images/wso-2-user-side-cache-page-speed-before.jpg]]]]

Not all files which can be cached in the browser are even listed, so there are a lot of them. This optimization is first on the screenshot because server side compression is already applied and is not shown.

To introduce this optimization for your site you need the [http://httpd.apache.org/docs/2.2/mod/mod_expires.html mod_expires] mod for Apache. You can check if this module already exists with the same command:

<pre class="wiki">apachectl -t -D DUMP_MODULES</pre>
and see if the '''expires_module''' is listed in the output. You can check '''phpinfo''' too the same way as in "Server side content compression".

After you make sure that the module is available you can add the following code to your '''.htaccess''' file in the Cheetah root folder:

<pre class="wiki"> # enable expirations
ExpiresActive On
# expire images/css/js/swf files after a month in the client's cache
ExpiresByType application/x-shockwave-flash "access plus 30 days"
ExpiresByType text/css "access plus 30 days"
ExpiresByType text/javascript "access plus 30 days"
ExpiresByType application/javascript "access plus 30 days"
ExpiresByType application/x-javascript "access plus 30 days"
ExpiresByType application/x-gzip "access plus 30 days"
ExpiresByType image/gif "access plus 30 days"
ExpiresByType image/jpeg "access plus 30 days"
ExpiresByType image/png "access plus 30 days"
ExpiresByType image/x-icon "access plus 30 days"
ExpiresByType image/vnd.microsoft.icon "access plus 30 days"
</pre>
It will cache all images/css/js/swf files for 1 month in user's the browser cache.

After applying the above change, clear the browser cache and press "Analyze Performance" or "Refresh Analysis" in Page Speed. The resulting score is '''76/100''' now, and the second most important warning goes away:

[[modules/deano/cheetah_docs/uploads/images/wso-2-user-side-cache-page-speed-after.jpg|[[File:modules/deano/cheetah_docs/uploads/images/wso-2-user-side-cache-page-speed-after.jpg]]]]

A common Cheetah page has about strong>200 Kb of static resources that can be cached in a user's browser. Most important is that the number of files is about '''60''' - a browser can not load all these files in parallel and has to load 2-3 files in parallel. This means that loading '''60''' files in a total size of '''200 Kb''' with '''2''' simultaneous loads usually take '''10-20''' seconds on a good DSL connection and '''45''' seconds on a good 56K modem connection.

=== Conclusion ===

After applying above web-server optimization tips your web-server will breath easier and most important is that your users will feel it even more!

The benefits shortlist:

* your users will load approximately 700 Kb less data on each page load
* your users will wait approximately 30 seconds on DSL (2 minutes modem connection) LESS each page load
* visible site response time will be much better
* users will surf more pages at the same time
* users will surf more pages in total - since they are loaded faster
* users bandwidth economy
* better and faster search engines crawling
* better positions in search engines
* server bandwidth economy
* less requests to the server
* server load will be decreased
* everyone will be happier :)

= IMPORTANT =

This guide is a work in progress. We will be adding more information as soon as we have new results and findings. Checking back once in a while is highly recommended.

While server setup is very important, we realize that there is a lot of optimization that can be done in Cheetah. We will continue working on every piece of code in Cheetah to make it the fastest and the most efficient CMS in world.

Hosting Server Setup Recommendations

2022-02-21T19:19:41Z

Admin: /* Before Starting */

= Hosting Server Setup Recommendations for Optimal Cheetah Performance =

Cheetah is a package of many scripts and it may perform very well only if the server is properly configured. Unfortunately, we have noticed that many server default setups are very inefficient, often leading to false assumptions about Cheetah performance. In some cases hosting providers terminate accounts due to heavy load, although traffic is insignificant. This document covers very basic recommendations on how to improve your site performance by slightly changing your server configuration. Our research shows that very poor and very good combinations of setups may lead to up to '''2500%''' (25x) difference in execution times of certain files.

These recommendations are for dedicated or VPS server owners, however if you are on shared hosting and notice that your server configuration is inefficient, you can ask your hosting support to change these settings on the server, so the whole server would run faster.

You will need root access to the server and also some skills on how to connect to the server using SSH terminal and must know some basic command line tools, like navigating through directories and editing files.

'''Remember, making the wrong changes can take your server "down". So, be careful, backup everything you can and research more if unsure.'''

''A fast and efficient server setup will lead to better page-load time, lower server resources consumption, smaller hosting bills, better search engine rankings and happier site visitors.''

== Before Starting ==

Always backup old data, so you can always return to the original configuration.

Before starting optimization, it is better to monitor your server performance before starting optimization and after, to see how things are changing, if it becomes better or worse. Try "[http://munin-monitoring.org/ Munin]" server monitor, available as a WHM plugin, which you can install from the WHM panel -> cPanel -> Manage Plugins -> click "Install and Keep Updated" near the Munin logo and press the "Save" button at the bottom of the page. After installing, a link to Munin appears in the "Plugins" section of your WHM panel. Allow up to 10 minutes until it generates pages with graphs for you.

-----

'''Table of contents:'''

* [[Hosting_Server_Setup_Recommendations#MySQL|MySQL]]
* [[m/cheetah_docs/chapter/hosting-server-setup-recommendations#PHP|PHP]]
* [[m/cheetah_docs/chapter/hosting-server-setup-recommendations#mod_phpdsomodule|mod_php (dso module)]]
* [[m/cheetah_docs/chapter/hosting-server-setup-recommendations#CGIsuPHP|CGI/suPHP]]
* [[m/cheetah_docs/chapter/hosting-server-setup-recommendations#FastCGI|FastCGI]]
* [[m/cheetah_docs/chapter/hosting-server-setup-recommendations#DifferentPHPsetupsBenchmark|Different PHP setups Benchmark]]
* [[m/cheetah_docs/chapter/hosting-server-setup-recommendations#Web-server|Web-server]]
* [[m/cheetah_docs/chapter/hosting-server-setup-recommendations#Preparation|Preparation]]
* [[m/cheetah_docs/chapter/hosting-server-setup-recommendations#Serversidecontentcompression|Server side content compression]]
* [[m/cheetah_docs/chapter/hosting-server-setup-recommendations#Usersidecachingforstaticcontent|User side caching for static content]]
* [[m/cheetah_docs/chapter/hosting-server-setup-recommendations#Conclusion|Conclusion]]

-----

== MySQL ==

-----

First you need to check if "query_cache" is enabled on your server. It was noticed that 80% of all SELECT queries are taken from "query_cache" when it is enabled, so if it is disabled on your server

* mysql performance is '''5''' times slower !

To check this, go to the phpMysqlAdmin tool (in most cases it is in your WHM panel -> SQL Services -> phpMyAdmin). Then click the "Variables" tab. The "query cache size" must be at least 16M, "query cache type" must be ON and "query cache limit" value should be around 1M. Example of a good configuration:

<blockquote>[[File:modules/deano/cheetah_docs/uploads/images/hssr-mysql-1-query-cache.jpg]]
</blockquote>
After you realized that you need to change these settings, you need to edit the "my.cnf" file on your server (in most cases it is in the "/etc" folder) and add the following lines in the "[mysqld]" section of the file. If the same configuration options already exist it is better to comment out old ones (with the hash # symbol ) and add new ones near them:

<pre class="wiki">[mysqld]
query_cache_limit = 1M
query_cache_size = 32M</pre>
You need to restart MySQL server to apply the changes, and you can do it from the WHM panel or from a command line,.. the most common command line for linux servers is:

<pre class="wiki">/etc/init.s/mysql restart</pre>
These are the most critical configuration options. Other useful options should be enabled too - "key buffer size", "max heap table size", "tmp table size", "thread cache" are some of them. But the exact values varies from server to server. For example, for a dedicated or VPS server with 1Gb RAM and one cheetah site, these values maybe like this:

<pre class="wiki">[mysqld]

query_cache_limit = 1M
query_cache_size = 32M

key_buffer_size = 64M

max_heap_table_size = 256M
tmp_table_size = 256M

thread_cache = 128
</pre>
There is already a tool in phpMyAdmin which can help you with deciding what configuration values need to be changed. Go to phpMyAdmin and open the "Status" tab, look through this page and pay attention to red values. There is a comment near each value you can use as a guide in changing a particular MySQL option. During changing, remember that memory is always limited, so you need to increase the values adequately to your available RAM. Keep in mind that these values are collected during a period of time, so if you change some value it is better to wait at least 1 day until new data is collected for analysis. After MySQL is restarted, this data is collected from scratch.

This is an example of how many queries becomes cached after introducing "query cache":

[[File:modules/deano/cheetah_docs/uploads/images/hssr-mysql-2-queries-day.png]]

1 day is shown on the graph. In the beginning, cache was disabled, then cache was enabled - the pink zone shows SELECT queries which are taken from cache. So, the benefits are obvious !

-----

== PHP ==

-----

There are many setup options here, and there are advantages and disadvantages between all of them. So choose the most suitable scenario for your situation. PHP is a part of the webserver and it is difficult to describe PHP without the webserver or related to different webservers, so Apache is considered as the webserver in this section. Most common setups are described, but there are more complex setups that may be available.

=== mod_php (dso module) ===

This method is no longer supported. Hosting should be setup with PHP running as a PHP-FPM application.

=== CGI/suPHP ===

Although all of Cheetahs features should work using this setup. PHP-FPM is still recommended. PHP-FPM is now normally the default for most modern hosts providing Plesk or cPanel. You should not use this unless you have to.

PHP is working in CGI mode (suPHP is the same CGI with the exception that the php script is running under a particular user). Server API in phpinfo() looks like this in this setup:

[[File:modules/deano/cheetah_docs/uploads/images/hssr-php-2-cgi.jpg]]

This is the most inefficient setup. The webserver has to load the PHP interpreter each time, especially when small PHP files are executed - the time overhead can be up to 2500% (25x times slower). Even worse is if opcode cache extensions are not compatible with suPHP.

This is used on shared hosting to separate users from each other, so it is considered to be safe on a shared hosting environment. But when an attacker gets access to your server - access to all files is open, and any file can be modified/removed in any folder, so this maybe a more dangerous result in case of a hack attempt.

Advantages:

* all files are always handled under one owner, so you don't need to bother about file permissions
* PHP settings can be changed without a web-server reload

Disadvantages:

* slow
* opcode cache extensions are not supported
* insecure

Conclusion: it is better to switch to another setup if you have a VPS or dedicated server. If you are on shared hosting, try to ask them to move your account to another server with another setup. If you have no choice - try to lower the number of accesses to the webserver. You can do this by uninstalling the following modules in Cheetah (they make periodic lightweight requests to the web-server): messenger, simple messenger, spy and disable floating member menu. Or, at least increase the time between requests.

=== FPM/FastCGI ===

PHP is working as a separate server process. Server API in phpinfo() looks the same as in CGI/suPHP mode:

[[File:modules/deano/cheetah_docs/uploads/images/hssr-php-2-cgi.jpg]]

This setup is very flexible. There are different webserver modules which implement the FastCGI interface. Also, PHP has built-in support for this interface. In general this is the best setup which provides great flexibility and speed, but setting up can be a bit tricky. It can be run under any user, so it can be run under webserver user (nobody or apache, as usual) or under a specific user.

It maybe a complicated situation with opcode cache PHP extensions, if there are many processes under different users running. In this case, each user will have their own opcode cache - meaning more security from one side, but high memory usage from the other side.

Advantages:

* flexibility
* speed
* security (if properly configured)
* opcode cache extensions support
* enabled by default since PHP 5.3

Disadvantages:

* since there are a lot of ways to implement this setup, it may be difficult to tune it up for a specific situation.
* it may incur high memory usage with opcode cache extensions if there are several PHP processes under different users.

Conclusion: This is the best option in most situations. Just check how your site is functioning - maybe some things can be changed to increase speed and/or the security of your site.

=== Different PHP setups Benchmark ===

Tests were performed on the following environment:

* Hardware: Intel Pentium E2140 (1M Cache, 1.60 GHz, 800 MHz FSB), 1Gb RAM
* OS: Gentoo Linux
* Web-server: Apache 2.2
* PHP: 5.3.3
* Clean Cheetah.0.3 development version with default settings with all modules installed

Apache benchmark (ab) tool was used to measure performance:

<pre class="wiki">ab -c 50 -n 200 -C memberID=1 -C memberPassword=XXX http://local-domain/local/path/index.php</pre>
It means 200 requests with 50 concurrency requests and cookies are set to simulate a logged in user. Total test execution time was measured - so the biggest value means the slowest execution time.

The following pages were tested:

* phpinfo() - performance of single and simple php script file execution time.
* XML.php - performance of periodic requests, like checking for updates in Flash messenger, simple messenger, member menu notifications, spy updates.
* faq.php - performance of simple cheetah pages, page with one text block.
* index.php - performance of complex cheetah pages with many blocks from different modules, most complex and slowest page in Cheetah is tested

Finally the result:

[[modules/deano/cheetah_docs/uploads/images/hssr-benchmark.jpg|[[File:modules/deano/cheetah_docs/uploads/images/hssr-benchmark.jpg]]]]

Conclusion: suPHP/CGI is slowest possible setup. More important is that it is '''5x times slower''' for most frequent requests to XML.php and similar pages comparing to the fastest setup - FastCGI+eAccelerator or mod_php+eAccelerator. If you already have a mod_php or FastCGI setup you can easily install eAccelerator and get more than a 200% performance increase !

Also, from Cheetah.0.3 onward, there is built-in support for eAccelerator shared memory cache, so there is even more of a performance increase - not shown, because this test does not include this modification.

 
 

-----

== Web-server ==

-----

The Web-server is most critical part, and optimizing it can give the most performance increase and leverage server load. There are many tweaks to the web-server, but the most critical optimization will be described.

We will consider the recent version 2.2 of [http://www.apache.org/ Apache] as the most frequently used web-server nowadays, however most of the options should apply to Apache 2.0 too.

If you need to configure Nginx web-server for Cheetah then please refer to [[m/cheetah_docs/chapter/how-to-setup-cheetah-on-nginx|How to setup Cheetah on Nginx webserver]].

A new install of [https://www.cheetahwsb.com/ Cheetah] with all Cheetah modules is used as test environment. Internal Cheetah JS/CSS files compression was disabled to show how to do it using your web-server.

=== Preparation ===

I suggest installing [http://www.mozilla.com/ Firefox] browser + [http://getfirebug.com/ Firebug] extension for Firefox + [http://code.google.com/speed/page-speed/ Page Speed] extension for Firebug.

Page Speed is a great tool from Google which shows a lot of optimization advices for the website. We will use it to check if a a particular optimization trick is enabled and/or to check if changes were applied to the website.

Also Page Speed gives every site an overall score. We will watch this score too to see how it will be increased after basic, but the most critical optimization steps are completed. So, in the beginning or the score is '''64/100''':

[[modules/deano/cheetah_docs/uploads/images/wso-0-preparation.jpg|[[File:modules/deano/cheetah_docs/uploads/images/wso-0-preparation.jpg]]]]

'''Please note:''' your score maybe different, due to different server configuration and different content on the site.

=== Server side content compression ===

Despite the fact that Cheetah.0.3 has built-in compression of JS/CSS files, this is still critical optimization step, because internal Cheetah compression compresses only one combined JS cache file and one combined CSS cache file - these two files are where compression is most important and where most of the file size reduction is possible.

'''Please note:''' compression is disabled automatically if CSS/JS cache is turned off.

Let's see the Page Speed analysis for compression for the Cheetah homepage:

[[modules/deano/cheetah_docs/uploads/images/wso-1-compression.jpg|[[File:modules/deano/cheetah_docs/uploads/images/wso-1-compression.jpg]]]]

Half a megabyte size deduction is possible ! It is about 70 seconds of waiting on a fast 56k modem connection speed. It is already a good reduction for the two most critical files - CSS and JS cache files - 400 kb is possible by default from Cheetah.0.3 on, but more optimization is possible. You need to enable [http://httpd.apache.org/docs/2.2/mod/mod_deflate.html mod_deflate] for apache and tune it right (for Apache 1.3 mod_gzip do the same thing).

To check if '''mod_deflate''' is enabled on your web-server you can execute the following commands on your server:

<pre class="wiki">apachectl -t -D DUMP_MODULES</pre>
and see if the '''deflate_module''' is listed in the output. Also, you can try to check '''phpinfo''' (if you have no access to command line):

[[modules/deano/cheetah_docs/uploads/images/wso-1-compression-phpinfo.jpg|[[File:modules/deano/cheetah_docs/uploads/images/wso-1-compression-phpinfo.jpg]]]]

If this module is installed you can begin to configure it. If not - then you need root access to the server to enable it. It is better to ask your hosting support to enable it on your server. If you have cPanel WHM it can be enabled using the [http://www.cpanel.net/documentation/easyapache/ EasyApache] tool, but anyway it is better to perform this via your hosting support.

To configure '''mod_deflate''' you need access to the '''.htaccess''' file in your Cheetah root folder (root access is not necessary here). Insert the following code in your '''.htaccess''' file in the Cheetah root folder:

<pre class="wiki"> # Insert filter
SetOutputFilter DEFLATE

# Netscape 4.x has some problems...
BrowserMatch ^Mozilla/4 gzip-only-text/html
# Netscape 4.06-4.08 have some more problems
BrowserMatch ^Mozilla/4\.0[678] no-gzip
# MSIE masquerades as Netscape, but it is fine
BrowserMatch \bMSIE !no-gzip !gzip-only-text/html
# Don't compress images/archives/music/video/etc
SetEnvIfNoCase Request_URI \.(?:gif|jpe?g|png)$ no-gzip dont-vary
SetEnvIfNoCase Request_URI \.(?:exe|t?gz|zip|bz2|sit|rar)$ no-gzip dont-vary
SetEnvIfNoCase Request_URI \.(?:avi|mov|mp3|mp4|rm|flv|swf|mp?g)$ no-gzip dont-vary

# Make sure proxies don't deliver the wrong content
Header append Vary User-Agent env=!dont-vary

</pre>
It will enable compression for all files except some archives/movies/music/etc files.

After applying the above change, clear the browser cache and press "Analyze Performance" or "Refresh Analysis" button in Page Speed panel. The resulting score is '''71/100''' now, and the first, most important warnings go away:

[[modules/deano/cheetah_docs/uploads/images/wso-1-compression-result-score.jpg|[[File:modules/deano/cheetah_docs/uploads/images/wso-1-compression-result-score.jpg]]]]

=== User side caching for static content ===

This optimization permits static content to be cached in the user's browser, so the server will not be even asked for the most part of the site's content at all. It can save even more bandwidth and server resources in some cases. This type of optimization users "feel" more than all others. It can change a slow feeling site to lighting fast - without any other optimizations.

The following graph shows an example of introducing this type of optimization on one server:

[[modules/deano/cheetah_docs/uploads/images/wso-2-user-side-cache-graph.jpg|[[File:modules/deano/cheetah_docs/uploads/images/wso-2-user-side-cache-graph.jpg]]]]

Optimization was introduced in the beginning of August and you can see that the number of requests to the server reduced twice as much! This is not a Cheetah based site, but a Cheetah site can be even more optimized because there are more static resources in Cheetah than on this site. /p>

IIn Page Speed analysis this optimization comes next - "Leverage browser caching":

[[modules/deano/cheetah_docs/uploads/images/wso-2-user-side-cache-page-speed-before.jpg|[[File:modules/deano/cheetah_docs/uploads/images/wso-2-user-side-cache-page-speed-before.jpg]]]]

Not all files which can be cached in the browser are even listed, so there are a lot of them. This optimization is first on the screenshot because server side compression is already applied and is not shown.

To introduce this optimization for your site you need the [http://httpd.apache.org/docs/2.2/mod/mod_expires.html mod_expires] mod for Apache. You can check if this module already exists with the same command:

<pre class="wiki">apachectl -t -D DUMP_MODULES</pre>
and see if the '''expires_module''' is listed in the output. You can check '''phpinfo''' too the same way as in "Server side content compression".

After you make sure that the module is available you can add the following code to your '''.htaccess''' file in the Cheetah root folder:

<pre class="wiki"> # enable expirations
ExpiresActive On
# expire images/css/js/swf files after a month in the client's cache
ExpiresByType application/x-shockwave-flash "access plus 30 days"
ExpiresByType text/css "access plus 30 days"
ExpiresByType text/javascript "access plus 30 days"
ExpiresByType application/javascript "access plus 30 days"
ExpiresByType application/x-javascript "access plus 30 days"
ExpiresByType application/x-gzip "access plus 30 days"
ExpiresByType image/gif "access plus 30 days"
ExpiresByType image/jpeg "access plus 30 days"
ExpiresByType image/png "access plus 30 days"
ExpiresByType image/x-icon "access plus 30 days"
ExpiresByType image/vnd.microsoft.icon "access plus 30 days"
</pre>
It will cache all images/css/js/swf files for 1 month in user's the browser cache.

After applying the above change, clear the browser cache and press "Analyze Performance" or "Refresh Analysis" in Page Speed. The resulting score is '''76/100''' now, and the second most important warning goes away:

[[modules/deano/cheetah_docs/uploads/images/wso-2-user-side-cache-page-speed-after.jpg|[[File:modules/deano/cheetah_docs/uploads/images/wso-2-user-side-cache-page-speed-after.jpg]]]]

A common Cheetah page has about strong>200 Kb of static resources that can be cached in a user's browser. Most important is that the number of files is about '''60''' - a browser can not load all these files in parallel and has to load 2-3 files in parallel. This means that loading '''60''' files in a total size of '''200 Kb''' with '''2''' simultaneous loads usually take '''10-20''' seconds on a good DSL connection and '''45''' seconds on a good 56K modem connection.

=== Conclusion ===

After applying above web-server optimization tips your web-server will breath easier and most important is that your users will feel it even more!

The benefits shortlist:

* your users will load approximately 700 Kb less data on each page load
* your users will wait approximately 30 seconds on DSL (2 minutes modem connection) LESS each page load
* visible site response time will be much better
* users will surf more pages at the same time
* users will surf more pages in total - since they are loaded faster
* users bandwidth economy
* better and faster search engines crawling
* better positions in search engines
* server bandwidth economy
* less requests to the server
* server load will be decreased
* everyone will be happier :)

= IMPORTANT =

This guide is a work in progress. We will be adding more information as soon as we have new results and findings. Checking back once in a while is highly recommended.

While server setup is very important, we realize that there is a lot of optimization that can be done in Cheetah. We will continue working on every piece of code in Cheetah to make it the fastest and the most efficient CMS in world.

Introduction (Beginners Guide)

2022-02-21T19:15:50Z

Admin: /* Support */

= Beginner's Guide to Cheetah =

== What is Cheetah? ==

Cheetah is a large [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Felidae cat] of the subfamily [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Felinae Felinae] and a web-software platform that you can download and use to build your own niche social network, community site, online club or an interest-based social website. Cheetah is designed to be simple, easy to use and customize. One doesn't have to be a programmer or web-designer to operate a Cheetah-powered website. Some understanding of web-servers, web-development, site administration, etc, would be beneficial, however. 
 
Cheetah is an independent, self-hosted solution. This means that once you setup your site - you own it, you take care of it, you reap what you sow. This is a huge benefit, especially if you ever plan to turn your site into a profitable business, but this may imply certain level of involvement on your part. You need to update the software periodically, moderate content of your site regularly and pay for web-hosting. 
 
Cheetah comes packed with [[features|lots of modules and thousands of features]]. It is always a good idea to "activate" only those features that are absolutely needed for implementation of your idea. Turning everything on may result in a cluttered interface, increased server load and diluted focus of your site visitors. You can extend Cheetah functionality even further by using modules, plugins, templates and language packs from [https://www.cheetahwsb.com/m/market/ Cheetah Market]. 
 
Cheetah is an "open source" platform, which means that you can modify it to suit your specific needs. Any modification, however, may complicate future version upgrades, so think ahead. 
 

== Cheetah Market ==

[https://www.cheetahwsb.com/m/market/ Cheetah Market] is a community of independent developers, designers and other professionals offering Cheetah extensions for sale or for free download. Extensions include full modules, plugins, modifications, design templates, language packs, graphics packs, etc. Providers of products and services on Cheetah Market are called Vendors. Vendors are not affiliated with Cheetah and accept payments directly.

== Cheetah Forums ==

[https://www.cheetahwsb.com/forum/ Cheetah Forums] is the singe best place to learn more about Cheetah, connect with fellow web-masters and get inspired. As a "community venue" forums may have opinionated, incorrect or misleading material - so read more, ask more and make your own judgements. Forums is also also the best place to ask for technical and general support.

== Support ==

I am primarily focused on development, so i leave support up to the community. I expect web-masters to read documentation, ask questions at [https://www.cheetahwsb.com/forum/ Forums], find tech-savvy partners, hire developers, make their own mistakes and learn from them. We participate in [https://www.cheetahwsb.com/forum/ Forums], and maintain an open development repository where your can [https://github.com/CheetahWSB/Cheetah track development and bug fixing progress].

== Preparation ==

Once you have decided that you are ready to run your own Cheetah-based community site and decided on which web-hosting to use, you may proceed to the fun part - choosing a name for your site. It's a good idea to think about it before site installation, because you would need to have a registered domain name to register a license, order a hosting account and install Cheetah. (Advanced users may get away with an IP, but that's too much hassle). So, pick a name and register your own domain name (use [https://www.namecheap.com/ namecheap.com] or "domain registrar" of your choice). With domain name you can proceed to license registration, hosting account ordering and, finally, Cheetah installation.

== Getting A License ==

Cheetah can be used free of charge as a "trial" for unlimited period of time. Trial version is not feature-limited, but it requires display of Cheetah references, that are already built-in into Cheetah. You can buy a paid license to remove those links and present the site as 100% yours. Read more at [https://www.cheetahwsb.com/m/license_server/licenses/|Cheetah Licenses].

== Choosing Web Hosting ==

Cheetah is a web software, which means that it is meant to be installed on a web-server (a computer connected to Internet and serving web-site pages to remote visitors). It is possible to install Cheetah on your local computer and run your site "from home", but this is highly ineffective. In most cases, you would need to find a hosting provider. 
 
Not any hosting is OK. Make sure that the [[Cheetah System Requirements|Hosting Requirements]] are met by your hosting. Just copy and send these to the hosting pre-sale support before paying. We offer a list of [https://www.cheetahwsb.com/page/hosting Hosting Providers] for Cheetah.

== Cheetah Installation ==

There are a few ways to get Cheetah-based site "up and running". Perhaps the easiest way is to order hosting from one of our [https://www.cheetahwsb.com/page/hosting Hosting Providers] - they all know Cheetah very well and offer an easy "Cheetah auto-installation". In most cases you can get Cheetah pre-installed on your new hosting account or you can "auto-install" it in a matter of seconds. Hosting providers offer instructions and support for installing Cheetah. Note, that you still need to buy a license to remove Cheetah links. 
 
Alternatively, your may [https://www.cheetahwsb.com/page/downloads Download Trial Version] and install it yourself. This way you can use any "[[trac/cheetah/wiki/DolTech|compatible]]" hosting provider or [[Hosting Server Setup Recommendations|setup your own server]]. This is a bit more complicated, but may be a great learning experience! Once you have downloaded Cheetah, you can proceed to Installation. 
 
Installation, per se, is not complicated, and only takes about 15-20 minutes to complete. It is, however, very important to install Cheetah correctly and on the right hosting environment. Over 80% of all technical problems arise due to incorrect installation, so make sure to get it right and save yourself a lot of time. Follow [[Installing Cheetah|Cheetah Installation Guide]] carefully and attentively - this is the best investment you can make in your Cheetah web-master career! 
 
Once the installation is complete, you can login as a site admin and start playing! This is only the beginning - ahead you have customization, localization, modification and administration fun. Cheetah Admin Panel will meet you with a "Getting Started" guide to navigate you to what needs to be done first. Enjoy!

Introduction (Beginners Guide)

2022-02-21T19:15:00Z

Admin: /* Getting A License */

= Beginner's Guide to Cheetah =

== What is Cheetah? ==

Cheetah is a large [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Felidae cat] of the subfamily [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Felinae Felinae] and a web-software platform that you can download and use to build your own niche social network, community site, online club or an interest-based social website. Cheetah is designed to be simple, easy to use and customize. One doesn't have to be a programmer or web-designer to operate a Cheetah-powered website. Some understanding of web-servers, web-development, site administration, etc, would be beneficial, however. 
 
Cheetah is an independent, self-hosted solution. This means that once you setup your site - you own it, you take care of it, you reap what you sow. This is a huge benefit, especially if you ever plan to turn your site into a profitable business, but this may imply certain level of involvement on your part. You need to update the software periodically, moderate content of your site regularly and pay for web-hosting. 
 
Cheetah comes packed with [[features|lots of modules and thousands of features]]. It is always a good idea to "activate" only those features that are absolutely needed for implementation of your idea. Turning everything on may result in a cluttered interface, increased server load and diluted focus of your site visitors. You can extend Cheetah functionality even further by using modules, plugins, templates and language packs from [https://www.cheetahwsb.com/m/market/ Cheetah Market]. 
 
Cheetah is an "open source" platform, which means that you can modify it to suit your specific needs. Any modification, however, may complicate future version upgrades, so think ahead. 
 

== Cheetah Market ==

[https://www.cheetahwsb.com/m/market/ Cheetah Market] is a community of independent developers, designers and other professionals offering Cheetah extensions for sale or for free download. Extensions include full modules, plugins, modifications, design templates, language packs, graphics packs, etc. Providers of products and services on Cheetah Market are called Vendors. Vendors are not affiliated with Cheetah and accept payments directly.

== Cheetah Forums ==

[https://www.cheetahwsb.com/forum/ Cheetah Forums] is the singe best place to learn more about Cheetah, connect with fellow web-masters and get inspired. As a "community venue" forums may have opinionated, incorrect or misleading material - so read more, ask more and make your own judgements. Forums is also also the best place to ask for technical and general support.

== Support ==

I am primarily focused on development, so i leave support up to the community. I expect web-masters to read documentation, ask questions at [[forum/|Forums]], find tech-savvy partners, hire developers, make their own mistakes and learn from them. We participate in [https://www.cheetahwsb.com/forum/ Forums], and maintain an open development repository where your can [https://github.com/CheetahWSB/Cheetah track development and bug fixing progress].

== Preparation ==

Once you have decided that you are ready to run your own Cheetah-based community site and decided on which web-hosting to use, you may proceed to the fun part - choosing a name for your site. It's a good idea to think about it before site installation, because you would need to have a registered domain name to register a license, order a hosting account and install Cheetah. (Advanced users may get away with an IP, but that's too much hassle). So, pick a name and register your own domain name (use [https://www.namecheap.com/ namecheap.com] or "domain registrar" of your choice). With domain name you can proceed to license registration, hosting account ordering and, finally, Cheetah installation.

== Getting A License ==

Cheetah can be used free of charge as a "trial" for unlimited period of time. Trial version is not feature-limited, but it requires display of Cheetah references, that are already built-in into Cheetah. You can buy a paid license to remove those links and present the site as 100% yours. Read more at [https://www.cheetahwsb.com/m/license_server/licenses/|Cheetah Licenses].

== Choosing Web Hosting ==

Cheetah is a web software, which means that it is meant to be installed on a web-server (a computer connected to Internet and serving web-site pages to remote visitors). It is possible to install Cheetah on your local computer and run your site "from home", but this is highly ineffective. In most cases, you would need to find a hosting provider. 
 
Not any hosting is OK. Make sure that the [[Cheetah System Requirements|Hosting Requirements]] are met by your hosting. Just copy and send these to the hosting pre-sale support before paying. We offer a list of [https://www.cheetahwsb.com/page/hosting Hosting Providers] for Cheetah.

== Cheetah Installation ==

There are a few ways to get Cheetah-based site "up and running". Perhaps the easiest way is to order hosting from one of our [https://www.cheetahwsb.com/page/hosting Hosting Providers] - they all know Cheetah very well and offer an easy "Cheetah auto-installation". In most cases you can get Cheetah pre-installed on your new hosting account or you can "auto-install" it in a matter of seconds. Hosting providers offer instructions and support for installing Cheetah. Note, that you still need to buy a license to remove Cheetah links. 
 
Alternatively, your may [https://www.cheetahwsb.com/page/downloads Download Trial Version] and install it yourself. This way you can use any "[[trac/cheetah/wiki/DolTech|compatible]]" hosting provider or [[Hosting Server Setup Recommendations|setup your own server]]. This is a bit more complicated, but may be a great learning experience! Once you have downloaded Cheetah, you can proceed to Installation. 
 
Installation, per se, is not complicated, and only takes about 15-20 minutes to complete. It is, however, very important to install Cheetah correctly and on the right hosting environment. Over 80% of all technical problems arise due to incorrect installation, so make sure to get it right and save yourself a lot of time. Follow [[Installing Cheetah|Cheetah Installation Guide]] carefully and attentively - this is the best investment you can make in your Cheetah web-master career! 
 
Once the installation is complete, you can login as a site admin and start playing! This is only the beginning - ahead you have customization, localization, modification and administration fun. Cheetah Admin Panel will meet you with a "Getting Started" guide to navigate you to what needs to be done first. Enjoy!

Introduction (Beginners Guide)

2022-02-21T19:14:46Z

Admin: /* Getting A License */

= Beginner's Guide to Cheetah =

== What is Cheetah? ==

Cheetah is a large [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Felidae cat] of the subfamily [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Felinae Felinae] and a web-software platform that you can download and use to build your own niche social network, community site, online club or an interest-based social website. Cheetah is designed to be simple, easy to use and customize. One doesn't have to be a programmer or web-designer to operate a Cheetah-powered website. Some understanding of web-servers, web-development, site administration, etc, would be beneficial, however. 
 
Cheetah is an independent, self-hosted solution. This means that once you setup your site - you own it, you take care of it, you reap what you sow. This is a huge benefit, especially if you ever plan to turn your site into a profitable business, but this may imply certain level of involvement on your part. You need to update the software periodically, moderate content of your site regularly and pay for web-hosting. 
 
Cheetah comes packed with [[features|lots of modules and thousands of features]]. It is always a good idea to "activate" only those features that are absolutely needed for implementation of your idea. Turning everything on may result in a cluttered interface, increased server load and diluted focus of your site visitors. You can extend Cheetah functionality even further by using modules, plugins, templates and language packs from [https://www.cheetahwsb.com/m/market/ Cheetah Market]. 
 
Cheetah is an "open source" platform, which means that you can modify it to suit your specific needs. Any modification, however, may complicate future version upgrades, so think ahead. 
 

== Cheetah Market ==

[https://www.cheetahwsb.com/m/market/ Cheetah Market] is a community of independent developers, designers and other professionals offering Cheetah extensions for sale or for free download. Extensions include full modules, plugins, modifications, design templates, language packs, graphics packs, etc. Providers of products and services on Cheetah Market are called Vendors. Vendors are not affiliated with Cheetah and accept payments directly.

== Cheetah Forums ==

[https://www.cheetahwsb.com/forum/ Cheetah Forums] is the singe best place to learn more about Cheetah, connect with fellow web-masters and get inspired. As a "community venue" forums may have opinionated, incorrect or misleading material - so read more, ask more and make your own judgements. Forums is also also the best place to ask for technical and general support.

== Support ==

I am primarily focused on development, so i leave support up to the community. I expect web-masters to read documentation, ask questions at [[forum/|Forums]], find tech-savvy partners, hire developers, make their own mistakes and learn from them. We participate in [https://www.cheetahwsb.com/forum/ Forums], and maintain an open development repository where your can [https://github.com/CheetahWSB/Cheetah track development and bug fixing progress].

== Preparation ==

Once you have decided that you are ready to run your own Cheetah-based community site and decided on which web-hosting to use, you may proceed to the fun part - choosing a name for your site. It's a good idea to think about it before site installation, because you would need to have a registered domain name to register a license, order a hosting account and install Cheetah. (Advanced users may get away with an IP, but that's too much hassle). So, pick a name and register your own domain name (use [https://www.namecheap.com/ namecheap.com] or "domain registrar" of your choice). With domain name you can proceed to license registration, hosting account ordering and, finally, Cheetah installation.

== Getting A License ==

Cheetah can be used free of charge as a "trial" for unlimited period of time. Trial version is not feature-limited, but it requires display of Cheetah references, that are already built-in into Cheetah. You can buy a paid license to remove those links and present the site as 100% yours. Read more at [[https://www.cheetahwsb.com/m/license_server/licenses/|Cheetah Licenses]].

== Choosing Web Hosting ==

Cheetah is a web software, which means that it is meant to be installed on a web-server (a computer connected to Internet and serving web-site pages to remote visitors). It is possible to install Cheetah on your local computer and run your site "from home", but this is highly ineffective. In most cases, you would need to find a hosting provider. 
 
Not any hosting is OK. Make sure that the [[Cheetah System Requirements|Hosting Requirements]] are met by your hosting. Just copy and send these to the hosting pre-sale support before paying. We offer a list of [https://www.cheetahwsb.com/page/hosting Hosting Providers] for Cheetah.

== Cheetah Installation ==

There are a few ways to get Cheetah-based site "up and running". Perhaps the easiest way is to order hosting from one of our [https://www.cheetahwsb.com/page/hosting Hosting Providers] - they all know Cheetah very well and offer an easy "Cheetah auto-installation". In most cases you can get Cheetah pre-installed on your new hosting account or you can "auto-install" it in a matter of seconds. Hosting providers offer instructions and support for installing Cheetah. Note, that you still need to buy a license to remove Cheetah links. 
 
Alternatively, your may [https://www.cheetahwsb.com/page/downloads Download Trial Version] and install it yourself. This way you can use any "[[trac/cheetah/wiki/DolTech|compatible]]" hosting provider or [[Hosting Server Setup Recommendations|setup your own server]]. This is a bit more complicated, but may be a great learning experience! Once you have downloaded Cheetah, you can proceed to Installation. 
 
Installation, per se, is not complicated, and only takes about 15-20 minutes to complete. It is, however, very important to install Cheetah correctly and on the right hosting environment. Over 80% of all technical problems arise due to incorrect installation, so make sure to get it right and save yourself a lot of time. Follow [[Installing Cheetah|Cheetah Installation Guide]] carefully and attentively - this is the best investment you can make in your Cheetah web-master career! 
 
Once the installation is complete, you can login as a site admin and start playing! This is only the beginning - ahead you have customization, localization, modification and administration fun. Cheetah Admin Panel will meet you with a "Getting Started" guide to navigate you to what needs to be done first. Enjoy!

Introduction (Beginners Guide)

2022-02-21T19:14:21Z

Admin: /* Cheetah Installation */

= Beginner's Guide to Cheetah =

== What is Cheetah? ==

Cheetah is a large [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Felidae cat] of the subfamily [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Felinae Felinae] and a web-software platform that you can download and use to build your own niche social network, community site, online club or an interest-based social website. Cheetah is designed to be simple, easy to use and customize. One doesn't have to be a programmer or web-designer to operate a Cheetah-powered website. Some understanding of web-servers, web-development, site administration, etc, would be beneficial, however. 
 
Cheetah is an independent, self-hosted solution. This means that once you setup your site - you own it, you take care of it, you reap what you sow. This is a huge benefit, especially if you ever plan to turn your site into a profitable business, but this may imply certain level of involvement on your part. You need to update the software periodically, moderate content of your site regularly and pay for web-hosting. 
 
Cheetah comes packed with [[features|lots of modules and thousands of features]]. It is always a good idea to "activate" only those features that are absolutely needed for implementation of your idea. Turning everything on may result in a cluttered interface, increased server load and diluted focus of your site visitors. You can extend Cheetah functionality even further by using modules, plugins, templates and language packs from [https://www.cheetahwsb.com/m/market/ Cheetah Market]. 
 
Cheetah is an "open source" platform, which means that you can modify it to suit your specific needs. Any modification, however, may complicate future version upgrades, so think ahead. 
 

== Cheetah Market ==

[https://www.cheetahwsb.com/m/market/ Cheetah Market] is a community of independent developers, designers and other professionals offering Cheetah extensions for sale or for free download. Extensions include full modules, plugins, modifications, design templates, language packs, graphics packs, etc. Providers of products and services on Cheetah Market are called Vendors. Vendors are not affiliated with Cheetah and accept payments directly.

== Cheetah Forums ==

[https://www.cheetahwsb.com/forum/ Cheetah Forums] is the singe best place to learn more about Cheetah, connect with fellow web-masters and get inspired. As a "community venue" forums may have opinionated, incorrect or misleading material - so read more, ask more and make your own judgements. Forums is also also the best place to ask for technical and general support.

== Support ==

I am primarily focused on development, so i leave support up to the community. I expect web-masters to read documentation, ask questions at [[forum/|Forums]], find tech-savvy partners, hire developers, make their own mistakes and learn from them. We participate in [https://www.cheetahwsb.com/forum/ Forums], and maintain an open development repository where your can [https://github.com/CheetahWSB/Cheetah track development and bug fixing progress].

== Preparation ==

Once you have decided that you are ready to run your own Cheetah-based community site and decided on which web-hosting to use, you may proceed to the fun part - choosing a name for your site. It's a good idea to think about it before site installation, because you would need to have a registered domain name to register a license, order a hosting account and install Cheetah. (Advanced users may get away with an IP, but that's too much hassle). So, pick a name and register your own domain name (use [https://www.namecheap.com/ namecheap.com] or "domain registrar" of your choice). With domain name you can proceed to license registration, hosting account ordering and, finally, Cheetah installation.

== Getting A License ==

Cheetah can be used free of charge as a "trial" for unlimited period of time. Trial version is not feature-limited, but it requires display of Cheetah references, that are already built-in into Cheetah. You can buy a paid license to remove those links and present the site as 100% yours. Read more at [[m/license_server/licenses/|Cheetah Licenses]].

== Choosing Web Hosting ==

Cheetah is a web software, which means that it is meant to be installed on a web-server (a computer connected to Internet and serving web-site pages to remote visitors). It is possible to install Cheetah on your local computer and run your site "from home", but this is highly ineffective. In most cases, you would need to find a hosting provider. 
 
Not any hosting is OK. Make sure that the [[Cheetah System Requirements|Hosting Requirements]] are met by your hosting. Just copy and send these to the hosting pre-sale support before paying. We offer a list of [https://www.cheetahwsb.com/page/hosting Hosting Providers] for Cheetah.

== Cheetah Installation ==

There are a few ways to get Cheetah-based site "up and running". Perhaps the easiest way is to order hosting from one of our [https://www.cheetahwsb.com/page/hosting Hosting Providers] - they all know Cheetah very well and offer an easy "Cheetah auto-installation". In most cases you can get Cheetah pre-installed on your new hosting account or you can "auto-install" it in a matter of seconds. Hosting providers offer instructions and support for installing Cheetah. Note, that you still need to buy a license to remove Cheetah links. 
 
Alternatively, your may [https://www.cheetahwsb.com/page/downloads Download Trial Version] and install it yourself. This way you can use any "[[trac/cheetah/wiki/DolTech|compatible]]" hosting provider or [[Hosting Server Setup Recommendations|setup your own server]]. This is a bit more complicated, but may be a great learning experience! Once you have downloaded Cheetah, you can proceed to Installation. 
 
Installation, per se, is not complicated, and only takes about 15-20 minutes to complete. It is, however, very important to install Cheetah correctly and on the right hosting environment. Over 80% of all technical problems arise due to incorrect installation, so make sure to get it right and save yourself a lot of time. Follow [[Installing Cheetah|Cheetah Installation Guide]] carefully and attentively - this is the best investment you can make in your Cheetah web-master career! 
 
Once the installation is complete, you can login as a site admin and start playing! This is only the beginning - ahead you have customization, localization, modification and administration fun. Cheetah Admin Panel will meet you with a "Getting Started" guide to navigate you to what needs to be done first. Enjoy!

Introduction (Beginners Guide)

2022-02-21T19:13:34Z

Admin: /* Cheetah Installation */

= Beginner's Guide to Cheetah =

== What is Cheetah? ==

Cheetah is a large [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Felidae cat] of the subfamily [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Felinae Felinae] and a web-software platform that you can download and use to build your own niche social network, community site, online club or an interest-based social website. Cheetah is designed to be simple, easy to use and customize. One doesn't have to be a programmer or web-designer to operate a Cheetah-powered website. Some understanding of web-servers, web-development, site administration, etc, would be beneficial, however. 
 
Cheetah is an independent, self-hosted solution. This means that once you setup your site - you own it, you take care of it, you reap what you sow. This is a huge benefit, especially if you ever plan to turn your site into a profitable business, but this may imply certain level of involvement on your part. You need to update the software periodically, moderate content of your site regularly and pay for web-hosting. 
 
Cheetah comes packed with [[features|lots of modules and thousands of features]]. It is always a good idea to "activate" only those features that are absolutely needed for implementation of your idea. Turning everything on may result in a cluttered interface, increased server load and diluted focus of your site visitors. You can extend Cheetah functionality even further by using modules, plugins, templates and language packs from [https://www.cheetahwsb.com/m/market/ Cheetah Market]. 
 
Cheetah is an "open source" platform, which means that you can modify it to suit your specific needs. Any modification, however, may complicate future version upgrades, so think ahead. 
 

== Cheetah Market ==

[https://www.cheetahwsb.com/m/market/ Cheetah Market] is a community of independent developers, designers and other professionals offering Cheetah extensions for sale or for free download. Extensions include full modules, plugins, modifications, design templates, language packs, graphics packs, etc. Providers of products and services on Cheetah Market are called Vendors. Vendors are not affiliated with Cheetah and accept payments directly.

== Cheetah Forums ==

[https://www.cheetahwsb.com/forum/ Cheetah Forums] is the singe best place to learn more about Cheetah, connect with fellow web-masters and get inspired. As a "community venue" forums may have opinionated, incorrect or misleading material - so read more, ask more and make your own judgements. Forums is also also the best place to ask for technical and general support.

== Support ==

I am primarily focused on development, so i leave support up to the community. I expect web-masters to read documentation, ask questions at [[forum/|Forums]], find tech-savvy partners, hire developers, make their own mistakes and learn from them. We participate in [https://www.cheetahwsb.com/forum/ Forums], and maintain an open development repository where your can [https://github.com/CheetahWSB/Cheetah track development and bug fixing progress].

== Preparation ==

Once you have decided that you are ready to run your own Cheetah-based community site and decided on which web-hosting to use, you may proceed to the fun part - choosing a name for your site. It's a good idea to think about it before site installation, because you would need to have a registered domain name to register a license, order a hosting account and install Cheetah. (Advanced users may get away with an IP, but that's too much hassle). So, pick a name and register your own domain name (use [https://www.namecheap.com/ namecheap.com] or "domain registrar" of your choice). With domain name you can proceed to license registration, hosting account ordering and, finally, Cheetah installation.

== Getting A License ==

Cheetah can be used free of charge as a "trial" for unlimited period of time. Trial version is not feature-limited, but it requires display of Cheetah references, that are already built-in into Cheetah. You can buy a paid license to remove those links and present the site as 100% yours. Read more at [[m/license_server/licenses/|Cheetah Licenses]].

== Choosing Web Hosting ==

Cheetah is a web software, which means that it is meant to be installed on a web-server (a computer connected to Internet and serving web-site pages to remote visitors). It is possible to install Cheetah on your local computer and run your site "from home", but this is highly ineffective. In most cases, you would need to find a hosting provider. 
 
Not any hosting is OK. Make sure that the [[Cheetah System Requirements|Hosting Requirements]] are met by your hosting. Just copy and send these to the hosting pre-sale support before paying. We offer a list of [https://www.cheetahwsb.com/page/hosting Hosting Providers] for Cheetah.

== Cheetah Installation ==

There are a few ways to get Cheetah-based site "up and running". Perhaps the easiest way is to order hosting from one of our [https://www.cheetahwsb.com/page/hosting Hosting Providers] - they all know Cheetah very well and offer an easy "Cheetah auto-installation". In most cases you can get Cheetah pre-installed on your new hosting account or you can "auto-install" it in a matter of seconds. Hosting providers offer instructions and support for installing Cheetah. Note, that you still need to buy a license to remove Cheetah links. 
 
Alternatively, your may [https://www.cheetahwsb.com/page/downloads Download Trial Version] and install it yourself. This way you can use any "[[trac/cheetah/wiki/DolTech|compatible]]" hosting provider or [[Hosting Server Setup Recommendations|setup your own server]]. This is a bit more complicated, but may be a great learning experience! Once you have downloaded Cheetah, you can proceed to Installation. 
 
Installation, per se, is not complicated, and only takes about 15-20 minutes to complete. It is, however, very important to install Cheetah correctly and on the right hosting environment. Over 80% of all technical problems arise due to incorrect installation, so make sure to get it right and save yourself a lot of time. Follow [[trac/cheetah/wiki/DetailedInstall|Cheetah Installation Guide]] carefully and attentively - this is the best investment you can make in your Cheetah web-master career! 
 
Once the installation is complete, you can login as a site admin and start playing! This is only the beginning - ahead you have customization, localization, modification and administration fun. Cheetah Admin Panel will meet you with a "Getting Started" guide to navigate you to what needs to be done first. Enjoy!

Introduction (Beginners Guide)

2022-02-21T19:12:50Z

Admin: /* Cheetah Installation */

= Beginner's Guide to Cheetah =

== What is Cheetah? ==

Cheetah is a large [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Felidae cat] of the subfamily [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Felinae Felinae] and a web-software platform that you can download and use to build your own niche social network, community site, online club or an interest-based social website. Cheetah is designed to be simple, easy to use and customize. One doesn't have to be a programmer or web-designer to operate a Cheetah-powered website. Some understanding of web-servers, web-development, site administration, etc, would be beneficial, however. 
 
Cheetah is an independent, self-hosted solution. This means that once you setup your site - you own it, you take care of it, you reap what you sow. This is a huge benefit, especially if you ever plan to turn your site into a profitable business, but this may imply certain level of involvement on your part. You need to update the software periodically, moderate content of your site regularly and pay for web-hosting. 
 
Cheetah comes packed with [[features|lots of modules and thousands of features]]. It is always a good idea to "activate" only those features that are absolutely needed for implementation of your idea. Turning everything on may result in a cluttered interface, increased server load and diluted focus of your site visitors. You can extend Cheetah functionality even further by using modules, plugins, templates and language packs from [https://www.cheetahwsb.com/m/market/ Cheetah Market]. 
 
Cheetah is an "open source" platform, which means that you can modify it to suit your specific needs. Any modification, however, may complicate future version upgrades, so think ahead. 
 

== Cheetah Market ==

[https://www.cheetahwsb.com/m/market/ Cheetah Market] is a community of independent developers, designers and other professionals offering Cheetah extensions for sale or for free download. Extensions include full modules, plugins, modifications, design templates, language packs, graphics packs, etc. Providers of products and services on Cheetah Market are called Vendors. Vendors are not affiliated with Cheetah and accept payments directly.

== Cheetah Forums ==

[https://www.cheetahwsb.com/forum/ Cheetah Forums] is the singe best place to learn more about Cheetah, connect with fellow web-masters and get inspired. As a "community venue" forums may have opinionated, incorrect or misleading material - so read more, ask more and make your own judgements. Forums is also also the best place to ask for technical and general support.

== Support ==

I am primarily focused on development, so i leave support up to the community. I expect web-masters to read documentation, ask questions at [[forum/|Forums]], find tech-savvy partners, hire developers, make their own mistakes and learn from them. We participate in [https://www.cheetahwsb.com/forum/ Forums], and maintain an open development repository where your can [https://github.com/CheetahWSB/Cheetah track development and bug fixing progress].

== Preparation ==

Once you have decided that you are ready to run your own Cheetah-based community site and decided on which web-hosting to use, you may proceed to the fun part - choosing a name for your site. It's a good idea to think about it before site installation, because you would need to have a registered domain name to register a license, order a hosting account and install Cheetah. (Advanced users may get away with an IP, but that's too much hassle). So, pick a name and register your own domain name (use [https://www.namecheap.com/ namecheap.com] or "domain registrar" of your choice). With domain name you can proceed to license registration, hosting account ordering and, finally, Cheetah installation.

== Getting A License ==

Cheetah can be used free of charge as a "trial" for unlimited period of time. Trial version is not feature-limited, but it requires display of Cheetah references, that are already built-in into Cheetah. You can buy a paid license to remove those links and present the site as 100% yours. Read more at [[m/license_server/licenses/|Cheetah Licenses]].

== Choosing Web Hosting ==

Cheetah is a web software, which means that it is meant to be installed on a web-server (a computer connected to Internet and serving web-site pages to remote visitors). It is possible to install Cheetah on your local computer and run your site "from home", but this is highly ineffective. In most cases, you would need to find a hosting provider. 
 
Not any hosting is OK. Make sure that the [[Cheetah System Requirements|Hosting Requirements]] are met by your hosting. Just copy and send these to the hosting pre-sale support before paying. We offer a list of [https://www.cheetahwsb.com/page/hosting Hosting Providers] for Cheetah.

== Cheetah Installation ==

There are a few ways to get Cheetah-based site "up and running". Perhaps the easiest way is to order hosting from one of our [https://www.cheetahwsb.com/page/hosting Hosting Providers] - they all know Cheetah very well and offer an easy "Cheetah auto-installation". In most cases you can get Cheetah pre-installed on your new hosting account or you can "auto-install" it in a matter of seconds. Hosting providers offer instructions and support for installing Cheetah. Note, that you still need to buy a license to remove Cheetah links. 
 
Alternatively, your may [[paymentprovider/payment#download|Download Trial Version]] and install it yourself. This way you can use any "[[trac/cheetah/wiki/DolTech|compatible]]" hosting provider or [[Hosting Server Setup Recommendations|setup your own server]]. This is a bit more complicated, but may be a great learning experience! Once you have downloaded Cheetah, you can proceed to Installation. 
 
Installation, per se, is not complicated, and only takes about 15-20 minutes to complete. It is, however, very important to install Cheetah correctly and on the right hosting environment. Over 80% of all technical problems arise due to incorrect installation, so make sure to get it right and save yourself a lot of time. Follow [[trac/cheetah/wiki/DetailedInstall|Cheetah Installation Guide]] carefully and attentively - this is the best investment you can make in your Cheetah web-master career! 
 
Once the installation is complete, you can login as a site admin and start playing! This is only the beginning - ahead you have customization, localization, modification and administration fun. Cheetah Admin Panel will meet you with a "Getting Started" guide to navigate you to what needs to be done first. Enjoy!

Introduction (Beginners Guide)

2022-02-21T19:10:46Z

Admin: /* Support */

= Beginner's Guide to Cheetah =

== What is Cheetah? ==

Cheetah is a large [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Felidae cat] of the subfamily [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Felinae Felinae] and a web-software platform that you can download and use to build your own niche social network, community site, online club or an interest-based social website. Cheetah is designed to be simple, easy to use and customize. One doesn't have to be a programmer or web-designer to operate a Cheetah-powered website. Some understanding of web-servers, web-development, site administration, etc, would be beneficial, however. 
 
Cheetah is an independent, self-hosted solution. This means that once you setup your site - you own it, you take care of it, you reap what you sow. This is a huge benefit, especially if you ever plan to turn your site into a profitable business, but this may imply certain level of involvement on your part. You need to update the software periodically, moderate content of your site regularly and pay for web-hosting. 
 
Cheetah comes packed with [[features|lots of modules and thousands of features]]. It is always a good idea to "activate" only those features that are absolutely needed for implementation of your idea. Turning everything on may result in a cluttered interface, increased server load and diluted focus of your site visitors. You can extend Cheetah functionality even further by using modules, plugins, templates and language packs from [https://www.cheetahwsb.com/m/market/ Cheetah Market]. 
 
Cheetah is an "open source" platform, which means that you can modify it to suit your specific needs. Any modification, however, may complicate future version upgrades, so think ahead. 
 

== Cheetah Market ==

[https://www.cheetahwsb.com/m/market/ Cheetah Market] is a community of independent developers, designers and other professionals offering Cheetah extensions for sale or for free download. Extensions include full modules, plugins, modifications, design templates, language packs, graphics packs, etc. Providers of products and services on Cheetah Market are called Vendors. Vendors are not affiliated with Cheetah and accept payments directly.

== Cheetah Forums ==

[https://www.cheetahwsb.com/forum/ Cheetah Forums] is the singe best place to learn more about Cheetah, connect with fellow web-masters and get inspired. As a "community venue" forums may have opinionated, incorrect or misleading material - so read more, ask more and make your own judgements. Forums is also also the best place to ask for technical and general support.

== Support ==

I am primarily focused on development, so i leave support up to the community. I expect web-masters to read documentation, ask questions at [[forum/|Forums]], find tech-savvy partners, hire developers, make their own mistakes and learn from them. We participate in [https://www.cheetahwsb.com/forum/ Forums], and maintain an open development repository where your can [https://github.com/CheetahWSB/Cheetah track development and bug fixing progress].

== Preparation ==

Once you have decided that you are ready to run your own Cheetah-based community site and decided on which web-hosting to use, you may proceed to the fun part - choosing a name for your site. It's a good idea to think about it before site installation, because you would need to have a registered domain name to register a license, order a hosting account and install Cheetah. (Advanced users may get away with an IP, but that's too much hassle). So, pick a name and register your own domain name (use [https://www.namecheap.com/ namecheap.com] or "domain registrar" of your choice). With domain name you can proceed to license registration, hosting account ordering and, finally, Cheetah installation.

== Getting A License ==

Cheetah can be used free of charge as a "trial" for unlimited period of time. Trial version is not feature-limited, but it requires display of Cheetah references, that are already built-in into Cheetah. You can buy a paid license to remove those links and present the site as 100% yours. Read more at [[m/license_server/licenses/|Cheetah Licenses]].

== Choosing Web Hosting ==

Cheetah is a web software, which means that it is meant to be installed on a web-server (a computer connected to Internet and serving web-site pages to remote visitors). It is possible to install Cheetah on your local computer and run your site "from home", but this is highly ineffective. In most cases, you would need to find a hosting provider. 
 
Not any hosting is OK. Make sure that the [[Cheetah System Requirements|Hosting Requirements]] are met by your hosting. Just copy and send these to the hosting pre-sale support before paying. We offer a list of [https://www.cheetahwsb.com/page/hosting Hosting Providers] for Cheetah.

== Cheetah Installation ==

There are a few ways to get Cheetah-based site "up and running". Perhaps the easiest way is to order hosting from one of our [https://www.cheetahwsb.com/page/hosting Hosting Providers] - they all know Cheetah very well and offer an easy "Cheetah auto-installation". In most cases you can get Cheetah pre-installed on your new hosting account or you can "auto-install" it in a matter of seconds. Hosting providers offer instructions and support for installing Cheetah. Note, that you still need to buy a license to remove Cheetah links. 
 
Alternatively, your may [[paymentprovider/payment#download|Download Trial Version]] and install it yourself. This way you can use any "[[trac/cheetah/wiki/DolTech|compatible]]" hosting provider or [[trac/cheetah/wiki/HostingServerSetupRecommendations|setup your own server]]. This is a bit more complicated, but may be a great learning experience! Once you have downloaded Cheetah, you can proceed to Installation. 
 
Installation, per se, is not complicated, and only takes about 15-20 minutes to complete. It is, however, very important to install Cheetah correctly and on the right hosting environment. Over 80% of all technical problems arise due to incorrect installation, so make sure to get it right and save yourself a lot of time. Follow [[trac/cheetah/wiki/DetailedInstall|Cheetah Installation Guide]] carefully and attentively - this is the best investment you can make in your Cheetah web-master career! 
 
Once the installation is complete, you can login as a site admin and start playing! This is only the beginning - ahead you have customization, localization, modification and administration fun. Cheetah Admin Panel will meet you with a "Getting Started" guide to navigate you to what needs to be done first. Enjoy!

Introduction (Beginners Guide)

2022-02-21T19:10:22Z

Admin: /* Cheetah Forums */

= Beginner's Guide to Cheetah =

== What is Cheetah? ==

Cheetah is a large [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Felidae cat] of the subfamily [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Felinae Felinae] and a web-software platform that you can download and use to build your own niche social network, community site, online club or an interest-based social website. Cheetah is designed to be simple, easy to use and customize. One doesn't have to be a programmer or web-designer to operate a Cheetah-powered website. Some understanding of web-servers, web-development, site administration, etc, would be beneficial, however. 
 
Cheetah is an independent, self-hosted solution. This means that once you setup your site - you own it, you take care of it, you reap what you sow. This is a huge benefit, especially if you ever plan to turn your site into a profitable business, but this may imply certain level of involvement on your part. You need to update the software periodically, moderate content of your site regularly and pay for web-hosting. 
 
Cheetah comes packed with [[features|lots of modules and thousands of features]]. It is always a good idea to "activate" only those features that are absolutely needed for implementation of your idea. Turning everything on may result in a cluttered interface, increased server load and diluted focus of your site visitors. You can extend Cheetah functionality even further by using modules, plugins, templates and language packs from [https://www.cheetahwsb.com/m/market/ Cheetah Market]. 
 
Cheetah is an "open source" platform, which means that you can modify it to suit your specific needs. Any modification, however, may complicate future version upgrades, so think ahead. 
 

== Cheetah Market ==

[https://www.cheetahwsb.com/m/market/ Cheetah Market] is a community of independent developers, designers and other professionals offering Cheetah extensions for sale or for free download. Extensions include full modules, plugins, modifications, design templates, language packs, graphics packs, etc. Providers of products and services on Cheetah Market are called Vendors. Vendors are not affiliated with Cheetah and accept payments directly.

== Cheetah Forums ==

[https://www.cheetahwsb.com/forum/ Cheetah Forums] is the singe best place to learn more about Cheetah, connect with fellow web-masters and get inspired. As a "community venue" forums may have opinionated, incorrect or misleading material - so read more, ask more and make your own judgements. Forums is also also the best place to ask for technical and general support.

== Support ==

I am primarily focused on development, so i leave support up to the community. I expect web-masters to read documentation, ask questions at [[forum/|Forums]], find tech-savvy partners, hire developers, make their own mistakes and learn from them. We participate in [[forum/|Forums]], and maintain an open development repository where your can [https://github.com/CheetahWSB/Cheetah track development and bug fixing progress].

== Preparation ==

Once you have decided that you are ready to run your own Cheetah-based community site and decided on which web-hosting to use, you may proceed to the fun part - choosing a name for your site. It's a good idea to think about it before site installation, because you would need to have a registered domain name to register a license, order a hosting account and install Cheetah. (Advanced users may get away with an IP, but that's too much hassle). So, pick a name and register your own domain name (use [https://www.namecheap.com/ namecheap.com] or "domain registrar" of your choice). With domain name you can proceed to license registration, hosting account ordering and, finally, Cheetah installation.

== Getting A License ==

Cheetah can be used free of charge as a "trial" for unlimited period of time. Trial version is not feature-limited, but it requires display of Cheetah references, that are already built-in into Cheetah. You can buy a paid license to remove those links and present the site as 100% yours. Read more at [[m/license_server/licenses/|Cheetah Licenses]].

== Choosing Web Hosting ==

Cheetah is a web software, which means that it is meant to be installed on a web-server (a computer connected to Internet and serving web-site pages to remote visitors). It is possible to install Cheetah on your local computer and run your site "from home", but this is highly ineffective. In most cases, you would need to find a hosting provider. 
 
Not any hosting is OK. Make sure that the [[Cheetah System Requirements|Hosting Requirements]] are met by your hosting. Just copy and send these to the hosting pre-sale support before paying. We offer a list of [https://www.cheetahwsb.com/page/hosting Hosting Providers] for Cheetah.

== Cheetah Installation ==

There are a few ways to get Cheetah-based site "up and running". Perhaps the easiest way is to order hosting from one of our [https://www.cheetahwsb.com/page/hosting Hosting Providers] - they all know Cheetah very well and offer an easy "Cheetah auto-installation". In most cases you can get Cheetah pre-installed on your new hosting account or you can "auto-install" it in a matter of seconds. Hosting providers offer instructions and support for installing Cheetah. Note, that you still need to buy a license to remove Cheetah links. 
 
Alternatively, your may [[paymentprovider/payment#download|Download Trial Version]] and install it yourself. This way you can use any "[[trac/cheetah/wiki/DolTech|compatible]]" hosting provider or [[trac/cheetah/wiki/HostingServerSetupRecommendations|setup your own server]]. This is a bit more complicated, but may be a great learning experience! Once you have downloaded Cheetah, you can proceed to Installation. 
 
Installation, per se, is not complicated, and only takes about 15-20 minutes to complete. It is, however, very important to install Cheetah correctly and on the right hosting environment. Over 80% of all technical problems arise due to incorrect installation, so make sure to get it right and save yourself a lot of time. Follow [[trac/cheetah/wiki/DetailedInstall|Cheetah Installation Guide]] carefully and attentively - this is the best investment you can make in your Cheetah web-master career! 
 
Once the installation is complete, you can login as a site admin and start playing! This is only the beginning - ahead you have customization, localization, modification and administration fun. Cheetah Admin Panel will meet you with a "Getting Started" guide to navigate you to what needs to be done first. Enjoy!

Introduction (Beginners Guide)

2022-02-21T19:09:16Z

Admin: /* Cheetah Market */

= Beginner's Guide to Cheetah =

== What is Cheetah? ==

Cheetah is a large [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Felidae cat] of the subfamily [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Felinae Felinae] and a web-software platform that you can download and use to build your own niche social network, community site, online club or an interest-based social website. Cheetah is designed to be simple, easy to use and customize. One doesn't have to be a programmer or web-designer to operate a Cheetah-powered website. Some understanding of web-servers, web-development, site administration, etc, would be beneficial, however. 
 
Cheetah is an independent, self-hosted solution. This means that once you setup your site - you own it, you take care of it, you reap what you sow. This is a huge benefit, especially if you ever plan to turn your site into a profitable business, but this may imply certain level of involvement on your part. You need to update the software periodically, moderate content of your site regularly and pay for web-hosting. 
 
Cheetah comes packed with [[features|lots of modules and thousands of features]]. It is always a good idea to "activate" only those features that are absolutely needed for implementation of your idea. Turning everything on may result in a cluttered interface, increased server load and diluted focus of your site visitors. You can extend Cheetah functionality even further by using modules, plugins, templates and language packs from [https://www.cheetahwsb.com/m/market/ Cheetah Market]. 
 
Cheetah is an "open source" platform, which means that you can modify it to suit your specific needs. Any modification, however, may complicate future version upgrades, so think ahead. 
 

== Cheetah Market ==

[https://www.cheetahwsb.com/m/market/ Cheetah Market] is a community of independent developers, designers and other professionals offering Cheetah extensions for sale or for free download. Extensions include full modules, plugins, modifications, design templates, language packs, graphics packs, etc. Providers of products and services on Cheetah Market are called Vendors. Vendors are not affiliated with Cheetah and accept payments directly.

== Cheetah Forums ==

[[forums/|Cheetah Forums]] is the singe best place to learn more about Cheetah, connect with fellow web-masters and get inspired. As a "community venue" forums may have opinionated, incorrect or misleading material - so read more, ask more and make your own judgements. Forums is also also the best place to ask for technical and general support.

== Support ==

I am primarily focused on development, so i leave support up to the community. I expect web-masters to read documentation, ask questions at [[forum/|Forums]], find tech-savvy partners, hire developers, make their own mistakes and learn from them. We participate in [[forum/|Forums]], and maintain an open development repository where your can [https://github.com/CheetahWSB/Cheetah track development and bug fixing progress].

== Preparation ==

Once you have decided that you are ready to run your own Cheetah-based community site and decided on which web-hosting to use, you may proceed to the fun part - choosing a name for your site. It's a good idea to think about it before site installation, because you would need to have a registered domain name to register a license, order a hosting account and install Cheetah. (Advanced users may get away with an IP, but that's too much hassle). So, pick a name and register your own domain name (use [https://www.namecheap.com/ namecheap.com] or "domain registrar" of your choice). With domain name you can proceed to license registration, hosting account ordering and, finally, Cheetah installation.

== Getting A License ==

Cheetah can be used free of charge as a "trial" for unlimited period of time. Trial version is not feature-limited, but it requires display of Cheetah references, that are already built-in into Cheetah. You can buy a paid license to remove those links and present the site as 100% yours. Read more at [[m/license_server/licenses/|Cheetah Licenses]].

== Choosing Web Hosting ==

Cheetah is a web software, which means that it is meant to be installed on a web-server (a computer connected to Internet and serving web-site pages to remote visitors). It is possible to install Cheetah on your local computer and run your site "from home", but this is highly ineffective. In most cases, you would need to find a hosting provider. 
 
Not any hosting is OK. Make sure that the [[Cheetah System Requirements|Hosting Requirements]] are met by your hosting. Just copy and send these to the hosting pre-sale support before paying. We offer a list of [https://www.cheetahwsb.com/page/hosting Hosting Providers] for Cheetah.

== Cheetah Installation ==

There are a few ways to get Cheetah-based site "up and running". Perhaps the easiest way is to order hosting from one of our [https://www.cheetahwsb.com/page/hosting Hosting Providers] - they all know Cheetah very well and offer an easy "Cheetah auto-installation". In most cases you can get Cheetah pre-installed on your new hosting account or you can "auto-install" it in a matter of seconds. Hosting providers offer instructions and support for installing Cheetah. Note, that you still need to buy a license to remove Cheetah links. 
 
Alternatively, your may [[paymentprovider/payment#download|Download Trial Version]] and install it yourself. This way you can use any "[[trac/cheetah/wiki/DolTech|compatible]]" hosting provider or [[trac/cheetah/wiki/HostingServerSetupRecommendations|setup your own server]]. This is a bit more complicated, but may be a great learning experience! Once you have downloaded Cheetah, you can proceed to Installation. 
 
Installation, per se, is not complicated, and only takes about 15-20 minutes to complete. It is, however, very important to install Cheetah correctly and on the right hosting environment. Over 80% of all technical problems arise due to incorrect installation, so make sure to get it right and save yourself a lot of time. Follow [[trac/cheetah/wiki/DetailedInstall|Cheetah Installation Guide]] carefully and attentively - this is the best investment you can make in your Cheetah web-master career! 
 
Once the installation is complete, you can login as a site admin and start playing! This is only the beginning - ahead you have customization, localization, modification and administration fun. Cheetah Admin Panel will meet you with a "Getting Started" guide to navigate you to what needs to be done first. Enjoy!

Introduction (Beginners Guide)

2022-02-21T19:08:39Z

Admin: /* What is Cheetah? */

= Beginner's Guide to Cheetah =

== What is Cheetah? ==

Cheetah is a large [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Felidae cat] of the subfamily [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Felinae Felinae] and a web-software platform that you can download and use to build your own niche social network, community site, online club or an interest-based social website. Cheetah is designed to be simple, easy to use and customize. One doesn't have to be a programmer or web-designer to operate a Cheetah-powered website. Some understanding of web-servers, web-development, site administration, etc, would be beneficial, however. 
 
Cheetah is an independent, self-hosted solution. This means that once you setup your site - you own it, you take care of it, you reap what you sow. This is a huge benefit, especially if you ever plan to turn your site into a profitable business, but this may imply certain level of involvement on your part. You need to update the software periodically, moderate content of your site regularly and pay for web-hosting. 
 
Cheetah comes packed with [[features|lots of modules and thousands of features]]. It is always a good idea to "activate" only those features that are absolutely needed for implementation of your idea. Turning everything on may result in a cluttered interface, increased server load and diluted focus of your site visitors. You can extend Cheetah functionality even further by using modules, plugins, templates and language packs from [https://www.cheetahwsb.com/m/market/ Cheetah Market]. 
 
Cheetah is an "open source" platform, which means that you can modify it to suit your specific needs. Any modification, however, may complicate future version upgrades, so think ahead. 
 

== Cheetah Market ==

[[m/market/|Cheetah Market]] is a community of independent developers, designers and other professionals offering Cheetah extensions for sale or for free download. Extensions include full modules, plugins, modifications, design templates, language packs, graphics packs, etc. Providers of products and services on Cheetah Market are called Vendors. Vendors are not affiliated with Cheetah and accept payments directly.

== Cheetah Forums ==

[[forums/|Cheetah Forums]] is the singe best place to learn more about Cheetah, connect with fellow web-masters and get inspired. As a "community venue" forums may have opinionated, incorrect or misleading material - so read more, ask more and make your own judgements. Forums is also also the best place to ask for technical and general support.

== Support ==

I am primarily focused on development, so i leave support up to the community. I expect web-masters to read documentation, ask questions at [[forum/|Forums]], find tech-savvy partners, hire developers, make their own mistakes and learn from them. We participate in [[forum/|Forums]], and maintain an open development repository where your can [https://github.com/CheetahWSB/Cheetah track development and bug fixing progress].

== Preparation ==

Once you have decided that you are ready to run your own Cheetah-based community site and decided on which web-hosting to use, you may proceed to the fun part - choosing a name for your site. It's a good idea to think about it before site installation, because you would need to have a registered domain name to register a license, order a hosting account and install Cheetah. (Advanced users may get away with an IP, but that's too much hassle). So, pick a name and register your own domain name (use [https://www.namecheap.com/ namecheap.com] or "domain registrar" of your choice). With domain name you can proceed to license registration, hosting account ordering and, finally, Cheetah installation.

== Getting A License ==

Cheetah can be used free of charge as a "trial" for unlimited period of time. Trial version is not feature-limited, but it requires display of Cheetah references, that are already built-in into Cheetah. You can buy a paid license to remove those links and present the site as 100% yours. Read more at [[m/license_server/licenses/|Cheetah Licenses]].

== Choosing Web Hosting ==

Cheetah is a web software, which means that it is meant to be installed on a web-server (a computer connected to Internet and serving web-site pages to remote visitors). It is possible to install Cheetah on your local computer and run your site "from home", but this is highly ineffective. In most cases, you would need to find a hosting provider. 
 
Not any hosting is OK. Make sure that the [[Cheetah System Requirements|Hosting Requirements]] are met by your hosting. Just copy and send these to the hosting pre-sale support before paying. We offer a list of [https://www.cheetahwsb.com/page/hosting Hosting Providers] for Cheetah.

== Cheetah Installation ==

There are a few ways to get Cheetah-based site "up and running". Perhaps the easiest way is to order hosting from one of our [https://www.cheetahwsb.com/page/hosting Hosting Providers] - they all know Cheetah very well and offer an easy "Cheetah auto-installation". In most cases you can get Cheetah pre-installed on your new hosting account or you can "auto-install" it in a matter of seconds. Hosting providers offer instructions and support for installing Cheetah. Note, that you still need to buy a license to remove Cheetah links. 
 
Alternatively, your may [[paymentprovider/payment#download|Download Trial Version]] and install it yourself. This way you can use any "[[trac/cheetah/wiki/DolTech|compatible]]" hosting provider or [[trac/cheetah/wiki/HostingServerSetupRecommendations|setup your own server]]. This is a bit more complicated, but may be a great learning experience! Once you have downloaded Cheetah, you can proceed to Installation. 
 
Installation, per se, is not complicated, and only takes about 15-20 minutes to complete. It is, however, very important to install Cheetah correctly and on the right hosting environment. Over 80% of all technical problems arise due to incorrect installation, so make sure to get it right and save yourself a lot of time. Follow [[trac/cheetah/wiki/DetailedInstall|Cheetah Installation Guide]] carefully and attentively - this is the best investment you can make in your Cheetah web-master career! 
 
Once the installation is complete, you can login as a site admin and start playing! This is only the beginning - ahead you have customization, localization, modification and administration fun. Cheetah Admin Panel will meet you with a "Getting Started" guide to navigate you to what needs to be done first. Enjoy!

Introduction (Beginners Guide)

2022-02-21T19:07:08Z

Admin:

= Beginner's Guide to Cheetah =

== What is Cheetah? ==

Cheetah is a large [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Felidae cat] of the subfamily [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Felinae Felinae] and a web-software platform that you can download and use to build your own niche social network, community site, online club or an interest-based social website. Cheetah is designed to be simple, easy to use and customize. One doesn't have to be a programmer or web-designer to operate a Cheetah-powered website. Some understanding of web-servers, web-development, site administration, etc, would be beneficial, however. 
 
Cheetah is an independent, self-hosted solution. This means that once you setup your site - you own it, you take care of it, you reap what you sow. This is a huge benefit, especially if you ever plan to turn your site into a profitable business, but this may imply certain level of involvement on your part. You need to update the software periodically, moderate content of your site regularly and pay for web-hosting. 
 
Cheetah comes packed with [[features|lots of modules and thousands of features]]. It is always a good idea to "activate" only those features that are absolutely needed for implementation of your idea. Turning everything on may result in a cluttered interface, increased server load and diluted focus of your site visitors. You can extend Cheetah functionality even further by using modules, plugins, templates and language packs from [[m/market/|Cheetah Market]]. 
 
Cheetah is an "open source" platform, which means that you can modify it to suit your specific needs. Any modification, however, may complicate future version upgrades, so think ahead. 
 

== Cheetah Market ==

[[m/market/|Cheetah Market]] is a community of independent developers, designers and other professionals offering Cheetah extensions for sale or for free download. Extensions include full modules, plugins, modifications, design templates, language packs, graphics packs, etc. Providers of products and services on Cheetah Market are called Vendors. Vendors are not affiliated with Cheetah and accept payments directly.

== Cheetah Forums ==

[[forums/|Cheetah Forums]] is the singe best place to learn more about Cheetah, connect with fellow web-masters and get inspired. As a "community venue" forums may have opinionated, incorrect or misleading material - so read more, ask more and make your own judgements. Forums is also also the best place to ask for technical and general support.

== Support ==

I am primarily focused on development, so i leave support up to the community. I expect web-masters to read documentation, ask questions at [[forum/|Forums]], find tech-savvy partners, hire developers, make their own mistakes and learn from them. We participate in [[forum/|Forums]], and maintain an open development repository where your can [https://github.com/CheetahWSB/Cheetah track development and bug fixing progress].

== Preparation ==

Once you have decided that you are ready to run your own Cheetah-based community site and decided on which web-hosting to use, you may proceed to the fun part - choosing a name for your site. It's a good idea to think about it before site installation, because you would need to have a registered domain name to register a license, order a hosting account and install Cheetah. (Advanced users may get away with an IP, but that's too much hassle). So, pick a name and register your own domain name (use [https://www.namecheap.com/ namecheap.com] or "domain registrar" of your choice). With domain name you can proceed to license registration, hosting account ordering and, finally, Cheetah installation.

== Getting A License ==

Cheetah can be used free of charge as a "trial" for unlimited period of time. Trial version is not feature-limited, but it requires display of Cheetah references, that are already built-in into Cheetah. You can buy a paid license to remove those links and present the site as 100% yours. Read more at [[m/license_server/licenses/|Cheetah Licenses]].

== Choosing Web Hosting ==

Cheetah is a web software, which means that it is meant to be installed on a web-server (a computer connected to Internet and serving web-site pages to remote visitors). It is possible to install Cheetah on your local computer and run your site "from home", but this is highly ineffective. In most cases, you would need to find a hosting provider. 
 
Not any hosting is OK. Make sure that the [[Cheetah System Requirements|Hosting Requirements]] are met by your hosting. Just copy and send these to the hosting pre-sale support before paying. We offer a list of [https://www.cheetahwsb.com/page/hosting Hosting Providers] for Cheetah.

== Cheetah Installation ==

There are a few ways to get Cheetah-based site "up and running". Perhaps the easiest way is to order hosting from one of our [https://www.cheetahwsb.com/page/hosting Hosting Providers] - they all know Cheetah very well and offer an easy "Cheetah auto-installation". In most cases you can get Cheetah pre-installed on your new hosting account or you can "auto-install" it in a matter of seconds. Hosting providers offer instructions and support for installing Cheetah. Note, that you still need to buy a license to remove Cheetah links. 
 
Alternatively, your may [[paymentprovider/payment#download|Download Trial Version]] and install it yourself. This way you can use any "[[trac/cheetah/wiki/DolTech|compatible]]" hosting provider or [[trac/cheetah/wiki/HostingServerSetupRecommendations|setup your own server]]. This is a bit more complicated, but may be a great learning experience! Once you have downloaded Cheetah, you can proceed to Installation. 
 
Installation, per se, is not complicated, and only takes about 15-20 minutes to complete. It is, however, very important to install Cheetah correctly and on the right hosting environment. Over 80% of all technical problems arise due to incorrect installation, so make sure to get it right and save yourself a lot of time. Follow [[trac/cheetah/wiki/DetailedInstall|Cheetah Installation Guide]] carefully and attentively - this is the best investment you can make in your Cheetah web-master career! 
 
Once the installation is complete, you can login as a site admin and start playing! This is only the beginning - ahead you have customization, localization, modification and administration fun. Cheetah Admin Panel will meet you with a "Getting Started" guide to navigate you to what needs to be done first. Enjoy!

Introduction (Beginners Guide)

2022-02-21T19:04:59Z

Admin: /* Choosing Web Hosting */

= Beginner's Guide to Cheetah =

== What is Cheetah? ==

Cheetah is a large [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Felidae cat] of the subfamily [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Felinae Felinae] and a web-software platform that you can download and use to build your own niche social network, community site, online club or an interest-based social website. Cheetah is designed to be simple, easy to use and customize. One doesn't have to be a programmer or web-designer to operate a Cheetah-powered website. Some understanding of web-servers, web-development, site administration, etc, would be beneficial, however. 
 
Cheetah is an independent, self-hosted solution. This means that once you setup your site - you own it, you take care of it, you reap what you sow. This is a huge benefit, especially if you ever plan to turn your site into a profitable business, but this may imply certain level of involvement on your part. You need to update the software periodically, moderate content of your site regularly and pay for web-hosting. 
 
Cheetah comes packed with [[features|lots of modules and thousands of features]]. It is always a good idea to "activate" only those features that are absolutely needed for implementation of your idea. Turning everything on may result in a cluttered interface, increased server load and diluted focus of your site visitors. You can extend Cheetah functionality even further by using modules, plugins, templates and language packs from [[m/market/|Cheetah Market]]. 
 
Cheetah is an "open source" platform, which means that you can modify it to suit your specific needs. Any modification, however, may complicate future version upgrades, so think ahead. 
 

== Cheetah Market ==

[[m/market/|Cheetah Market]] is a community of independent developers, designers and other professionals offering Cheetah extensions for sale or for free download. Extensions include full modules, plugins, modifications, design templates, language packs, graphics packs, etc. Providers of products and services on Cheetah Market are called Vendors. Vendors are not affiliated with Cheetah and accept payments directly.

== Cheetah Forums ==

[[forums/|Cheetah Forums]] is the singe best place to learn more about Cheetah, connect with fellow web-masters and get inspired. As a "community venue" forums may have opinionated, incorrect or misleading material - so read more, ask more and make your own judgements. Forums is also also the best place to ask for technical and general support.

== Support ==

I am primarily focused on development, so i leave support up to the community. I expect web-masters to read documentation, ask questions at [[forum/|Forums]], find tech-savvy partners, hire developers, make their own mistakes and learn from them. We participate in [[forum/|Forums]], and maintain an open development repository where your can [https://github.com/CheetahWSB/Cheetah track development and bug fixing progress].

== Preparation ==

Once you have decided that you are ready to run your own Cheetah-based community site and decided on which web-hosting to use, you may proceed to the fun part - choosing a name for your site. It's a good idea to think about it before site installation, because you would need to have a registered domain name to register a license, order a hosting account and install Cheetah. (Advanced users may get away with an IP, but that's too much hassle). So, pick a name and register your own domain name (use [https://www.namecheap.com/ namecheap.com] or "domain registrar" of your choice). With domain name you can proceed to license registration, hosting account ordering and, finally, Cheetah installation.

== Getting A License ==

Cheetah can be used free of charge as a "trial" for unlimited period of time. Trial version is not feature-limited, but it requires display of Cheetah references, that are already built-in into Cheetah. You can buy a paid license to remove those links and present the site as 100% yours. Read more at [[m/license_server/licenses/|Cheetah Licenses]].

== Choosing Web Hosting ==

Cheetah is a web software, which means that it is meant to be installed on a web-server (a computer connected to Internet and serving web-site pages to remote visitors). It is possible to install Cheetah on your local computer and run your site "from home", but this is highly ineffective. In most cases, you would need to find a hosting provider. 
 
Not any hosting is OK. Make sure that the [[Cheetah System Requirements|Hosting Requirements]] are met by your hosting. Just copy and send these to the hosting pre-sale support before paying. We offer a list of [[page/hosting|Recommended Hosting Providers]] for Cheetah.

== Cheetah Installation ==

There are a few ways to get Cheetah-based site "up and running". Perhaps the easiest way is to order hosting from one of our [[hosting|Recommended Hosting Providers]] - they all know Cheetah very well and offer an easy "Cheetah auto-installation". In most cases you can get Cheetah pre-installed on your new hosting account or you can "auto-install" it in a matter of seconds. Hosting providers offer instructions and support for installing Cheetah. Note, that you still need to buy a license to remove Cheetah links. 
 
Alternatively, your may [[paymentprovider/payment#download|Download Trial Version]] and install it yourself. This way you can use any "[[trac/cheetah/wiki/DolTech|compatible]]" hosting provider or [[trac/cheetah/wiki/HostingServerSetupRecommendations|setup your own server]]. This is a bit more complicated, but may be a great learning experience! Once you have downloaded Cheetah, you can proceed to Installation. 
 
Installation, per se, is not complicated, and only takes about 15-20 minutes to complete. It is, however, very important to install Cheetah correctly and on the right hosting environment. Over 80% of all technical problems arise due to incorrect installation, so make sure to get it right and save yourself a lot of time. Follow [[trac/cheetah/wiki/DetailedInstall|Cheetah Installation Guide]] carefully and attentively - this is the best investment you can make in your Cheetah web-master career! 
 
Once the installation is complete, you can login as a site admin and start playing! This is only the beginning - ahead you have customization, localization, modification and administration fun. Cheetah Admin Panel will meet you with a "Getting Started" guide to navigate you to what needs to be done first. Enjoy!

Cheetah System Requirements

2021-12-25T00:17:48Z

Admin: /* Server Requirements */

= Cheetah Hosting(System) Requirements =

A default Cheetah installation works with most common configurations of hosting server, however, since Cheetah is a package with multiple scripts and apps, it is very important to ensure that all of the following requirements are met. Most of the technical problems occur due to improper server setup, so make sure that your hosting provider is Cheetah-compatible.

To help avoid trouble, we gathered a number of [https://www.cheetahwsb.com/page/hosting Recommended Hosting Providers] that have Cheetah-ready accounts and experience with managing accounts that have Cheetah installed. Some of them offer instant installation or even pre-installed Cheetah.

Providing that the server is properly configured, it is possible to run Cheetah on a shared hosting account although not recommended. It is strongly suggested that you have at least a VPS for Cheetah. A '''dedicated server''' is even better and is the recommended choice.

'''NOTE:''' If you do decide to go with shared hosting to keep costs down please keep the following in mind. Most shared hosting accounts do not meet the requirements for many of the PHP setting requirements listed below. Especially memory_limit, max_execution_time, upload_max_filesize and exec(). So make sure the hosting company you choose allows those to be changed or you will have problems running Cheetah.

== Server Requirements ==

* Linux/Unix (Red Hat, Ubuntu, Debian, FreeBSD, Mandrake, etc.). Windows OS has also been known to work, but Cheetah is not tested on Windows so is not recommended.
** '''Note:''' Linux kernel 2.6.32 or higher is needed for ffmpeg
** '''Windows OS''' is not recommended. Not many Cheetah users run on Windows based servers, so support will be very limited. Cheetah is also developed for and only tested on Linux based servers.
* '''Apache v.1.3''' and higher or '''LiteSpeed''' web server. Other web servers can be used too, but custom rewrite rules are required, we have one for [[How_to_setup_Cheetah_on_Nginx|Nginx]].
* '''PHP 5.4.0''' or higher. '''PHP 7''' recommended. '''Cheetah is not yet compatible with PHP 8''' 
** '''PHP-CLI''' (command line version) should also be installed, and it should be configured the same way and have the same extensions required by Cheetah as the FPM version.
*** '''For Cheetah versions above 1.2.0'''
**** '''Hosting''' needs to be running '''PHP-FPM'''. PHP as an Apache module(DS0) is outdated and no longer supported. PHP running as a '''PHP-FPM''' application is necessary for the Cheetah update system and other features. You will not be able to update Cheetah without it.
**** '''PHP-FPM''' needs to be running as the same user that uploaded the website files.
**** '''NOTE:''' If your choice of hosting is providing Plesk or cPanel, then this is normally not a issue as these providers normally have PHP setup this way by default. This is normally only a concern for those that are setting up and configuring their own servers.
* '''register_globals''' must be '''Off''' 
* '''safe_mode''' must be '''Off''' 
* '''exec()''' (executable files) must be '''allowed''' 
* '''allow_url_fopen''' should be '''On''' 
* '''allow_url_include''' should be '''Off''' 
* '''open_basedir''' should not have any value 
* '''upload_max_filesize''' should be '''1024M''' or higher 
* '''memory_limit''' should be '''256M''' or higher. '''512M''' or higher is '''highly recommended'''.
* '''max_execution_time''' must be set to '''300''' or higher. Some areas of Cheetah perform database backups. Script timeouts that occur if this setting is too low will cause problems during those backups.
* '''curl, gd, mbstring, xsl, json, fileinfo, openssl, zip, ftp, calendar, exif, pdo,''' and '''pdo_mysql '''extensions''' must be installed'''.
* '''[http://www.mysql.com/ MySQL 5.5.3]''' and higher or '''[https://mariadb.org/ MariaDB 10.x]'''.
* The '''magic_quotes_gpc''' option must be disabled.
* If a security module is installed (such as '''mod_security''' for Apache), it should be able to be configured for specific folders (or disabled).
* '''mod_rewrite''' for Apache
* Direct connection to https://www.cheetahwsb.com/ should be able to be established (i.e. connection without requiring proxy authorization). This is required for license verification.
* '''[https://libgd.github.io/ GD library]''' compiled with '''FreeType''' fonts (for photo processing) or '''[http://imagemagick.org/ ImageMagick]''' as an alternative.
* '''Sendmail''' or '''Postfix''' programs for sending emails.
* Ability to create '''[http://www.unixgeeks.org/security/newbie/unix/cron-1.html Cron Jobs]'''.
* You should be able to run executable files (you would need it for '''ffmpeg''', which converts videos).

== Server Requirements for Media Streaming ==

Some of Cheetah's features (such as Flash Chat, Flash IM, Boards, Video Recorder, Video Comments) require media streaming capabilities. To use those, you need to make sure that the following requirements are met:

* '''VPS''' or '''Dedicated''' server is generally required in order to be able to install and run '''RMS (Ray Media Server)'''. You would need access to the '''root''' or '''administrator''' account on the hosting server.
* '''[http://www.java.com/en/download/manual.jsp JRE] (Java Runtime Environment) ver. 1.6''' or higher should be installed.
* Ports '''1935''', '''1936''' and '''5080''' should be open on the server.
* Allowance of at least 15 KB/sec for media streaming for each user.

-----

'''''It is a good idea to send the list above to your hosting provider to make sure the server is ready for installation. If all the above requirements are met you are all set to proceed to [https://www.cheetahwsb.com/m/cheetah_docs/chapter/installing-cheetah Cheetah Installation]'''.''

-----

== Recommended Hosting Providers ==

Going for one of our [https://www.cheetahwsb.com/page/hosting Recommended Hosting Providers] is a good idea for both starters and those willing to work with companies that have Cheetah experience.

== Recommended Server Setup ==

Since Cheetah is a resource-intensive platform, it is very important to "fine-tune" your server. In some cases (for popular sites) you may have to setup clustered servers, and/or a remote database server. Alternative "web-server" software, such as [http://nginx.org/ nginx] may also be beneficial to your site performance. Please refer to [[Hosting_Server_Setup_Recommendations]] for the details on how you can tune-up your server.

Cheetah System Requirements

2021-12-22T13:32:12Z

Admin: /* Server Requirements */

= Cheetah Hosting(System) Requirements =

A default Cheetah installation works with most common configurations of hosting server, however, since Cheetah is a package with multiple scripts and apps, it is very important to ensure that all of the following requirements are met. Most of the technical problems occur due to improper server setup, so make sure that your hosting provider is Cheetah-compatible.

To help avoid trouble, we gathered a number of [https://www.cheetahwsb.com/page/hosting Recommended Hosting Providers] that have Cheetah-ready accounts and experience with managing accounts that have Cheetah installed. Some of them offer instant installation or even pre-installed Cheetah.

Providing that the server is properly configured, it is possible to run Cheetah on a shared hosting account although not recommended. It is strongly suggested that you have at least a VPS for Cheetah. A '''dedicated server''' is even better and is the recommended choice.

'''NOTE:''' If you do decide to go with shared hosting to keep costs down please keep the following in mind. Most shared hosting accounts do not meet the requirements for many of the PHP setting requirements listed below. Especially memory_limit, max_execution_time, upload_max_filesize and exec(). So make sure the hosting company you choose allows those to be changed or you will have problems running Cheetah.

== Server Requirements ==

* Linux/Unix (Red Hat, Ubuntu, Debian, FreeBSD, Mandrake, etc.). Windows OS has also been known to work, but Cheetah is not tested on Windows so is not recommended.
** '''Note:''' Linux kernel 2.6.32 or higher is needed for ffmpeg
** '''Windows OS''' is not recommended. Not many Cheetah users run on Windows based servers, so support will be very limited. Cheetah is also developed for and only tested on Linux based servers.
* '''Apache v.1.3''' and higher or '''LiteSpeed''' web server. Other web servers can be used too, but custom rewrite rules are required, we have one for [[How_to_setup_Cheetah_on_Nginx|Nginx]].
* '''PHP 5.4.0''' or higher. '''PHP 7''' recommended. '''Cheetah is not yet compatible with PHP 8''' 
** '''PHP-CLI''' (command line version) should also be installed, and it should be configured the same way and have the same extensions required by Cheetah as the FPM version.
*** '''For Cheetah versions above 1.2.0'''
**** '''Hosting''' needs to be running '''PHP-FPM'''. PHP as an Apache module(DS0) is outdated and no longer supported. PHP running as a '''PHP-FPM''' application is necessary for the Cheetah update system and other features. You will not be able to update Cheetah without it.
**** '''PHP-FPM''' needs to be running as the same user that uploaded the website files.
**** '''NOTE:''' If your choice of hosting is providing Plesk or cPanel, then this is normally not a issue as these providers normally have PHP setup this way by default. This is normally only a concern for those that are setting up and configuring their own servers.
* '''register_globals''' must be '''Off''' 
* '''safe_mode''' must be '''Off''' 
* '''exec()''' (executable files) must be '''allowed''' 
* '''allow_url_fopen''' should be '''On''' 
* '''allow_url_include''' should be '''Off''' 
* '''open_basedir''' should not have any value 
* '''upload_max_filesize''' should be '''1024M''' or higher 
* '''memory_limit''' should be '''256M''' or higher. '''512M''' or higher is '''highly recommended'''.
* '''max_execution_time''' must be set to '''300''' or higher. Some areas of Cheetah perform database backups. Script timeouts that occur if this setting is too low will cause problems during those backups.
* '''curl, gd, mbstring, xsl, json, fileinfo, openssl, zip, ftp, calendar, exif, pdo,''' and '''pdo_mysql '''extensions''' must be installed'''.
* '''[https://www.ioncube.com/loaders.php ionCube Loader]''' must be installed.
* '''[http://www.mysql.com/ MySQL 5.5.3]''' and higher or '''[https://mariadb.org/ MariaDB 10.x]'''.
* The '''magic_quotes_gpc''' option must be disabled.
* If a security module is installed (such as '''mod_security''' for Apache), it should be able to be configured for specific folders (or disabled).
* '''mod_rewrite''' for Apache
* Direct connection to https://www.cheetahwsb.com/ should be able to be established (i.e. connection without requiring proxy authorization). This is required for license verification.
* '''[https://libgd.github.io/ GD library]''' compiled with '''FreeType''' fonts (for photo processing) or '''[http://imagemagick.org/ ImageMagick]''' as an alternative.
* '''Sendmail''' or '''Postfix''' programs for sending emails.
* Ability to create '''[http://www.unixgeeks.org/security/newbie/unix/cron-1.html Cron Jobs]'''.
* You should be able to run executable files (you would need it for '''ffmpeg''', which converts videos).

== Server Requirements for Media Streaming ==

Some of Cheetah's features (such as Flash Chat, Flash IM, Boards, Video Recorder, Video Comments) require media streaming capabilities. To use those, you need to make sure that the following requirements are met:

* '''VPS''' or '''Dedicated''' server is generally required in order to be able to install and run '''RMS (Ray Media Server)'''. You would need access to the '''root''' or '''administrator''' account on the hosting server.
* '''[http://www.java.com/en/download/manual.jsp JRE] (Java Runtime Environment) ver. 1.6''' or higher should be installed.
* Ports '''1935''', '''1936''' and '''5080''' should be open on the server.
* Allowance of at least 15 KB/sec for media streaming for each user.

-----

'''''It is a good idea to send the list above to your hosting provider to make sure the server is ready for installation. If all the above requirements are met you are all set to proceed to [https://www.cheetahwsb.com/m/cheetah_docs/chapter/installing-cheetah Cheetah Installation]'''.''

-----

== Recommended Hosting Providers ==

Going for one of our [https://www.cheetahwsb.com/page/hosting Recommended Hosting Providers] is a good idea for both starters and those willing to work with companies that have Cheetah experience.

== Recommended Server Setup ==

Since Cheetah is a resource-intensive platform, it is very important to "fine-tune" your server. In some cases (for popular sites) you may have to setup clustered servers, and/or a remote database server. Alternative "web-server" software, such as [http://nginx.org/ nginx] may also be beneficial to your site performance. Please refer to [[Hosting_Server_Setup_Recommendations]] for the details on how you can tune-up your server.

Cheetah System Requirements

2021-11-14T08:16:09Z

Admin: /* Server Requirements */

= Cheetah Hosting(System) Requirements =

A default Cheetah installation works with most common configurations of hosting server, however, since Cheetah is a package with multiple scripts and apps, it is very important to ensure that all of the following requirements are met. Most of the technical problems occur due to improper server setup, so make sure that your hosting provider is Cheetah-compatible.

To help avoid trouble, we gathered a number of [https://www.cheetahwsb.com/page/hosting Recommended Hosting Providers] that have Cheetah-ready accounts and experience with managing accounts that have Cheetah installed. Some of them offer instant installation or even pre-installed Cheetah.

Providing that the server is properly configured, it is possible to run Cheetah on a shared hosting account although not recommended. It is strongly suggested that you have at least a VPS for Cheetah. A '''dedicated server''' is even better and is the recommended choice.

'''NOTE:''' If you do decide to go with shared hosting to keep costs down please keep the following in mind. Most shared hosting accounts do not meet the requirements for many of the PHP setting requirements listed below. Especially memory_limit, max_execution_time, upload_max_filesize and exec(). So make sure the hosting company you choose allows those to be changed or you will have problems running Cheetah.

== Server Requirements ==

* Linux/Unix (Red Hat, Ubuntu, Debian, FreeBSD, Mandrake, etc.). Windows OS has also been known to work, but Cheetah is not tested on Windows so is not recommended.
** '''Note:''' Linux kernel 2.6.32 or higher is needed for ffmpeg
** '''Windows OS''' is not recommended. Not many Cheetah users run on Windows based servers, so support will be very limited. Cheetah is also developed for and only tested on Linux based servers.
* '''Apache v.1.3''' and higher or '''LiteSpeed''' web server. Other web servers can be used too, but custom rewrite rules are required, we have one for [[How_to_setup_Cheetah_on_Nginx|Nginx]].
* '''PHP 5.4.0''' or higher. '''PHP 7''' recommended. '''Cheetah is not yet compatible with PHP 8''' 
** '''PHP-CLI''' (command line version) should also be installed, and it should be configured the same way and have the same extensions required by Cheetah as the FPM version.
*** '''For Cheetah versions above 1.2.0'''
**** '''Hosting''' needs to be running '''PHP-FPM'''. PHP as an Apache module(DS0) is outdated and no longer supported. PHP running as a '''PHP-FPM''' application is necessary for the Cheetah update system and other features. You will not be able to update Cheetah without it.
**** '''PHP-FPM''' needs to be running as the same user that uploaded the website files.
**** '''NOTE:''' If your choice of hosting is providing Plesk or cPanel, then this is normally not a issue as these providers normally have PHP setup this way by default. This is normally only a concern for those that are setting up and configuring their own servers.
* '''register_globals''' must be '''Off''' 
* '''safe_mode''' must be '''Off''' 
* '''exec()''' (executable files) must be '''allowed''' 
* '''allow_url_fopen''' should be '''On''' 
* '''allow_url_include''' should be '''Off''' 
* '''open_basedir''' should not have any value 
* '''upload_max_filesize''' should be '''1024M''' or higher 
* '''memory_limit''' should be '''256M''' or higher. '''512M''' or higher is '''highly recommended'''.
* '''max_execution_time''' must be set to '''300''' or higher. Some areas of Cheetah perform database backups. Script timeouts that occur if this setting is too low will cause problems during those backups.
* '''curl, gd, mbstring, xsl, json, fileinfo, openssl, zip, ftp, calendar, exif, pdo,''' and '''pdo_mysql '''extensions''' must be installed'''.
* '''[http://www.mysql.com/ MySQL 5.5.3]''' and higher or '''[https://mariadb.org/ MariaDB 10.x]'''.
* The '''magic_quotes_gpc''' option must be disabled.
* If a security module is installed (such as '''mod_security''' for Apache), it should be able to be configured for specific folders (or disabled).
* '''mod_rewrite''' for Apache
* Direct connection to https://www.cheetahwsb.com/ should be able to be established (i.e. connection without requiring proxy authorization). This is required for license verification.
* '''[https://libgd.github.io/ GD library]''' compiled with '''FreeType''' fonts (for photo processing) or '''[http://imagemagick.org/ ImageMagick]''' as an alternative.
* '''Sendmail''' or '''Postfix''' programs for sending emails.
* Ability to create '''[http://www.unixgeeks.org/security/newbie/unix/cron-1.html Cron Jobs]'''.
* You should be able to run executable files (you would need it for '''ffmpeg''', which converts videos).

== Server Requirements for Media Streaming ==

Some of Cheetah's features (such as Flash Chat, Flash IM, Boards, Video Recorder, Video Comments) require media streaming capabilities. To use those, you need to make sure that the following requirements are met:

* '''VPS''' or '''Dedicated''' server is generally required in order to be able to install and run '''RMS (Ray Media Server)'''. You would need access to the '''root''' or '''administrator''' account on the hosting server.
* '''[http://www.java.com/en/download/manual.jsp JRE] (Java Runtime Environment) ver. 1.6''' or higher should be installed.
* Ports '''1935''', '''1936''' and '''5080''' should be open on the server.
* Allowance of at least 15 KB/sec for media streaming for each user.

-----

'''''It is a good idea to send the list above to your hosting provider to make sure the server is ready for installation. If all the above requirements are met you are all set to proceed to [https://www.cheetahwsb.com/m/cheetah_docs/chapter/installing-cheetah Cheetah Installation]'''.''

-----

== Recommended Hosting Providers ==

Going for one of our [https://www.cheetahwsb.com/page/hosting Recommended Hosting Providers] is a good idea for both starters and those willing to work with companies that have Cheetah experience.

== Recommended Server Setup ==

Since Cheetah is a resource-intensive platform, it is very important to "fine-tune" your server. In some cases (for popular sites) you may have to setup clustered servers, and/or a remote database server. Alternative "web-server" software, such as [http://nginx.org/ nginx] may also be beneficial to your site performance. Please refer to [[Hosting_Server_Setup_Recommendations]] for the details on how you can tune-up your server.

Cheetah System Requirements

2021-10-24T02:37:20Z

Admin: /* Server Requirements */

= Cheetah Hosting(System) Requirements =

A default Cheetah installation works with most common configurations of hosting server, however, since Cheetah is a package with multiple scripts and apps, it is very important to ensure that all of the following requirements are met. Most of the technical problems occur due to improper server setup, so make sure that your hosting provider is Cheetah-compatible.

To help avoid trouble, we gathered a number of [https://www.cheetahwsb.com/page/hosting Recommended Hosting Providers] that have Cheetah-ready accounts and experience with managing accounts that have Cheetah installed. Some of them offer instant installation or even pre-installed Cheetah.

Providing that the server is properly configured, it is possible to run Cheetah on a shared hosting account although not recommended. It is strongly suggested that you have at least a VPS for Cheetah. A '''dedicated server''' is even better and is the recommended choice.

'''NOTE:''' If you do decide to go with shared hosting to keep costs down please keep the following in mind. Most shared hosting accounts do not meet the requirements for many of the PHP setting requirements listed below. Especially memory_limit, max_execution_time, upload_max_filesize and exec(). So make sure the hosting company you choose allows those to be changed or you will have problems running Cheetah.

== Server Requirements ==

* Linux/Unix (Red Hat, Ubuntu, Debian, FreeBSD, Mandrake, etc.). Windows OS has also been known to work, but Cheetah is not tested on Windows so is not recommended.
** '''Note:''' Linux kernel 2.6.32 or higher is needed for ffmpeg
** '''Windows OS''' is not recommended. Not many Cheetah users run on Windows based servers, so support will be very limited. Cheetah is also developed for and only tested on Linux based servers.
* '''Apache v.1.3''' and higher or '''LiteSpeed''' web server. Other web servers can be used too, but custom rewrite rules are required, we have one for [[How_to_setup_Cheetah_on_Nginx|Nginx]].
* '''PHP 5.4.0''' or higher. '''PHP 7''' recommended. '''Cheetah is not yet compatible with PHP 8''' 
** '''PHP-CLI''' (command line version) should also be installed, and it should be configured the same way and have the same extensions required by Cheetah as the FPM version.
*** '''For Cheetah versions above 1.2.0'''
**** '''Hosting''' needs to be running '''PHP-FPM'''. PHP as an Apache module(DS0) is outdated and no longer supported. PHP running as a '''PHP-FPM''' application is necessary for the Cheetah update system and other features. You will not be able to update Cheetah without it.
**** '''PHP-FPM''' needs to be running as the same user that uploaded the website files.
**** '''NOTE:''' If your choice of hosting is providing Plesk or cPanel, then this is normally not a issue as these providers normally have PHP setup this way by default. This is normally only a concern for those that are setting up and configuring their own servers.
* '''register_globals''' must be '''Off''' 
* '''safe_mode''' must be '''Off''' 
* '''exec()''' (executable files) must be '''allowed''' 
* '''allow_url_fopen''' should be '''On''' 
* '''allow_url_include''' should be '''Off''' 
* '''open_basedir''' should not have any value 
* '''upload_max_filesize''' should be '''1024M''' or higher 
* '''memory_limit''' should be '''256M''' or higher. '''512M''' or higher is '''highly recommended'''.
* '''max_execution_time''' must be set to '''300''' or higher. Some areas of Cheetah perform database backups. Script timeouts that occur if this setting is too low will cause problems during those backups.
* '''curl, gd, mbstring, xsl, json, fileinfo, openssl, zip, ftp, calendar, exif, pdo,''' and '''pdo_mysql '''extensions''' must be installed'''.
* '''[http://www.mysql.com/ MySQL 4.1.2]''' and higher or '''[https://mariadb.org/ MariaDB]'''.
* The '''magic_quotes_gpc''' option must be disabled.
* If a security module is installed (such as '''mod_security''' for Apache), it should be able to be configured for specific folders (or disabled).
* '''mod_rewrite''' for Apache
* Direct connection to https://www.cheetahwsb.com/ should be able to be established (i.e. connection without requiring proxy authorization). This is required for license verification.
* '''[https://libgd.github.io/ GD library]''' compiled with '''FreeType''' fonts (for photo processing) or '''[http://imagemagick.org/ ImageMagick]''' as an alternative.
* '''Sendmail''' or '''Postfix''' programs for sending emails.
* Ability to create '''[http://www.unixgeeks.org/security/newbie/unix/cron-1.html Cron Jobs]'''.
* You should be able to run executable files (you would need it for '''ffmpeg''', which converts videos).

== Server Requirements for Media Streaming ==

Some of Cheetah's features (such as Flash Chat, Flash IM, Boards, Video Recorder, Video Comments) require media streaming capabilities. To use those, you need to make sure that the following requirements are met:

* '''VPS''' or '''Dedicated''' server is generally required in order to be able to install and run '''RMS (Ray Media Server)'''. You would need access to the '''root''' or '''administrator''' account on the hosting server.
* '''[http://www.java.com/en/download/manual.jsp JRE] (Java Runtime Environment) ver. 1.6''' or higher should be installed.
* Ports '''1935''', '''1936''' and '''5080''' should be open on the server.
* Allowance of at least 15 KB/sec for media streaming for each user.

-----

'''''It is a good idea to send the list above to your hosting provider to make sure the server is ready for installation. If all the above requirements are met you are all set to proceed to [https://www.cheetahwsb.com/m/cheetah_docs/chapter/installing-cheetah Cheetah Installation]'''.''

-----

== Recommended Hosting Providers ==

Going for one of our [https://www.cheetahwsb.com/page/hosting Recommended Hosting Providers] is a good idea for both starters and those willing to work with companies that have Cheetah experience.

== Recommended Server Setup ==

Since Cheetah is a resource-intensive platform, it is very important to "fine-tune" your server. In some cases (for popular sites) you may have to setup clustered servers, and/or a remote database server. Alternative "web-server" software, such as [http://nginx.org/ nginx] may also be beneficial to your site performance. Please refer to [[Hosting_Server_Setup_Recommendations]] for the details on how you can tune-up your server.

Cheetah System Requirements

2021-10-24T02:36:43Z

Admin: /* Server Requirements */

= Cheetah Hosting(System) Requirements =

A default Cheetah installation works with most common configurations of hosting server, however, since Cheetah is a package with multiple scripts and apps, it is very important to ensure that all of the following requirements are met. Most of the technical problems occur due to improper server setup, so make sure that your hosting provider is Cheetah-compatible.

To help avoid trouble, we gathered a number of [https://www.cheetahwsb.com/page/hosting Recommended Hosting Providers] that have Cheetah-ready accounts and experience with managing accounts that have Cheetah installed. Some of them offer instant installation or even pre-installed Cheetah.

Providing that the server is properly configured, it is possible to run Cheetah on a shared hosting account although not recommended. It is strongly suggested that you have at least a VPS for Cheetah. A '''dedicated server''' is even better and is the recommended choice.

'''NOTE:''' If you do decide to go with shared hosting to keep costs down please keep the following in mind. Most shared hosting accounts do not meet the requirements for many of the PHP setting requirements listed below. Especially memory_limit, max_execution_time, upload_max_filesize and exec(). So make sure the hosting company you choose allows those to be changed or you will have problems running Cheetah.

== Server Requirements ==

* Linux/Unix (Red Hat, Ubuntu, Debian, FreeBSD, Mandrake, etc.). Windows OS has also been known to work, but Cheetah is not tested on Windows so is not recommended.
** '''Note:''' Linux kernel 2.6.32 or higher is needed for ffmpeg and ffprobe
** '''Windows OS''' is not recommended. Not many Cheetah users run on Windows based servers, so support will be very limited. Cheetah is also developed for and only tested on Linux based servers.
* '''Apache v.1.3''' and higher or '''LiteSpeed''' web server. Other web servers can be used too, but custom rewrite rules are required, we have one for [[How_to_setup_Cheetah_on_Nginx|Nginx]].
* '''PHP 5.4.0''' or higher. '''PHP 7''' recommended. '''Cheetah is not yet compatible with PHP 8''' 
** '''PHP-CLI''' (command line version) should also be installed, and it should be configured the same way and have the same extensions required by Cheetah as the FPM version.
*** '''For Cheetah versions above 1.2.0'''
**** '''Hosting''' needs to be running '''PHP-FPM'''. PHP as an Apache module(DS0) is outdated and no longer supported. PHP running as a '''PHP-FPM''' application is necessary for the Cheetah update system and other features. You will not be able to update Cheetah without it.
**** '''PHP-FPM''' needs to be running as the same user that uploaded the website files.
**** '''NOTE:''' If your choice of hosting is providing Plesk or cPanel, then this is normally not a issue as these providers normally have PHP setup this way by default. This is normally only a concern for those that are setting up and configuring their own servers.
* '''register_globals''' must be '''Off''' 
* '''safe_mode''' must be '''Off''' 
* '''exec()''' (executable files) must be '''allowed''' 
* '''allow_url_fopen''' should be '''On''' 
* '''allow_url_include''' should be '''Off''' 
* '''open_basedir''' should not have any value 
* '''upload_max_filesize''' should be '''1024M''' or higher 
* '''memory_limit''' should be '''256M''' or higher. '''512M''' or higher is '''highly recommended'''.
* '''max_execution_time''' must be set to '''300''' or higher. Some areas of Cheetah perform database backups. Script timeouts that occur if this setting is too low will cause problems during those backups.
* '''curl, gd, mbstring, xsl, json, fileinfo, openssl, zip, ftp, calendar, exif, pdo,''' and '''pdo_mysql '''extensions''' must be installed'''.
* '''[http://www.mysql.com/ MySQL 4.1.2]''' and higher or '''[https://mariadb.org/ MariaDB]'''.
* The '''magic_quotes_gpc''' option must be disabled.
* If a security module is installed (such as '''mod_security''' for Apache), it should be able to be configured for specific folders (or disabled).
* '''mod_rewrite''' for Apache
* Direct connection to https://www.cheetahwsb.com/ should be able to be established (i.e. connection without requiring proxy authorization). This is required for license verification.
* '''[https://libgd.github.io/ GD library]''' compiled with '''FreeType''' fonts (for photo processing) or '''[http://imagemagick.org/ ImageMagick]''' as an alternative.
* '''Sendmail''' or '''Postfix''' programs for sending emails.
* Ability to create '''[http://www.unixgeeks.org/security/newbie/unix/cron-1.html Cron Jobs]'''.
* You should be able to run executable files (you would need it for '''ffmpeg''', which converts videos).

== Server Requirements for Media Streaming ==

Some of Cheetah's features (such as Flash Chat, Flash IM, Boards, Video Recorder, Video Comments) require media streaming capabilities. To use those, you need to make sure that the following requirements are met:

* '''VPS''' or '''Dedicated''' server is generally required in order to be able to install and run '''RMS (Ray Media Server)'''. You would need access to the '''root''' or '''administrator''' account on the hosting server.
* '''[http://www.java.com/en/download/manual.jsp JRE] (Java Runtime Environment) ver. 1.6''' or higher should be installed.
* Ports '''1935''', '''1936''' and '''5080''' should be open on the server.
* Allowance of at least 15 KB/sec for media streaming for each user.

-----

'''''It is a good idea to send the list above to your hosting provider to make sure the server is ready for installation. If all the above requirements are met you are all set to proceed to [https://www.cheetahwsb.com/m/cheetah_docs/chapter/installing-cheetah Cheetah Installation]'''.''

-----

== Recommended Hosting Providers ==

Going for one of our [https://www.cheetahwsb.com/page/hosting Recommended Hosting Providers] is a good idea for both starters and those willing to work with companies that have Cheetah experience.

== Recommended Server Setup ==

Since Cheetah is a resource-intensive platform, it is very important to "fine-tune" your server. In some cases (for popular sites) you may have to setup clustered servers, and/or a remote database server. Alternative "web-server" software, such as [http://nginx.org/ nginx] may also be beneficial to your site performance. Please refer to [[Hosting_Server_Setup_Recommendations]] for the details on how you can tune-up your server.

Cheetah System Requirements

2021-10-23T21:25:44Z

Admin: /* Cheetah Hosting(System) Requirements */

= Cheetah Hosting(System) Requirements =

A default Cheetah installation works with most common configurations of hosting server, however, since Cheetah is a package with multiple scripts and apps, it is very important to ensure that all of the following requirements are met. Most of the technical problems occur due to improper server setup, so make sure that your hosting provider is Cheetah-compatible.

To help avoid trouble, we gathered a number of [https://www.cheetahwsb.com/page/hosting Recommended Hosting Providers] that have Cheetah-ready accounts and experience with managing accounts that have Cheetah installed. Some of them offer instant installation or even pre-installed Cheetah.

Providing that the server is properly configured, it is possible to run Cheetah on a shared hosting account although not recommended. It is strongly suggested that you have at least a VPS for Cheetah. A '''dedicated server''' is even better and is the recommended choice.

'''NOTE:''' If you do decide to go with shared hosting to keep costs down please keep the following in mind. Most shared hosting accounts do not meet the requirements for many of the PHP setting requirements listed below. Especially memory_limit, max_execution_time, upload_max_filesize and exec(). So make sure the hosting company you choose allows those to be changed or you will have problems running Cheetah.

== Server Requirements ==

* Linux/Unix (Red Hat, Ubuntu, Debian, FreeBSD, Mandrake, etc.). Windows OS has also been known to work, but Cheetah is not tested on Windows so is not recommended.
** '''Note:''' Linux kernel 2.6.32 or higher is needed for ffmpeg.exe
** '''Windows OS''' is not recommended. Not many Cheetah users run on Windows based servers, so support will be very limited. Cheetah is also developed for and only tested on Linux based servers.
* '''Apache v.1.3''' and higher or '''LiteSpeed''' web server. Other web servers can be used too, but custom rewrite rules are required, we have one for [[How_to_setup_Cheetah_on_Nginx|Nginx]].
* '''PHP 5.4.0''' or higher. '''PHP 7''' recommended. '''Cheetah is not yet compatible with PHP 8''' 
** '''PHP-CLI''' (command line version) should also be installed, and it should be configured the same way and have the same extensions required by Cheetah as the FPM version.
*** '''For Cheetah versions above 1.2.0'''
**** '''Hosting''' needs to be running '''PHP-FPM'''. PHP as an Apache module(DS0) is outdated and no longer supported. PHP running as a '''PHP-FPM''' application is necessary for the Cheetah update system and other features. You will not be able to update Cheetah without it.
**** '''PHP-FPM''' needs to be running as the same user that uploaded the website files.
**** '''NOTE:''' If your choice of hosting is providing Plesk or cPanel, then this is normally not a issue as these providers normally have PHP setup this way by default. This is normally only a concern for those that are setting up and configuring their own servers.
* '''register_globals''' must be '''Off''' 
* '''safe_mode''' must be '''Off''' 
* '''exec()''' (executable files) must be '''allowed''' 
* '''allow_url_fopen''' should be '''On''' 
* '''allow_url_include''' should be '''Off''' 
* '''open_basedir''' should not have any value 
* '''upload_max_filesize''' should be '''1024M''' or higher 
* '''memory_limit''' should be '''256M''' or higher. '''512M''' or higher is '''highly recommended'''.
* '''max_execution_time''' must be set to '''300''' or higher. Some areas of Cheetah perform database backups. Script timeouts that occur if this setting is too low will cause problems during those backups.
* '''curl, gd, mbstring, xsl, json, fileinfo, openssl, zip, ftp, calendar, exif, pdo,''' and '''pdo_mysql '''extensions''' must be installed'''.
* '''[http://www.mysql.com/ MySQL 4.1.2]''' and higher or '''[https://mariadb.org/ MariaDB]'''.
* The '''magic_quotes_gpc''' option must be disabled.
* If a security module is installed (such as '''mod_security''' for Apache), it should be able to be configured for specific folders (or disabled).
* '''mod_rewrite''' for Apache
* Direct connection to https://www.cheetahwsb.com/ should be able to be established (i.e. connection without requiring proxy authorization). This is required for license verification.
* '''[https://libgd.github.io/ GD library]''' compiled with '''FreeType''' fonts (for photo processing) or '''[http://imagemagick.org/ ImageMagick]''' as an alternative.
* '''Sendmail''' or '''Postfix''' programs for sending emails.
* Ability to create '''[http://www.unixgeeks.org/security/newbie/unix/cron-1.html Cron Jobs]'''.
* You should be able to run executable files (you would need it for '''ffmpeg.exe''', which converts videos).

== Server Requirements for Media Streaming ==

Some of Cheetah's features (such as Flash Chat, Flash IM, Boards, Video Recorder, Video Comments) require media streaming capabilities. To use those, you need to make sure that the following requirements are met:

* '''VPS''' or '''Dedicated''' server is generally required in order to be able to install and run '''RMS (Ray Media Server)'''. You would need access to the '''root''' or '''administrator''' account on the hosting server.
* '''[http://www.java.com/en/download/manual.jsp JRE] (Java Runtime Environment) ver. 1.6''' or higher should be installed.
* Ports '''1935''', '''1936''' and '''5080''' should be open on the server.
* Allowance of at least 15 KB/sec for media streaming for each user.

-----

'''''It is a good idea to send the list above to your hosting provider to make sure the server is ready for installation. If all the above requirements are met you are all set to proceed to [https://www.cheetahwsb.com/m/cheetah_docs/chapter/installing-cheetah Cheetah Installation]'''.''

-----

== Recommended Hosting Providers ==

Going for one of our [https://www.cheetahwsb.com/page/hosting Recommended Hosting Providers] is a good idea for both starters and those willing to work with companies that have Cheetah experience.

== Recommended Server Setup ==

Since Cheetah is a resource-intensive platform, it is very important to "fine-tune" your server. In some cases (for popular sites) you may have to setup clustered servers, and/or a remote database server. Alternative "web-server" software, such as [http://nginx.org/ nginx] may also be beneficial to your site performance. Please refer to [[Hosting_Server_Setup_Recommendations]] for the details on how you can tune-up your server.

Cheetah System Requirements

2021-10-23T13:16:52Z

Admin: /* Server Requirements */

= Cheetah Hosting(System) Requirements =

A default Cheetah installation works with most common configurations of hosting server, however, since Cheetah is a package with multiple scripts and apps, it is very important to ensure that all of the following requirements are met. Most of the technical problems occur due to improper server setup, so make sure that your hosting provider is Cheetah-compatible.

To help avoid trouble, we gathered a number of [https://www.cheetahwsb.com/page/hosting Recommended Hosting Providers] that have Cheetah-ready accounts and experience with managing accounts that have Cheetah installed. Some of them offer instant installation or even pre-installed Cheetah.

Providing that the server is properly configured, it is possible to run Cheetah on a shared hosting account although not recommended. It is strongly suggested that you have at least a VPS for Cheetah. A '''dedicated server''' is even better and is the recommended choice.

'''NOTE:''' If you do decide to go with shared hosting to keep costs down please keep the following in mind. Most shared hosting accounts do not meet the requirements for many of the PHP setting requirements listed below. Especially memory_limit, max_execution_time, upload_max_filesize and exec(). So make sure the hosting company you choose allows those to be changed or you will have problems running Cheetah.

== Server Requirements ==

* Linux/Unix (Red Hat, Ubuntu, Debian, FreeBSD, Mandrake, etc.). Windows OS has also been known to work, but Cheetah is not tested on Windows so is not recommended.
** '''Note:''' Linux kernel 2.6.32 or higher is needed for ffmpeg.exe
** '''Windows OS''' is not recommended. Not many Cheetah users run on Windows based servers, so support will be very limited. Cheetah is also developed for and only tested on Linux based servers.
* '''Apache v.1.3''' and higher or '''LiteSpeed''' web server. Other web servers can be used too, but custom rewrite rules are required, we have one for [[How_to_setup_Cheetah_on_Nginx|Nginx]].
* '''PHP 5.4.0''' or higher. '''PHP 7''' recommended. '''Cheetah is not yet compatible with PHP 8''' 
** '''PHP-CLI''' (command line version) should also be installed, and it should be configured the same way and have the same extensions required by Cheetah as the FPM version.
*** '''For Cheetah versions above 1.2.0'''
**** '''Hosting''' needs to be running '''PHP-FPM'''. PHP as an Apache module(DS0) is outdated and no longer supported. PHP running as a '''PHP-FPM''' application is necessary for the Cheetah update system and other features. You will not be able to update Cheetah without it.
**** '''PHP-FPM''' needs to be running as the same user that uploaded the website files.
**** '''NOTE:''' If your choice of hosting is providing Plesk or cPanel, then this is normally not a issue as these providers normally have PHP setup this way by default. This is normally only a concern for those that are setting up and configuring their own servers.
* '''register_globals''' must be '''Off''' 
* '''safe_mode''' must be '''Off''' 
* '''exec()''' (executable files) must be '''allowed''' 
* '''short_open_tag''' must be '''On''' 
* '''allow_url_fopen''' should be '''On''' 
* '''allow_url_include''' should be '''Off''' 
* '''open_basedir''' should not have any value 
* '''upload_max_filesize''' should be '''1024M''' or higher 
* '''memory_limit''' should be '''256M''' or higher. '''512M''' or higher is '''highly recommended'''.
* '''max_execution_time''' must be set to '''300''' or higher. Some areas of Cheetah perform database backups. Script timeouts that occur if this setting is too low will cause problems during those backups.
* '''curl, gd, mbstring, xsl, json, fileinfo, openssl, zip, ftp, calendar, exif, pdo,''' and '''pdo_mysql '''extensions''' must be installed'''.
* '''[http://www.mysql.com/ MySQL 4.1.2]''' and higher or '''[https://mariadb.org/ MariaDB]'''.
* The '''magic_quotes_gpc''' option must be disabled.
* If a security module is installed (such as '''mod_security''' for Apache), it should be able to be configured for specific folders (or disabled).
* '''mod_rewrite''' for Apache
* Direct connection to https://www.cheetahwsb.com/ should be able to be established (i.e. connection without requiring proxy authorization). This is required for license verification.
* '''[https://libgd.github.io/ GD library]''' compiled with '''FreeType''' fonts (for photo processing) or '''[http://imagemagick.org/ ImageMagick]''' as an alternative.
* '''Sendmail''' or '''Postfix''' programs for sending emails.
* Ability to create '''[http://www.unixgeeks.org/security/newbie/unix/cron-1.html Cron Jobs]'''.
* You should be able to run executable files (you would need it for '''ffmpeg.exe''', which converts videos).

== Server Requirements for Media Streaming ==

Some of Cheetah's features (such as Flash Chat, Flash IM, Boards, Video Recorder, Video Comments) require media streaming capabilities. To use those, you need to make sure that the following requirements are met:

* '''VPS''' or '''Dedicated''' server is generally required in order to be able to install and run '''RMS (Ray Media Server)'''. You would need access to the '''root''' or '''administrator''' account on the hosting server.
* '''[http://www.java.com/en/download/manual.jsp JRE] (Java Runtime Environment) ver. 1.6''' or higher should be installed.
* Ports '''1935''', '''1936''' and '''5080''' should be open on the server.
* Allowance of at least 15 KB/sec for media streaming for each user.

-----

'''''It is a good idea to send the list above to your hosting provider to make sure the server is ready for installation. If all the above requirements are met you are all set to proceed to [https://www.cheetahwsb.com/m/cheetah_docs/chapter/installing-cheetah Cheetah Installation]'''.''

-----

== Recommended Hosting Providers ==

Going for one of our [https://www.cheetahwsb.com/page/hosting Recommended Hosting Providers] is a good idea for both starters and those willing to work with companies that have Cheetah experience.

== Recommended Server Setup ==

Since Cheetah is a resource-intensive platform, it is very important to "fine-tune" your server. In some cases (for popular sites) you may have to setup clustered servers, and/or a remote database server. Alternative "web-server" software, such as [http://nginx.org/ nginx] may also be beneficial to your site performance. Please refer to [[Hosting_Server_Setup_Recommendations]] for the details on how you can tune-up your server.

Cheetah System Requirements

2021-10-23T13:15:29Z

Admin: /* Server Requirements */

= Cheetah Hosting(System) Requirements =

A default Cheetah installation works with most common configurations of hosting server, however, since Cheetah is a package with multiple scripts and apps, it is very important to ensure that all of the following requirements are met. Most of the technical problems occur due to improper server setup, so make sure that your hosting provider is Cheetah-compatible.

To help avoid trouble, we gathered a number of [https://www.cheetahwsb.com/page/hosting Recommended Hosting Providers] that have Cheetah-ready accounts and experience with managing accounts that have Cheetah installed. Some of them offer instant installation or even pre-installed Cheetah.

Providing that the server is properly configured, it is possible to run Cheetah on a shared hosting account although not recommended. It is strongly suggested that you have at least a VPS for Cheetah. A '''dedicated server''' is even better and is the recommended choice.

'''NOTE:''' If you do decide to go with shared hosting to keep costs down please keep the following in mind. Most shared hosting accounts do not meet the requirements for many of the PHP setting requirements listed below. Especially memory_limit, max_execution_time, upload_max_filesize and exec(). So make sure the hosting company you choose allows those to be changed or you will have problems running Cheetah.

== Server Requirements ==

* Linux/Unix (Red Hat, Ubuntu, Debian, FreeBSD, Mandrake, etc.). Windows OS has also been known to work, but Cheetah is not tested on Windows so is not recommended.
** '''Note:''' Linux kernel 2.6.32 or higher is needed for ffmpeg.exe
** '''Windows OS''' is not recommended. Not many Cheetah users run on Windows based servers, so support will be very limited. Cheetah is also developed for and only tested on Linux based servers.
* '''Apache v.1.3''' and higher or '''LiteSpeed''' web server. Other web servers can be used too, but custom rewrite rules are required, we have one for [[How_to_setup_Cheetah_on_Nginx|Nginx]].
* '''PHP 5.4.0''' or higher. '''PHP 7''' recommended. '''Cheetah is not yet compatible with PHP 8''' 
** '''PHP-CLI''' (command line version) should also be installed, and it should be configured the same way and have the same extensions required by Cheetah as the FPM version.
*** '''For Cheetah versions above 1.2.0'''
**** '''Hosting''' needs to be running '''PHP-FPM'''. PHP as an Apache module(DS0) is outdated and no longer supported. PHP running as a '''PHP-FPM''' application is necessary for the Cheetah update system and other features. You will not be able to update Cheetah without it.
**** '''PHP-FPM''' needs to be running as the same user that uploaded the website files.
**** '''NOTE:''' If your choice of hosting is providing Plesk or cPanel, then this is normally not a issue as these providers normally have PHP setup this way by default. This is normally only a concern for those that are setting up and configuring their own servers.
* '''register_globals''' must be '''Off''' 
* '''safe_mode''' must be '''Off''' 
* '''exec()''' (executable files) must be '''allowed''' 
* '''short_open_tag''' must be '''On''' 
* '''allow_url_fopen''' should be '''On''' 
* '''allow_url_include''' should be '''Off''' 
* '''open_basedir''' should not have any value 
* '''upload_max_filesize''' should be '''1024M''' or higher 
* '''memory_limit''' should be '''256M''' or higher. '''512M''' or higher is '''highly recommended'''.
* '''max_execution_time''' must be set to '''300''' or higher. Some areas of Cheetah perform database backups. Script timeouts that occur if this setting is too low will cause problems during those backups.
* '''curl, gd, mbstring, xsl, json, fileinfo, openssl, zip, ftp, calendar, exif, pdo,''' and '''pdo_mysql '''extensions''' must be installed'''.
* '''[http://www.mysql.com/ MySQL 4.1.2]''' and higher or '''[https://mariadb.org/ MariaDB]'''.
* The '''magic_quotes_gpc''' option must be disabled.
* If a security module is installed (such as '''mod_security''' for Apache), it should be able to be configured for specific folders (or disabled).
* '''mod_rewrite''' for Apache
* Direct connection to https://www.cheetahwsb.com/ should be able to be established (i.e. connection without requiring proxy authorization). This is required for license verification.
* '''[http://www.boutell.com/gd/ GD library]''' compiled with '''FreeType''' fonts (for photo processing) or '''[http://imagemagick.org/ ImageMagick]''' as an alternative.
* '''Sendmail''' or '''Postfix''' programs for sending emails.
* Ability to create '''[http://www.unixgeeks.org/security/newbie/unix/cron-1.html Cron Jobs]'''.
* You should be able to run executable files (you would need it for '''ffmpeg.exe''', which converts videos).

== Server Requirements for Media Streaming ==

Some of Cheetah's features (such as Flash Chat, Flash IM, Boards, Video Recorder, Video Comments) require media streaming capabilities. To use those, you need to make sure that the following requirements are met:

* '''VPS''' or '''Dedicated''' server is generally required in order to be able to install and run '''RMS (Ray Media Server)'''. You would need access to the '''root''' or '''administrator''' account on the hosting server.
* '''[http://www.java.com/en/download/manual.jsp JRE] (Java Runtime Environment) ver. 1.6''' or higher should be installed.
* Ports '''1935''', '''1936''' and '''5080''' should be open on the server.
* Allowance of at least 15 KB/sec for media streaming for each user.

-----

'''''It is a good idea to send the list above to your hosting provider to make sure the server is ready for installation. If all the above requirements are met you are all set to proceed to [https://www.cheetahwsb.com/m/cheetah_docs/chapter/installing-cheetah Cheetah Installation]'''.''

-----

== Recommended Hosting Providers ==

Going for one of our [https://www.cheetahwsb.com/page/hosting Recommended Hosting Providers] is a good idea for both starters and those willing to work with companies that have Cheetah experience.

== Recommended Server Setup ==

Since Cheetah is a resource-intensive platform, it is very important to "fine-tune" your server. In some cases (for popular sites) you may have to setup clustered servers, and/or a remote database server. Alternative "web-server" software, such as [http://nginx.org/ nginx] may also be beneficial to your site performance. Please refer to [[Hosting_Server_Setup_Recommendations]] for the details on how you can tune-up your server.

Cheetah System Requirements

2021-10-23T13:12:01Z

Admin: /* Server Requirements */

= Cheetah Hosting(System) Requirements =

A default Cheetah installation works with most common configurations of hosting server, however, since Cheetah is a package with multiple scripts and apps, it is very important to ensure that all of the following requirements are met. Most of the technical problems occur due to improper server setup, so make sure that your hosting provider is Cheetah-compatible.

To help avoid trouble, we gathered a number of [https://www.cheetahwsb.com/page/hosting Recommended Hosting Providers] that have Cheetah-ready accounts and experience with managing accounts that have Cheetah installed. Some of them offer instant installation or even pre-installed Cheetah.

Providing that the server is properly configured, it is possible to run Cheetah on a shared hosting account although not recommended. It is strongly suggested that you have at least a VPS for Cheetah. A '''dedicated server''' is even better and is the recommended choice.

'''NOTE:''' If you do decide to go with shared hosting to keep costs down please keep the following in mind. Most shared hosting accounts do not meet the requirements for many of the PHP setting requirements listed below. Especially memory_limit, max_execution_time, upload_max_filesize and exec(). So make sure the hosting company you choose allows those to be changed or you will have problems running Cheetah.

== Server Requirements ==

* Linux/Unix (Red Hat, Ubuntu, Debian, FreeBSD, Mandrake, etc.). Windows OS has also been known to work, but Cheetah is not tested on Windows so is not recommended.
** '''Note:''' Linux kernel 2.6.32 or higher is needed for ffmpeg.exe
** '''Windows OS''' is not recommended. Not many Cheetah users run on Windows based servers, so support will be very limited. Cheetah is also developed for and only tested on Linux based servers.
* '''Apache v.1.3''' and higher or '''LiteSpeed''' web server. Other web servers can be used too, but custom rewrite rules are required, we have one for [[How_to_setup_Cheetah_on_Nginx|Nginx]].
* '''PHP 5.4.0''' or higher. '''PHP 7''' recommended. '''Cheetah is not yet compatible with PHP 8''' 
** '''PHP-CLI''' (command line version) should also be installed, and it should be configured the same way and have the same extensions required by Cheetah as the FPM version.
*** '''For Cheetah versions above 1.2.0'''
**** '''Hosting''' needs to be running '''PHP-FPM'''. PHP as an Apache module(DS0) is outdated and no longer supported. PHP running as a '''PHP-FPM''' application is necessary for the Cheetah update system and other features. You will not be able to update Cheetah without it.
**** '''PHP-FPM''' needs to be running as the same user that uploaded the website files.
**** '''NOTE:''' If your choice of hosting is providing Plesk or cPanel, then this is normally not a issue as these providers normally have PHP setup this way by default. This is normally only a concern for those that are setting up and configuring their own servers.
* '''register_globals''' must be '''Off''' 
* '''safe_mode''' must be '''Off''' 
* '''exec()''' (executable files) must be '''allowed''' 
* '''short_open_tag''' must be '''On''' 
* '''allow_url_fopen''' should be '''On''' 
* '''allow_url_include''' should be '''Off''' 
* '''open_basedir''' should not have any value 
* '''upload_max_filesize''' should be '''1024M''' or higher 
* '''memory_limit''' should be '''256M''' or higher. '''512M''' or higher is '''highly recommended'''.
* '''max_execution_time''' must be set to '''300''' or higher. Some areas of Cheetah perform database backups. Script timeouts that occur if this setting is too low will cause problems during those backups.
* '''curl, gd, mbstring, xsl, json, fileinfo, openssl, zip, ftp, calendar, exif, pdo,''' and '''pdo_mysql '''extensions''' must be installed'''.
* '''[http://www.mysql.com/ MySQL 4.1.2]''' and higher.
* The '''magic_quotes_gpc''' option must be disabled.
* If a security module is installed (such as '''mod_security''' for Apache), it should be able to be configured for specific folders (or disabled).
* '''mod_rewrite''' for Apache
* Direct connection to https://www.cheetahwsb.com/ should be able to be established (i.e. connection without requiring proxy authorization). This is required for license verification.
* '''[http://www.boutell.com/gd/ GD library]''' compiled with '''FreeType''' fonts (for photo processing) or '''[http://imagemagick.org/ ImageMagick]''' as an alternative.
* '''Sendmail''' or '''Postfix''' programs for sending emails.
* Ability to create '''[http://www.unixgeeks.org/security/newbie/unix/cron-1.html Cron Jobs]'''.
* You should be able to run executable files (you would need it for '''ffmpeg.exe''', which converts videos).

== Server Requirements for Media Streaming ==

Some of Cheetah's features (such as Flash Chat, Flash IM, Boards, Video Recorder, Video Comments) require media streaming capabilities. To use those, you need to make sure that the following requirements are met:

* '''VPS''' or '''Dedicated''' server is generally required in order to be able to install and run '''RMS (Ray Media Server)'''. You would need access to the '''root''' or '''administrator''' account on the hosting server.
* '''[http://www.java.com/en/download/manual.jsp JRE] (Java Runtime Environment) ver. 1.6''' or higher should be installed.
* Ports '''1935''', '''1936''' and '''5080''' should be open on the server.
* Allowance of at least 15 KB/sec for media streaming for each user.

-----

'''''It is a good idea to send the list above to your hosting provider to make sure the server is ready for installation. If all the above requirements are met you are all set to proceed to [https://www.cheetahwsb.com/m/cheetah_docs/chapter/installing-cheetah Cheetah Installation]'''.''

-----

== Recommended Hosting Providers ==

Going for one of our [https://www.cheetahwsb.com/page/hosting Recommended Hosting Providers] is a good idea for both starters and those willing to work with companies that have Cheetah experience.

== Recommended Server Setup ==

Since Cheetah is a resource-intensive platform, it is very important to "fine-tune" your server. In some cases (for popular sites) you may have to setup clustered servers, and/or a remote database server. Alternative "web-server" software, such as [http://nginx.org/ nginx] may also be beneficial to your site performance. Please refer to [[Hosting_Server_Setup_Recommendations]] for the details on how you can tune-up your server.

Cheetah System Requirements

2021-10-23T13:09:48Z

Admin: /* Server Requirements */

= Cheetah Hosting(System) Requirements =

A default Cheetah installation works with most common configurations of hosting server, however, since Cheetah is a package with multiple scripts and apps, it is very important to ensure that all of the following requirements are met. Most of the technical problems occur due to improper server setup, so make sure that your hosting provider is Cheetah-compatible.

To help avoid trouble, we gathered a number of [https://www.cheetahwsb.com/page/hosting Recommended Hosting Providers] that have Cheetah-ready accounts and experience with managing accounts that have Cheetah installed. Some of them offer instant installation or even pre-installed Cheetah.

Providing that the server is properly configured, it is possible to run Cheetah on a shared hosting account although not recommended. It is strongly suggested that you have at least a VPS for Cheetah. A '''dedicated server''' is even better and is the recommended choice.

'''NOTE:''' If you do decide to go with shared hosting to keep costs down please keep the following in mind. Most shared hosting accounts do not meet the requirements for many of the PHP setting requirements listed below. Especially memory_limit, max_execution_time, upload_max_filesize and exec(). So make sure the hosting company you choose allows those to be changed or you will have problems running Cheetah.

== Server Requirements ==

* Linux/Unix (Red Hat, Ubuntu, Debian, FreeBSD, Mandrake, etc.). Windows OS has also been known to work, but Cheetah is not tested on Windows so is not recommended.
** '''Note:''' Linux kernel 2.6.32 or higher is needed for ffmpeg.exe
** '''Windows OS''' is not recommended. Not many Cheetah users run on Windows based servers, so support will be very limited. Cheetah is also developed for and only tested on Linux based servers.
* '''Apache v.1.3''' and higher or '''LiteSpeed''' web server. Other web servers can be used too, but custom rewrite rules are required, we have one for [[How_to_setup_Cheetah_on_Nginx]].
* '''PHP 5.4.0''' or higher. '''PHP 7''' recommended. '''Cheetah is not yet compatible with PHP 8''' 
** '''PHP-CLI''' (command line version) should also be installed, and it should be configured the same way and have the same extensions required by Cheetah as the FPM version.
*** '''For Cheetah versions above 1.2.0'''
**** '''Hosting''' needs to be running '''PHP-FPM'''. PHP as an Apache module(DS0) is outdated and no longer supported. PHP running as a '''PHP-FPM''' application is necessary for the Cheetah update system and other features. You will not be able to update Cheetah without it.
**** '''PHP-FPM''' needs to be running as the same user that uploaded the website files.
**** '''NOTE:''' If your choice of hosting is providing Plesk or cPanel, then this is normally not a issue as these providers normally have PHP setup this way by default. This is normally only a concern for those that are setting up and configuring their own servers.
* '''register_globals''' must be '''Off''' 
* '''safe_mode''' must be '''Off''' 
* '''exec()''' (executable files) must be '''allowed''' 
* '''short_open_tag''' must be '''On''' 
* '''allow_url_fopen''' should be '''On''' 
* '''allow_url_include''' should be '''Off''' 
* '''open_basedir''' should not have any value 
* '''upload_max_filesize''' should be '''1024M''' or higher 
* '''memory_limit''' should be '''256M''' or higher. '''512M''' or higher is '''highly recommended'''.
* '''max_execution_time''' must be set to '''300''' or higher. Some areas of Cheetah perform database backups. Script timeouts that occur if this setting is too low will cause problems during those backups.
* '''curl, gd, mbstring, xsl, json, fileinfo, openssl, zip, ftp, calendar, exif, pdo,''' and '''pdo_mysql '''extensions''' must be installed'''.
* '''[http://www.mysql.com/ MySQL 4.1.2]''' and higher.
* The '''magic_quotes_gpc''' option must be disabled.
* If a security module is installed (such as '''mod_security''' for Apache), it should be able to be configured for specific folders (or disabled).
* '''mod_rewrite''' for Apache
* Direct connection to https://www.cheetahwsb.com/ should be able to be established (i.e. connection without requiring proxy authorization). This is required for license verification.
* '''[http://www.boutell.com/gd/ GD library]''' compiled with '''FreeType''' fonts (for photo processing) or '''[http://imagemagick.org/ ImageMagick]''' as an alternative.
* '''Sendmail''' or '''Postfix''' programs for sending emails.
* Ability to create '''[http://www.unixgeeks.org/security/newbie/unix/cron-1.html Cron Jobs]'''.
* You should be able to run executable files (you would need it for '''ffmpeg.exe''', which converts videos).

== Server Requirements for Media Streaming ==

Some of Cheetah's features (such as Flash Chat, Flash IM, Boards, Video Recorder, Video Comments) require media streaming capabilities. To use those, you need to make sure that the following requirements are met:

* '''VPS''' or '''Dedicated''' server is generally required in order to be able to install and run '''RMS (Ray Media Server)'''. You would need access to the '''root''' or '''administrator''' account on the hosting server.
* '''[http://www.java.com/en/download/manual.jsp JRE] (Java Runtime Environment) ver. 1.6''' or higher should be installed.
* Ports '''1935''', '''1936''' and '''5080''' should be open on the server.
* Allowance of at least 15 KB/sec for media streaming for each user.

-----

'''''It is a good idea to send the list above to your hosting provider to make sure the server is ready for installation. If all the above requirements are met you are all set to proceed to [https://www.cheetahwsb.com/m/cheetah_docs/chapter/installing-cheetah Cheetah Installation]'''.''

-----

== Recommended Hosting Providers ==

Going for one of our [https://www.cheetahwsb.com/page/hosting Recommended Hosting Providers] is a good idea for both starters and those willing to work with companies that have Cheetah experience.

== Recommended Server Setup ==

Since Cheetah is a resource-intensive platform, it is very important to "fine-tune" your server. In some cases (for popular sites) you may have to setup clustered servers, and/or a remote database server. Alternative "web-server" software, such as [http://nginx.org/ nginx] may also be beneficial to your site performance. Please refer to [[Hosting_Server_Setup_Recommendations]] for the details on how you can tune-up your server.

Cheetah System Requirements

2021-10-23T13:08:12Z

Admin: /* Server Requirements */

= Cheetah Hosting(System) Requirements =

A default Cheetah installation works with most common configurations of hosting server, however, since Cheetah is a package with multiple scripts and apps, it is very important to ensure that all of the following requirements are met. Most of the technical problems occur due to improper server setup, so make sure that your hosting provider is Cheetah-compatible.

To help avoid trouble, we gathered a number of [https://www.cheetahwsb.com/page/hosting Recommended Hosting Providers] that have Cheetah-ready accounts and experience with managing accounts that have Cheetah installed. Some of them offer instant installation or even pre-installed Cheetah.

Providing that the server is properly configured, it is possible to run Cheetah on a shared hosting account although not recommended. It is strongly suggested that you have at least a VPS for Cheetah. A '''dedicated server''' is even better and is the recommended choice.

'''NOTE:''' If you do decide to go with shared hosting to keep costs down please keep the following in mind. Most shared hosting accounts do not meet the requirements for many of the PHP setting requirements listed below. Especially memory_limit, max_execution_time, upload_max_filesize and exec(). So make sure the hosting company you choose allows those to be changed or you will have problems running Cheetah.

== Server Requirements ==

* Linux/Unix (Red Hat, Ubuntu, Debian, FreeBSD, Mandrake, etc.). Windows OS has also been known to work, but Cheetah is not tested on Windows so is not recommended.
** '''Note:''' Linux kernel 2.6.32 or higher is needed for ffmpeg.exe
** '''Windows OS''' is not recommended. Not many Cheetah users run on Windows based servers, so support will be very limited. Cheetah is also developed for and only tested on Linux based servers.
* '''Apache v.1.3''' and higher or '''LiteSpeed''' web server. Other web servers can be used too, but custom rewrite rules are required, we have one for [https://www.cheetahwsb.com/m/cheetah_docs/chapter/how-to-setup-cheetah-on-nginx nginx web server].
* '''PHP 5.4.0''' or higher. '''PHP 7''' recommended. '''Cheetah is not yet compatible with PHP 8''' 
** '''PHP-CLI''' (command line version) should also be installed, and it should be configured the same way and have the same extensions required by Cheetah as the FPM version.
*** '''For Cheetah versions above 1.2.0'''
**** '''Hosting''' needs to be running '''PHP-FPM'''. PHP as an Apache module(DS0) is outdated and no longer supported. PHP running as a '''PHP-FPM''' application is necessary for the Cheetah update system and other features. You will not be able to update Cheetah without it.
**** '''PHP-FPM''' needs to be running as the same user that uploaded the website files.
**** '''NOTE:''' If your choice of hosting is providing Plesk or cPanel, then this is normally not a issue as these providers normally have PHP setup this way by default. This is normally only a concern for those that are setting up and configuring their own servers.
* '''register_globals''' must be '''Off''' 
* '''safe_mode''' must be '''Off''' 
* '''exec()''' (executable files) must be '''allowed''' 
* '''short_open_tag''' must be '''On''' 
* '''allow_url_fopen''' should be '''On''' 
* '''allow_url_include''' should be '''Off''' 
* '''open_basedir''' should not have any value 
* '''upload_max_filesize''' should be '''1024M''' or higher 
* '''memory_limit''' should be '''256M''' or higher. '''512M''' or higher is '''highly recommended'''.
* '''max_execution_time''' must be set to '''300''' or higher. Some areas of Cheetah perform database backups. Script timeouts that occur if this setting is too low will cause problems during those backups.
* '''curl, gd, mbstring, xsl, json, fileinfo, openssl, zip, ftp, calendar, exif, pdo,''' and '''pdo_mysql '''extensions''' must be installed'''.
* '''[http://www.mysql.com/ MySQL 4.1.2]''' and higher.
* The '''magic_quotes_gpc''' option must be disabled.
* If a security module is installed (such as '''mod_security''' for Apache), it should be able to be configured for specific folders (or disabled).
* '''mod_rewrite''' for Apache
* Direct connection to https://www.cheetahwsb.com/ should be able to be established (i.e. connection without requiring proxy authorization). This is required for license verification.
* '''[http://www.boutell.com/gd/ GD library]''' compiled with '''FreeType''' fonts (for photo processing) or '''[http://imagemagick.org/ ImageMagick]''' as an alternative.
* '''Sendmail''' or '''Postfix''' programs for sending emails.
* Ability to create '''[http://www.unixgeeks.org/security/newbie/unix/cron-1.html Cron Jobs]'''.
* You should be able to run executable files (you would need it for '''ffmpeg.exe''', which converts videos).

== Server Requirements for Media Streaming ==

Some of Cheetah's features (such as Flash Chat, Flash IM, Boards, Video Recorder, Video Comments) require media streaming capabilities. To use those, you need to make sure that the following requirements are met:

* '''VPS''' or '''Dedicated''' server is generally required in order to be able to install and run '''RMS (Ray Media Server)'''. You would need access to the '''root''' or '''administrator''' account on the hosting server.
* '''[http://www.java.com/en/download/manual.jsp JRE] (Java Runtime Environment) ver. 1.6''' or higher should be installed.
* Ports '''1935''', '''1936''' and '''5080''' should be open on the server.
* Allowance of at least 15 KB/sec for media streaming for each user.

-----

'''''It is a good idea to send the list above to your hosting provider to make sure the server is ready for installation. If all the above requirements are met you are all set to proceed to [https://www.cheetahwsb.com/m/cheetah_docs/chapter/installing-cheetah Cheetah Installation]'''.''

-----

== Recommended Hosting Providers ==

Going for one of our [https://www.cheetahwsb.com/page/hosting Recommended Hosting Providers] is a good idea for both starters and those willing to work with companies that have Cheetah experience.

== Recommended Server Setup ==

Since Cheetah is a resource-intensive platform, it is very important to "fine-tune" your server. In some cases (for popular sites) you may have to setup clustered servers, and/or a remote database server. Alternative "web-server" software, such as [http://nginx.org/ nginx] may also be beneficial to your site performance. Please refer to [[Hosting_Server_Setup_Recommendations]] for the details on how you can tune-up your server.

Cheetah System Requirements

2021-10-23T13:06:18Z

Admin: /* Server Requirements */

= Cheetah Hosting(System) Requirements =

A default Cheetah installation works with most common configurations of hosting server, however, since Cheetah is a package with multiple scripts and apps, it is very important to ensure that all of the following requirements are met. Most of the technical problems occur due to improper server setup, so make sure that your hosting provider is Cheetah-compatible.

To help avoid trouble, we gathered a number of [https://www.cheetahwsb.com/page/hosting Recommended Hosting Providers] that have Cheetah-ready accounts and experience with managing accounts that have Cheetah installed. Some of them offer instant installation or even pre-installed Cheetah.

Providing that the server is properly configured, it is possible to run Cheetah on a shared hosting account although not recommended. It is strongly suggested that you have at least a VPS for Cheetah. A '''dedicated server''' is even better and is the recommended choice.

'''NOTE:''' If you do decide to go with shared hosting to keep costs down please keep the following in mind. Most shared hosting accounts do not meet the requirements for many of the PHP setting requirements listed below. Especially memory_limit, max_execution_time, upload_max_filesize and exec(). So make sure the hosting company you choose allows those to be changed or you will have problems running Cheetah.

== Server Requirements ==

* Linux/Unix (Red Hat, Debian, FreeBSD, Mandrake, etc.) or Windows OS
** '''Note:''' Linux kernel 2.6.32 or higher is needed for ffmpeg.exe
** '''Windows OS''' is not recommended. Not many Cheetah users run on Windows based servers, so support will be very limited. Cheetah is also developed for and only tested on Linux based servers.
* '''Apache v.1.3''' and higher or '''LiteSpeed''' web server. Other web servers can be used too, but custom rewrite rules are required, we have one for [https://www.cheetahwsb.com/m/cheetah_docs/chapter/how-to-setup-cheetah-on-nginx nginx web server].
* '''PHP 5.4.0''' or higher. '''PHP 7''' recommended. '''Cheetah is not yet compatible with PHP 8''' 
** '''PHP-CLI''' (command line version) should also be installed, and it should be configured the same way and have the same extensions required by Cheetah as the FPM version.
*** '''For Cheetah versions above 1.2.0'''
**** '''Hosting''' needs to be running '''PHP-FPM'''. PHP as an Apache module(DS0) is outdated and no longer supported. PHP running as a '''PHP-FPM''' application is necessary for the Cheetah update system and other features. You will not be able to update Cheetah without it.
**** '''PHP-FPM''' needs to be running as the same user that uploaded the website files.
**** '''NOTE:''' If your choice of hosting is providing Plesk or cPanel, then this is normally not a issue as these providers normally have PHP setup this way by default. This is normally only a concern for those that are setting up and configuring their own servers.
* '''register_globals''' must be '''Off''' 
* '''safe_mode''' must be '''Off''' 
* '''exec()''' (executable files) must be '''allowed''' 
* '''short_open_tag''' must be '''On''' 
* '''allow_url_fopen''' should be '''On''' 
* '''allow_url_include''' should be '''Off''' 
* '''open_basedir''' should not have any value 
* '''upload_max_filesize''' should be '''1024M''' or higher 
* '''memory_limit''' should be '''256M''' or higher. '''512M''' or higher is '''highly recommended'''.
* '''max_execution_time''' must be set to '''300''' or higher. Some areas of Cheetah perform database backups. Script timeouts that occur if this setting is too low will cause problems during those backups.
* '''curl, gd, mbstring, xsl, json, fileinfo, openssl, zip, ftp, calendar, exif, pdo,''' and '''pdo_mysql '''extensions''' must be installed'''.
* '''[http://www.mysql.com/ MySQL 4.1.2]''' and higher.
* The '''magic_quotes_gpc''' option must be disabled.
* If a security module is installed (such as '''mod_security''' for Apache), it should be able to be configured for specific folders (or disabled).
* '''mod_rewrite''' for Apache
* Direct connection to https://www.cheetahwsb.com/ should be able to be established (i.e. connection without requiring proxy authorization). This is required for license verification.
* '''[http://www.boutell.com/gd/ GD library]''' compiled with '''FreeType''' fonts (for photo processing) or '''[http://imagemagick.org/ ImageMagick]''' as an alternative.
* '''Sendmail''' or '''Postfix''' programs for sending emails.
* Ability to create '''[http://www.unixgeeks.org/security/newbie/unix/cron-1.html Cron Jobs]'''.
* You should be able to run executable files (you would need it for '''ffmpeg.exe''', which converts videos).

== Server Requirements for Media Streaming ==

Some of Cheetah's features (such as Flash Chat, Flash IM, Boards, Video Recorder, Video Comments) require media streaming capabilities. To use those, you need to make sure that the following requirements are met:

* '''VPS''' or '''Dedicated''' server is generally required in order to be able to install and run '''RMS (Ray Media Server)'''. You would need access to the '''root''' or '''administrator''' account on the hosting server.
* '''[http://www.java.com/en/download/manual.jsp JRE] (Java Runtime Environment) ver. 1.6''' or higher should be installed.
* Ports '''1935''', '''1936''' and '''5080''' should be open on the server.
* Allowance of at least 15 KB/sec for media streaming for each user.

-----

'''''It is a good idea to send the list above to your hosting provider to make sure the server is ready for installation. If all the above requirements are met you are all set to proceed to [https://www.cheetahwsb.com/m/cheetah_docs/chapter/installing-cheetah Cheetah Installation]'''.''

-----

== Recommended Hosting Providers ==

Going for one of our [https://www.cheetahwsb.com/page/hosting Recommended Hosting Providers] is a good idea for both starters and those willing to work with companies that have Cheetah experience.

== Recommended Server Setup ==

Since Cheetah is a resource-intensive platform, it is very important to "fine-tune" your server. In some cases (for popular sites) you may have to setup clustered servers, and/or a remote database server. Alternative "web-server" software, such as [http://nginx.org/ nginx] may also be beneficial to your site performance. Please refer to [[Hosting_Server_Setup_Recommendations]] for the details on how you can tune-up your server.

Cheetah System Requirements

2021-10-23T13:04:52Z

Admin: /* Server Requirements */

= Cheetah Hosting(System) Requirements =

A default Cheetah installation works with most common configurations of hosting server, however, since Cheetah is a package with multiple scripts and apps, it is very important to ensure that all of the following requirements are met. Most of the technical problems occur due to improper server setup, so make sure that your hosting provider is Cheetah-compatible.

To help avoid trouble, we gathered a number of [https://www.cheetahwsb.com/page/hosting Recommended Hosting Providers] that have Cheetah-ready accounts and experience with managing accounts that have Cheetah installed. Some of them offer instant installation or even pre-installed Cheetah.

Providing that the server is properly configured, it is possible to run Cheetah on a shared hosting account although not recommended. It is strongly suggested that you have at least a VPS for Cheetah. A '''dedicated server''' is even better and is the recommended choice.

'''NOTE:''' If you do decide to go with shared hosting to keep costs down please keep the following in mind. Most shared hosting accounts do not meet the requirements for many of the PHP setting requirements listed below. Especially memory_limit, max_execution_time, upload_max_filesize and exec(). So make sure the hosting company you choose allows those to be changed or you will have problems running Cheetah.

== Server Requirements ==

* Linux/Unix (Red Hat, Debian, FreeBSD, Mandrake, etc.) or Windows OS
** '''Note:''' Linux kernel 2.6.32 or higher is needed for ffmpeg.exe
** '''Windows OS''' is not recommended. Not many Cheetah users run on Windows based servers, so support will be very limited. Cheetah is also developed for and only tested on Linux based servers.
* '''Apache v.1.3''' and higher or '''LiteSpeed''' web server. Other web servers can be used too, but custom rewrite rules are required, we have one for [https://www.cheetahwsb.com/m/cheetah_docs/chapter/how-to-setup-cheetah-on-nginx nginx web server].
* '''PHP 5.4.0''' or higher. '''PHP 7''' recommended. Cheetah is not yet compatible with PHP 8 
** '''PHP-CLI''' (command line version) should also be installed, and it should be configured the same way and have the same extensions required by Cheetah as the FPM version.
*** '''For Cheetah versions above 1.2.0'''
**** Host needs to be running '''PHP-FPM'''. PHP as an Apache module(DS0) is outdated and no longer supported. PHP running as a '''PHP-FPM''' application is necessary for the Cheetah update system and other features. You will not be able to update Cheetah without it.
**** '''PHP-FPM''' needs to be running as the same user that uploaded the website files.
**** '''NOTE:''' If your choice of hosting is providing Plesk or cPanel, then this is normally not a issue as these providers normally have PHP setup this way by default. This is normally only a concern for those that are setting up and configuring their own servers.
* '''register_globals''' must be '''Off''' 
* '''safe_mode''' must be '''Off''' 
* '''exec()''' (executable files) must be '''allowed''' 
* '''short_open_tag''' must be '''On''' 
* '''allow_url_fopen''' should be '''On''' 
* '''allow_url_include''' should be '''Off''' 
* '''open_basedir''' should not have any value 
* '''upload_max_filesize''' should be '''1024M''' or higher 
* '''memory_limit''' should be '''256M''' or higher. '''512M''' or higher is '''highly recommended'''.
* '''max_execution_time''' must be set to '''300''' or higher. Some areas of Cheetah perform database backups. Script timeouts that occur if this setting is too low will cause problems during those backups.
* '''curl, gd, mbstring, xsl, json, fileinfo, openssl, zip, ftp, calendar, exif, pdo,''' and '''pdo_mysql '''extensions''' must be installed'''.
* '''[http://www.mysql.com/ MySQL 4.1.2]''' and higher.
* The '''magic_quotes_gpc''' option must be disabled.
* If a security module is installed (such as '''mod_security''' for Apache), it should be able to be configured for specific folders (or disabled).
* '''mod_rewrite''' for Apache
* Direct connection to https://www.cheetahwsb.com/ should be able to be established (i.e. connection without requiring proxy authorization). This is required for license verification.
* '''[http://www.boutell.com/gd/ GD library]''' compiled with '''FreeType''' fonts (for photo processing) or '''[http://imagemagick.org/ ImageMagick]''' as an alternative.
* '''Sendmail''' or '''Postfix''' programs for sending emails.
* Ability to create '''[http://www.unixgeeks.org/security/newbie/unix/cron-1.html Cron Jobs]'''.
* You should be able to run executable files (you would need it for '''ffmpeg.exe''', which converts videos).

== Server Requirements for Media Streaming ==

Some of Cheetah's features (such as Flash Chat, Flash IM, Boards, Video Recorder, Video Comments) require media streaming capabilities. To use those, you need to make sure that the following requirements are met:

* '''VPS''' or '''Dedicated''' server is generally required in order to be able to install and run '''RMS (Ray Media Server)'''. You would need access to the '''root''' or '''administrator''' account on the hosting server.
* '''[http://www.java.com/en/download/manual.jsp JRE] (Java Runtime Environment) ver. 1.6''' or higher should be installed.
* Ports '''1935''', '''1936''' and '''5080''' should be open on the server.
* Allowance of at least 15 KB/sec for media streaming for each user.

-----

'''''It is a good idea to send the list above to your hosting provider to make sure the server is ready for installation. If all the above requirements are met you are all set to proceed to [https://www.cheetahwsb.com/m/cheetah_docs/chapter/installing-cheetah Cheetah Installation]'''.''

-----

== Recommended Hosting Providers ==

Going for one of our [https://www.cheetahwsb.com/page/hosting Recommended Hosting Providers] is a good idea for both starters and those willing to work with companies that have Cheetah experience.

== Recommended Server Setup ==

Since Cheetah is a resource-intensive platform, it is very important to "fine-tune" your server. In some cases (for popular sites) you may have to setup clustered servers, and/or a remote database server. Alternative "web-server" software, such as [http://nginx.org/ nginx] may also be beneficial to your site performance. Please refer to [[Hosting_Server_Setup_Recommendations]] for the details on how you can tune-up your server.

Cheetah System Requirements

2021-10-23T13:02:22Z

Admin: /* Server Requirements */

= Cheetah Hosting(System) Requirements =

A default Cheetah installation works with most common configurations of hosting server, however, since Cheetah is a package with multiple scripts and apps, it is very important to ensure that all of the following requirements are met. Most of the technical problems occur due to improper server setup, so make sure that your hosting provider is Cheetah-compatible.

To help avoid trouble, we gathered a number of [https://www.cheetahwsb.com/page/hosting Recommended Hosting Providers] that have Cheetah-ready accounts and experience with managing accounts that have Cheetah installed. Some of them offer instant installation or even pre-installed Cheetah.

Providing that the server is properly configured, it is possible to run Cheetah on a shared hosting account although not recommended. It is strongly suggested that you have at least a VPS for Cheetah. A '''dedicated server''' is even better and is the recommended choice.

'''NOTE:''' If you do decide to go with shared hosting to keep costs down please keep the following in mind. Most shared hosting accounts do not meet the requirements for many of the PHP setting requirements listed below. Especially memory_limit, max_execution_time, upload_max_filesize and exec(). So make sure the hosting company you choose allows those to be changed or you will have problems running Cheetah.

== Server Requirements ==

* Linux/Unix (Red Hat, Debian, FreeBSD, Mandrake, etc.) or Windows OS
** '''Note:''' Linux kernel 2.6.32 or higher is needed for ffmpeg.exe
** '''Windows OS''' is not recommended. Not many Cheetah users run on Windows based servers, so support will be very limited. Cheetah is also developed for and only tested on Linux based servers.
* '''Apache v.1.3''' and higher or '''LiteSpeed''' web server. Other web servers can be used too, but custom rewrite rules are required, we have one for [https://www.cheetahwsb.com/m/cheetah_docs/chapter/how-to-setup-cheetah-on-nginx nginx web server].
* '''PHP 5.4.0''' or higher. '''PHP 7''' recommended. Cheetah is not yet compatible with PHP 8 
** '''PHP-CLI''' (command line version) should also be installed, and it should be configured the same way and have the same extensions required by Cheetah as the FPM version.
** Host needs to be running '''PHP-FPM'''. PHP as an Apache module(DS0) is outdated and no longer supported. PHP running as a '''PHP-FPM''' application is necessary for the Cheetah update system and other features. You will not be able to update Cheetah without it.
** '''PHP-FPM''' needs to be running as the same user that uploaded the website files.
*** '''NOTE:''' If your choice of hosting is providing Plesk or cPanel, then this is normally not a issue as these providers normally have PHP setup this way by default. This is normally only a concern for those that are setting up and configuring their own servers.
* '''register_globals''' must be '''Off''' 
* '''safe_mode''' must be '''Off''' 
* '''exec()''' (executable files) must be '''allowed''' 
* '''short_open_tag''' must be '''On''' 
* '''allow_url_fopen''' should be '''On''' 
* '''allow_url_include''' should be '''Off''' 
* '''open_basedir''' should not have any value 
* '''upload_max_filesize''' should be '''1024M''' or higher 
* '''memory_limit''' should be '''256M''' or higher. '''512M''' or higher is '''highly recommended'''.
* '''max_execution_time''' must be set to '''300''' or higher. Some areas of Cheetah perform database backups. Script timeouts that occur if this setting is too low will cause problems during those backups.
* '''curl, gd, mbstring, xsl, json, fileinfo, openssl, zip, ftp, calendar, exif, pdo,''' and '''pdo_mysql '''extensions''' must be installed'''.
* '''[http://www.mysql.com/ MySQL 4.1.2]''' and higher.
* The '''magic_quotes_gpc''' option must be disabled.
* If a security module is installed (such as '''mod_security''' for Apache), it should be able to be configured for specific folders (or disabled).
* '''mod_rewrite''' for Apache
* Direct connection to https://www.cheetahwsb.com/ should be able to be established (i.e. connection without requiring proxy authorization). This is required for license verification.
* '''[http://www.boutell.com/gd/ GD library]''' compiled with '''FreeType''' fonts (for photo processing) or '''[http://imagemagick.org/ ImageMagick]''' as an alternative.
* '''Sendmail''' or '''Postfix''' programs for sending emails.
* Ability to create '''[http://www.unixgeeks.org/security/newbie/unix/cron-1.html Cron Jobs]'''.
* You should be able to run executable files (you would need it for '''ffmpeg.exe''', which converts videos).

== Server Requirements for Media Streaming ==

Some of Cheetah's features (such as Flash Chat, Flash IM, Boards, Video Recorder, Video Comments) require media streaming capabilities. To use those, you need to make sure that the following requirements are met:

* '''VPS''' or '''Dedicated''' server is generally required in order to be able to install and run '''RMS (Ray Media Server)'''. You would need access to the '''root''' or '''administrator''' account on the hosting server.
* '''[http://www.java.com/en/download/manual.jsp JRE] (Java Runtime Environment) ver. 1.6''' or higher should be installed.
* Ports '''1935''', '''1936''' and '''5080''' should be open on the server.
* Allowance of at least 15 KB/sec for media streaming for each user.

-----

'''''It is a good idea to send the list above to your hosting provider to make sure the server is ready for installation. If all the above requirements are met you are all set to proceed to [https://www.cheetahwsb.com/m/cheetah_docs/chapter/installing-cheetah Cheetah Installation]'''.''

-----

== Recommended Hosting Providers ==

Going for one of our [https://www.cheetahwsb.com/page/hosting Recommended Hosting Providers] is a good idea for both starters and those willing to work with companies that have Cheetah experience.

== Recommended Server Setup ==

Since Cheetah is a resource-intensive platform, it is very important to "fine-tune" your server. In some cases (for popular sites) you may have to setup clustered servers, and/or a remote database server. Alternative "web-server" software, such as [http://nginx.org/ nginx] may also be beneficial to your site performance. Please refer to [[Hosting_Server_Setup_Recommendations]] for the details on how you can tune-up your server.

Cheetah System Requirements

2021-10-23T13:00:18Z

Admin: /* Server Requirements */

= Cheetah Hosting(System) Requirements =

A default Cheetah installation works with most common configurations of hosting server, however, since Cheetah is a package with multiple scripts and apps, it is very important to ensure that all of the following requirements are met. Most of the technical problems occur due to improper server setup, so make sure that your hosting provider is Cheetah-compatible.

To help avoid trouble, we gathered a number of [https://www.cheetahwsb.com/page/hosting Recommended Hosting Providers] that have Cheetah-ready accounts and experience with managing accounts that have Cheetah installed. Some of them offer instant installation or even pre-installed Cheetah.

Providing that the server is properly configured, it is possible to run Cheetah on a shared hosting account although not recommended. It is strongly suggested that you have at least a VPS for Cheetah. A '''dedicated server''' is even better and is the recommended choice.

'''NOTE:''' If you do decide to go with shared hosting to keep costs down please keep the following in mind. Most shared hosting accounts do not meet the requirements for many of the PHP setting requirements listed below. Especially memory_limit, max_execution_time, upload_max_filesize and exec(). So make sure the hosting company you choose allows those to be changed or you will have problems running Cheetah.

== Server Requirements ==

* Linux/Unix (Red Hat, Debian, FreeBSD, Mandrake, etc.) or Windows OS
** '''Note:''' Linux kernel 2.6.32 or higher is needed for ffmpeg.exe
** '''Windows OS''' is not recommended. Not many Cheetah users run on Windows based servers, so support will be very limited. Cheetah is also developed for and only tested on Linux based servers.
* '''Apache v.1.3''' and higher or '''LiteSpeed''' web server. Other web servers can be used too, but custom rewrite rules are required, we have one for [https://www.cheetahwsb.com/m/cheetah_docs/chapter/how-to-setup-cheetah-on-nginx nginx web server].
* '''PHP 5.4.0''' or higher. '''PHP 7''' recommended. Cheetah is not yet compatible with PHP 8 
** '''PHP-CLI''' (command line version) should also be installed, and it should be configured the same way and have the same extensions required by Cheetah as the FPM version.
** Host needs to be running '''PHP-FPM'''. PHP as an Apache module(DS0) is outdated and no longer supported. PHP running as a '''PHP-FPM''' application is necessary for the Cheetah update system and other features. You will not be able to update Cheetah without it.
** '''PHP-FPM''' needs to be running as the same user that uploaded the website files.
*** NOTE: If your choice of hosting is providing Plesk or cPanel, then this is normally not a issue as these providers normally have PHP setup this way by default. This is normally only a consern for those that are setting up and configuring their own servers.
* '''register_globals''' must be '''Off''' 
* '''safe_mode''' must be '''Off''' 
* '''exec()''' (executable files) must be '''allowed''' 
* '''short_open_tag''' must be '''On''' 
* '''allow_url_fopen''' should be '''On''' 
* '''allow_url_include''' should be '''Off''' 
* '''open_basedir''' should not have any value 
* '''upload_max_filesize''' should be '''1024M''' or higher 
* '''memory_limit''' should be '''256M''' or higher. '''512M''' or higher is '''highly recommended'''.
* '''max_execution_time''' must be set to '''300''' or higher. Some areas of Cheetah perform database backups. Script timeouts that occur if this setting is too low will cause problems during those backups.
* '''curl, gd, mbstring, xsl, json, fileinfo, openssl, zip, ftp, calendar, exif, pdo,''' and '''pdo_mysql '''extensions''' must be installed'''.
* '''[http://www.mysql.com/ MySQL 4.1.2]''' and higher.
* The '''magic_quotes_gpc''' option must be disabled.
* If a security module is installed (such as '''mod_security''' for Apache), it should be able to be configured for specific folders (or disabled).
* '''mod_rewrite''' for Apache
* Direct connection to https://www.cheetahwsb.com/ should be able to be established (i.e. connection without requiring proxy authorization). This is required for license verification.
* '''[http://www.boutell.com/gd/ GD library]''' compiled with '''FreeType''' fonts (for photo processing) or '''[http://imagemagick.org/ ImageMagick]''' as an alternative.
* '''Sendmail''' or '''Postfix''' programs for sending emails.
* Ability to create '''[http://www.unixgeeks.org/security/newbie/unix/cron-1.html Cron Jobs]'''.
* You should be able to run executable files (you would need it for '''ffmpeg.exe''', which converts videos).

== Server Requirements for Media Streaming ==

Some of Cheetah's features (such as Flash Chat, Flash IM, Boards, Video Recorder, Video Comments) require media streaming capabilities. To use those, you need to make sure that the following requirements are met:

* '''VPS''' or '''Dedicated''' server is generally required in order to be able to install and run '''RMS (Ray Media Server)'''. You would need access to the '''root''' or '''administrator''' account on the hosting server.
* '''[http://www.java.com/en/download/manual.jsp JRE] (Java Runtime Environment) ver. 1.6''' or higher should be installed.
* Ports '''1935''', '''1936''' and '''5080''' should be open on the server.
* Allowance of at least 15 KB/sec for media streaming for each user.

-----

'''''It is a good idea to send the list above to your hosting provider to make sure the server is ready for installation. If all the above requirements are met you are all set to proceed to [https://www.cheetahwsb.com/m/cheetah_docs/chapter/installing-cheetah Cheetah Installation]'''.''

-----

== Recommended Hosting Providers ==

Going for one of our [https://www.cheetahwsb.com/page/hosting Recommended Hosting Providers] is a good idea for both starters and those willing to work with companies that have Cheetah experience.

== Recommended Server Setup ==

Since Cheetah is a resource-intensive platform, it is very important to "fine-tune" your server. In some cases (for popular sites) you may have to setup clustered servers, and/or a remote database server. Alternative "web-server" software, such as [http://nginx.org/ nginx] may also be beneficial to your site performance. Please refer to [[Hosting_Server_Setup_Recommendations]] for the details on how you can tune-up your server.

Cheetah System Requirements

2021-10-23T12:57:16Z

Admin: /* Server Requirements */

= Cheetah Hosting(System) Requirements =

A default Cheetah installation works with most common configurations of hosting server, however, since Cheetah is a package with multiple scripts and apps, it is very important to ensure that all of the following requirements are met. Most of the technical problems occur due to improper server setup, so make sure that your hosting provider is Cheetah-compatible.

To help avoid trouble, we gathered a number of [https://www.cheetahwsb.com/page/hosting Recommended Hosting Providers] that have Cheetah-ready accounts and experience with managing accounts that have Cheetah installed. Some of them offer instant installation or even pre-installed Cheetah.

Providing that the server is properly configured, it is possible to run Cheetah on a shared hosting account although not recommended. It is strongly suggested that you have at least a VPS for Cheetah. A '''dedicated server''' is even better and is the recommended choice.

'''NOTE:''' If you do decide to go with shared hosting to keep costs down please keep the following in mind. Most shared hosting accounts do not meet the requirements for many of the PHP setting requirements listed below. Especially memory_limit, max_execution_time, upload_max_filesize and exec(). So make sure the hosting company you choose allows those to be changed or you will have problems running Cheetah.

== Server Requirements ==

* Linux/Unix (Red Hat, Debian, FreeBSD, Mandrake, etc.) or Windows OS
** '''Note:''' Linux kernel 2.6.32 or higher is needed for ffmpeg.exe
** '''Windows OS''' is not recommended. Not many Cheetah users run on Windows based servers, so support will be very limited. Cheetah is also developed for and only tested on Linux based servers.
* '''Apache v.1.3''' and higher or '''LiteSpeed''' web server. Other web servers can be used too, but custom rewrite rules are required, we have one for [https://www.cheetahwsb.com/m/cheetah_docs/chapter/how-to-setup-cheetah-on-nginx nginx web server].
* '''PHP 5.4.0''' or higher. '''PHP 7''' recommended. Cheetah is not yet compatible with PHP 8 
** '''PHP-CLI''' (command line version) should also be installed, and it should be configured the same way and have the same extensions required by Cheetah as the FPM version.
** Host needs to be running '''PHP-FPM'''. PHP as an Apache module(DS0) is outdated and no longer supported. PHP running as a '''PHP-FPM''' application is necessary for the Cheetah update system and other features. You will not be able to update Cheetah without it.
** '''PHP-FPM''' needs to be running as the same user that uploaded the website files.
* '''register_globals''' must be '''Off''' 
* '''safe_mode''' must be '''Off''' 
* '''exec()''' (executable files) must be '''allowed''' 
* '''short_open_tag''' must be '''On''' 
* '''allow_url_fopen''' should be '''On''' 
* '''allow_url_include''' should be '''Off''' 
* '''open_basedir''' should not have any value 
* '''upload_max_filesize''' should be '''1024M''' or higher 
* '''memory_limit''' should be '''256M''' or higher. '''512M''' or higher is '''highly recommended'''.
* '''max_execution_time''' must be set to '''300''' or higher. Some areas of Cheetah perform database backups. Script timeouts that occur if this setting is too low will cause problems during those backups.
* '''curl, gd, mbstring, xsl, json, fileinfo, openssl, zip, ftp, calendar, exif, pdo,''' and '''pdo_mysql '''extensions''' must be installed'''.
* '''[http://www.mysql.com/ MySQL 4.1.2]''' and higher.
* The '''magic_quotes_gpc''' option must be disabled.
* If a security module is installed (such as '''mod_security''' for Apache), it should be able to be configured for specific folders (or disabled).
* '''mod_rewrite''' for Apache
* Direct connection to https://www.cheetahwsb.com/ should be able to be established (i.e. connection without requiring proxy authorization). This is required for license verification.
* '''[http://www.boutell.com/gd/ GD library]''' compiled with '''FreeType''' fonts (for photo processing) or '''[http://imagemagick.org/ ImageMagick]''' as an alternative.
* '''Sendmail''' or '''Postfix''' programs for sending emails.
* Ability to create '''[http://www.unixgeeks.org/security/newbie/unix/cron-1.html Cron Jobs]'''.
* You should be able to run executable files (you would need it for '''ffmpeg.exe''', which converts videos).

== Server Requirements for Media Streaming ==

Some of Cheetah's features (such as Flash Chat, Flash IM, Boards, Video Recorder, Video Comments) require media streaming capabilities. To use those, you need to make sure that the following requirements are met:

* '''VPS''' or '''Dedicated''' server is generally required in order to be able to install and run '''RMS (Ray Media Server)'''. You would need access to the '''root''' or '''administrator''' account on the hosting server.
* '''[http://www.java.com/en/download/manual.jsp JRE] (Java Runtime Environment) ver. 1.6''' or higher should be installed.
* Ports '''1935''', '''1936''' and '''5080''' should be open on the server.
* Allowance of at least 15 KB/sec for media streaming for each user.

-----

'''''It is a good idea to send the list above to your hosting provider to make sure the server is ready for installation. If all the above requirements are met you are all set to proceed to [https://www.cheetahwsb.com/m/cheetah_docs/chapter/installing-cheetah Cheetah Installation]'''.''

-----

== Recommended Hosting Providers ==

Going for one of our [https://www.cheetahwsb.com/page/hosting Recommended Hosting Providers] is a good idea for both starters and those willing to work with companies that have Cheetah experience.

== Recommended Server Setup ==

Since Cheetah is a resource-intensive platform, it is very important to "fine-tune" your server. In some cases (for popular sites) you may have to setup clustered servers, and/or a remote database server. Alternative "web-server" software, such as [http://nginx.org/ nginx] may also be beneficial to your site performance. Please refer to [[Hosting_Server_Setup_Recommendations]] for the details on how you can tune-up your server.

Hosting Server Setup Recommendations

2021-10-23T12:28:15Z

Admin: /* CGI/suPHP */

= Hosting Server Setup Recommendations for Optimal Cheetah Performance =

Cheetah is a package of many scripts and it may perform very well only if the server is properly configured. Unfortunately, we have noticed that many server default setups are very inefficient, often leading to false assumptions about Cheetah performance. In some cases hosting providers terminate accounts due to heavy load, although traffic is insignificant. This document covers very basic recommendations on how to improve your site performance by slightly changing your server configuration. Our research shows that very poor and very good combinations of setups may lead to up to '''2500%''' (25x) difference in execution times of certain files.

These recommendations are for dedicated or VPS server owners, however if you are on shared hosting and notice that your server configuration is inefficient, you can ask your hosting support to change these settings on the server, so the whole server would run faster.

You will need root access to the server and also some skills on how to connect to the server using SSH terminal and must know some basic command line tools, like navigating through directories and editing files.

'''Remember, making the wrong changes can take your server "down". So, be careful, backup everything you can and research more if unsure.'''

''A fast and efficient server setup will lead to better page-load time, lower server resources consumption, smaller hosting bills, better search engine rankings and happier site visitors.''

== Before Starting ==

Always backup old data, so you can always return to the original configuration.

Before starting optimization, it is better to monitor your server performance before starting optimization and after, to see how things are changing, if it becomes better or worse. Try "[http://munin-monitoring.org/ Munin]" server monitor, available as a WHM plugin, which you can install from the WHM panel -> cPanel -> Manage Plugins -> click "Install and Keep Updated" near the Munin logo and press the "Save" button at the bottom of the page. After installing, a link to Munin appears in the "Plugins" section of your WHM panel. Allow up to 10 minutes until it generates pages with graphs for you.

-----

'''Table of contents:'''

* [[m/cheetah_docs/chapter/hosting-server-setup-recommendations#MySQL|MySQL]]
* [[m/cheetah_docs/chapter/hosting-server-setup-recommendations#PHP|PHP]]
* [[m/cheetah_docs/chapter/hosting-server-setup-recommendations#mod_phpdsomodule|mod_php (dso module)]]
* [[m/cheetah_docs/chapter/hosting-server-setup-recommendations#CGIsuPHP|CGI/suPHP]]
* [[m/cheetah_docs/chapter/hosting-server-setup-recommendations#FastCGI|FastCGI]]
* [[m/cheetah_docs/chapter/hosting-server-setup-recommendations#DifferentPHPsetupsBenchmark|Different PHP setups Benchmark]]
* [[m/cheetah_docs/chapter/hosting-server-setup-recommendations#Web-server|Web-server]]
* [[m/cheetah_docs/chapter/hosting-server-setup-recommendations#Preparation|Preparation]]
* [[m/cheetah_docs/chapter/hosting-server-setup-recommendations#Serversidecontentcompression|Server side content compression]]
* [[m/cheetah_docs/chapter/hosting-server-setup-recommendations#Usersidecachingforstaticcontent|User side caching for static content]]
* [[m/cheetah_docs/chapter/hosting-server-setup-recommendations#Conclusion|Conclusion]]

-----

== MySQL ==

-----

First you need to check if "query_cache" is enabled on your server. It was noticed that 80% of all SELECT queries are taken from "query_cache" when it is enabled, so if it is disabled on your server

* mysql performance is '''5''' times slower !

To check this, go to the phpMysqlAdmin tool (in most cases it is in your WHM panel -> SQL Services -> phpMyAdmin). Then click the "Variables" tab. The "query cache size" must be at least 16M, "query cache type" must be ON and "query cache limit" value should be around 1M. Example of a good configuration:

<blockquote>[[File:modules/deano/cheetah_docs/uploads/images/hssr-mysql-1-query-cache.jpg]]
</blockquote>
After you realized that you need to change these settings, you need to edit the "my.cnf" file on your server (in most cases it is in the "/etc" folder) and add the following lines in the "[mysqld]" section of the file. If the same configuration options already exist it is better to comment out old ones (with the hash # symbol ) and add new ones near them:

<pre class="wiki">[mysqld]
query_cache_limit = 1M
query_cache_size = 32M</pre>
You need to restart MySQL server to apply the changes, and you can do it from the WHM panel or from a command line,.. the most common command line for linux servers is:

<pre class="wiki">/etc/init.s/mysql restart</pre>
These are the most critical configuration options. Other useful options should be enabled too - "key buffer size", "max heap table size", "tmp table size", "thread cache" are some of them. But the exact values varies from server to server. For example, for a dedicated or VPS server with 1Gb RAM and one cheetah site, these values maybe like this:

<pre class="wiki">[mysqld]

query_cache_limit = 1M
query_cache_size = 32M

key_buffer_size = 64M

max_heap_table_size = 256M
tmp_table_size = 256M

thread_cache = 128
</pre>
There is already a tool in phpMyAdmin which can help you with deciding what configuration values need to be changed. Go to phpMyAdmin and open the "Status" tab, look through this page and pay attention to red values. There is a comment near each value you can use as a guide in changing a particular MySQL option. During changing, remember that memory is always limited, so you need to increase the values adequately to your available RAM. Keep in mind that these values are collected during a period of time, so if you change some value it is better to wait at least 1 day until new data is collected for analysis. After MySQL is restarted, this data is collected from scratch.

This is an example of how many queries becomes cached after introducing "query cache":

[[File:modules/deano/cheetah_docs/uploads/images/hssr-mysql-2-queries-day.png]]

1 day is shown on the graph. In the beginning, cache was disabled, then cache was enabled - the pink zone shows SELECT queries which are taken from cache. So, the benefits are obvious !

-----

== PHP ==

-----

There are many setup options here, and there are advantages and disadvantages between all of them. So choose the most suitable scenario for your situation. PHP is a part of the webserver and it is difficult to describe PHP without the webserver or related to different webservers, so Apache is considered as the webserver in this section. Most common setups are described, but there are more complex setups that may be available.

=== mod_php (dso module) ===

This method is no longer supported. Hosting should be setup with PHP running as a PHP-FPM application.

=== CGI/suPHP ===

Although all of Cheetahs features should work using this setup. PHP-FPM is still recommended. PHP-FPM is now normally the default for most modern hosts providing Plesk or cPanel. You should not use this unless you have to.

PHP is working in CGI mode (suPHP is the same CGI with the exception that the php script is running under a particular user). Server API in phpinfo() looks like this in this setup:

[[File:modules/deano/cheetah_docs/uploads/images/hssr-php-2-cgi.jpg]]

This is the most inefficient setup. The webserver has to load the PHP interpreter each time, especially when small PHP files are executed - the time overhead can be up to 2500% (25x times slower). Even worse is if opcode cache extensions are not compatible with suPHP.

This is used on shared hosting to separate users from each other, so it is considered to be safe on a shared hosting environment. But when an attacker gets access to your server - access to all files is open, and any file can be modified/removed in any folder, so this maybe a more dangerous result in case of a hack attempt.

Advantages:

* all files are always handled under one owner, so you don't need to bother about file permissions
* PHP settings can be changed without a web-server reload

Disadvantages:

* slow
* opcode cache extensions are not supported
* insecure

Conclusion: it is better to switch to another setup if you have a VPS or dedicated server. If you are on shared hosting, try to ask them to move your account to another server with another setup. If you have no choice - try to lower the number of accesses to the webserver. You can do this by uninstalling the following modules in Cheetah (they make periodic lightweight requests to the web-server): messenger, simple messenger, spy and disable floating member menu. Or, at least increase the time between requests.

=== FPM/FastCGI ===

PHP is working as a separate server process. Server API in phpinfo() looks the same as in CGI/suPHP mode:

[[File:modules/deano/cheetah_docs/uploads/images/hssr-php-2-cgi.jpg]]

This setup is very flexible. There are different webserver modules which implement the FastCGI interface. Also, PHP has built-in support for this interface. In general this is the best setup which provides great flexibility and speed, but setting up can be a bit tricky. It can be run under any user, so it can be run under webserver user (nobody or apache, as usual) or under a specific user.

It maybe a complicated situation with opcode cache PHP extensions, if there are many processes under different users running. In this case, each user will have their own opcode cache - meaning more security from one side, but high memory usage from the other side.

Advantages:

* flexibility
* speed
* security (if properly configured)
* opcode cache extensions support
* enabled by default since PHP 5.3

Disadvantages:

* since there are a lot of ways to implement this setup, it may be difficult to tune it up for a specific situation.
* it may incur high memory usage with opcode cache extensions if there are several PHP processes under different users.

Conclusion: This is the best option in most situations. Just check how your site is functioning - maybe some things can be changed to increase speed and/or the security of your site.

=== Different PHP setups Benchmark ===

Tests were performed on the following environment:

* Hardware: Intel Pentium E2140 (1M Cache, 1.60 GHz, 800 MHz FSB), 1Gb RAM
* OS: Gentoo Linux
* Web-server: Apache 2.2
* PHP: 5.3.3
* Clean Cheetah.0.3 development version with default settings with all modules installed

Apache benchmark (ab) tool was used to measure performance:

<pre class="wiki">ab -c 50 -n 200 -C memberID=1 -C memberPassword=XXX http://local-domain/local/path/index.php</pre>
It means 200 requests with 50 concurrency requests and cookies are set to simulate a logged in user. Total test execution time was measured - so the biggest value means the slowest execution time.

The following pages were tested:

* phpinfo() - performance of single and simple php script file execution time.
* XML.php - performance of periodic requests, like checking for updates in Flash messenger, simple messenger, member menu notifications, spy updates.
* faq.php - performance of simple cheetah pages, page with one text block.
* index.php - performance of complex cheetah pages with many blocks from different modules, most complex and slowest page in Cheetah is tested

Finally the result:

[[modules/deano/cheetah_docs/uploads/images/hssr-benchmark.jpg|[[File:modules/deano/cheetah_docs/uploads/images/hssr-benchmark.jpg]]]]

Conclusion: suPHP/CGI is slowest possible setup. More important is that it is '''5x times slower''' for most frequent requests to XML.php and similar pages comparing to the fastest setup - FastCGI+eAccelerator or mod_php+eAccelerator. If you already have a mod_php or FastCGI setup you can easily install eAccelerator and get more than a 200% performance increase !

Also, from Cheetah.0.3 onward, there is built-in support for eAccelerator shared memory cache, so there is even more of a performance increase - not shown, because this test does not include this modification.

 
 

-----

== Web-server ==

-----

The Web-server is most critical part, and optimizing it can give the most performance increase and leverage server load. There are many tweaks to the web-server, but the most critical optimization will be described.

We will consider the recent version 2.2 of [http://www.apache.org/ Apache] as the most frequently used web-server nowadays, however most of the options should apply to Apache 2.0 too.

If you need to configure Nginx web-server for Cheetah then please refer to [[m/cheetah_docs/chapter/how-to-setup-cheetah-on-nginx|How to setup Cheetah on Nginx webserver]].

A new install of [https://www.cheetahwsb.com/ Cheetah] with all Cheetah modules is used as test environment. Internal Cheetah JS/CSS files compression was disabled to show how to do it using your web-server.

=== Preparation ===

I suggest installing [http://www.mozilla.com/ Firefox] browser + [http://getfirebug.com/ Firebug] extension for Firefox + [http://code.google.com/speed/page-speed/ Page Speed] extension for Firebug.

Page Speed is a great tool from Google which shows a lot of optimization advices for the website. We will use it to check if a a particular optimization trick is enabled and/or to check if changes were applied to the website.

Also Page Speed gives every site an overall score. We will watch this score too to see how it will be increased after basic, but the most critical optimization steps are completed. So, in the beginning or the score is '''64/100''':

[[modules/deano/cheetah_docs/uploads/images/wso-0-preparation.jpg|[[File:modules/deano/cheetah_docs/uploads/images/wso-0-preparation.jpg]]]]

'''Please note:''' your score maybe different, due to different server configuration and different content on the site.

=== Server side content compression ===

Despite the fact that Cheetah.0.3 has built-in compression of JS/CSS files, this is still critical optimization step, because internal Cheetah compression compresses only one combined JS cache file and one combined CSS cache file - these two files are where compression is most important and where most of the file size reduction is possible.

'''Please note:''' compression is disabled automatically if CSS/JS cache is turned off.

Let's see the Page Speed analysis for compression for the Cheetah homepage:

[[modules/deano/cheetah_docs/uploads/images/wso-1-compression.jpg|[[File:modules/deano/cheetah_docs/uploads/images/wso-1-compression.jpg]]]]

Half a megabyte size deduction is possible ! It is about 70 seconds of waiting on a fast 56k modem connection speed. It is already a good reduction for the two most critical files - CSS and JS cache files - 400 kb is possible by default from Cheetah.0.3 on, but more optimization is possible. You need to enable [http://httpd.apache.org/docs/2.2/mod/mod_deflate.html mod_deflate] for apache and tune it right (for Apache 1.3 mod_gzip do the same thing).

To check if '''mod_deflate''' is enabled on your web-server you can execute the following commands on your server:

<pre class="wiki">apachectl -t -D DUMP_MODULES</pre>
and see if the '''deflate_module''' is listed in the output. Also, you can try to check '''phpinfo''' (if you have no access to command line):

[[modules/deano/cheetah_docs/uploads/images/wso-1-compression-phpinfo.jpg|[[File:modules/deano/cheetah_docs/uploads/images/wso-1-compression-phpinfo.jpg]]]]

If this module is installed you can begin to configure it. If not - then you need root access to the server to enable it. It is better to ask your hosting support to enable it on your server. If you have cPanel WHM it can be enabled using the [http://www.cpanel.net/documentation/easyapache/ EasyApache] tool, but anyway it is better to perform this via your hosting support.

To configure '''mod_deflate''' you need access to the '''.htaccess''' file in your Cheetah root folder (root access is not necessary here). Insert the following code in your '''.htaccess''' file in the Cheetah root folder:

<pre class="wiki"> # Insert filter
SetOutputFilter DEFLATE

# Netscape 4.x has some problems...
BrowserMatch ^Mozilla/4 gzip-only-text/html
# Netscape 4.06-4.08 have some more problems
BrowserMatch ^Mozilla/4\.0[678] no-gzip
# MSIE masquerades as Netscape, but it is fine
BrowserMatch \bMSIE !no-gzip !gzip-only-text/html
# Don't compress images/archives/music/video/etc
SetEnvIfNoCase Request_URI \.(?:gif|jpe?g|png)$ no-gzip dont-vary
SetEnvIfNoCase Request_URI \.(?:exe|t?gz|zip|bz2|sit|rar)$ no-gzip dont-vary
SetEnvIfNoCase Request_URI \.(?:avi|mov|mp3|mp4|rm|flv|swf|mp?g)$ no-gzip dont-vary

# Make sure proxies don't deliver the wrong content
Header append Vary User-Agent env=!dont-vary

</pre>
It will enable compression for all files except some archives/movies/music/etc files.

After applying the above change, clear the browser cache and press "Analyze Performance" or "Refresh Analysis" button in Page Speed panel. The resulting score is '''71/100''' now, and the first, most important warnings go away:

[[modules/deano/cheetah_docs/uploads/images/wso-1-compression-result-score.jpg|[[File:modules/deano/cheetah_docs/uploads/images/wso-1-compression-result-score.jpg]]]]

=== User side caching for static content ===

This optimization permits static content to be cached in the user's browser, so the server will not be even asked for the most part of the site's content at all. It can save even more bandwidth and server resources in some cases. This type of optimization users "feel" more than all others. It can change a slow feeling site to lighting fast - without any other optimizations.

The following graph shows an example of introducing this type of optimization on one server:

[[modules/deano/cheetah_docs/uploads/images/wso-2-user-side-cache-graph.jpg|[[File:modules/deano/cheetah_docs/uploads/images/wso-2-user-side-cache-graph.jpg]]]]

Optimization was introduced in the beginning of August and you can see that the number of requests to the server reduced twice as much! This is not a Cheetah based site, but a Cheetah site can be even more optimized because there are more static resources in Cheetah than on this site. /p>

IIn Page Speed analysis this optimization comes next - "Leverage browser caching":

[[modules/deano/cheetah_docs/uploads/images/wso-2-user-side-cache-page-speed-before.jpg|[[File:modules/deano/cheetah_docs/uploads/images/wso-2-user-side-cache-page-speed-before.jpg]]]]

Not all files which can be cached in the browser are even listed, so there are a lot of them. This optimization is first on the screenshot because server side compression is already applied and is not shown.

To introduce this optimization for your site you need the [http://httpd.apache.org/docs/2.2/mod/mod_expires.html mod_expires] mod for Apache. You can check if this module already exists with the same command:

<pre class="wiki">apachectl -t -D DUMP_MODULES</pre>
and see if the '''expires_module''' is listed in the output. You can check '''phpinfo''' too the same way as in "Server side content compression".

After you make sure that the module is available you can add the following code to your '''.htaccess''' file in the Cheetah root folder:

<pre class="wiki"> # enable expirations
ExpiresActive On
# expire images/css/js/swf files after a month in the client's cache
ExpiresByType application/x-shockwave-flash "access plus 30 days"
ExpiresByType text/css "access plus 30 days"
ExpiresByType text/javascript "access plus 30 days"
ExpiresByType application/javascript "access plus 30 days"
ExpiresByType application/x-javascript "access plus 30 days"
ExpiresByType application/x-gzip "access plus 30 days"
ExpiresByType image/gif "access plus 30 days"
ExpiresByType image/jpeg "access plus 30 days"
ExpiresByType image/png "access plus 30 days"
ExpiresByType image/x-icon "access plus 30 days"
ExpiresByType image/vnd.microsoft.icon "access plus 30 days"
</pre>
It will cache all images/css/js/swf files for 1 month in user's the browser cache.

After applying the above change, clear the browser cache and press "Analyze Performance" or "Refresh Analysis" in Page Speed. The resulting score is '''76/100''' now, and the second most important warning goes away:

[[modules/deano/cheetah_docs/uploads/images/wso-2-user-side-cache-page-speed-after.jpg|[[File:modules/deano/cheetah_docs/uploads/images/wso-2-user-side-cache-page-speed-after.jpg]]]]

A common Cheetah page has about strong>200 Kb of static resources that can be cached in a user's browser. Most important is that the number of files is about '''60''' - a browser can not load all these files in parallel and has to load 2-3 files in parallel. This means that loading '''60''' files in a total size of '''200 Kb''' with '''2''' simultaneous loads usually take '''10-20''' seconds on a good DSL connection and '''45''' seconds on a good 56K modem connection.

=== Conclusion ===

After applying above web-server optimization tips your web-server will breath easier and most important is that your users will feel it even more!

The benefits shortlist:

* your users will load approximately 700 Kb less data on each page load
* your users will wait approximately 30 seconds on DSL (2 minutes modem connection) LESS each page load
* visible site response time will be much better
* users will surf more pages at the same time
* users will surf more pages in total - since they are loaded faster
* users bandwidth economy
* better and faster search engines crawling
* better positions in search engines
* server bandwidth economy
* less requests to the server
* server load will be decreased
* everyone will be happier :)

= IMPORTANT =

This guide is a work in progress. We will be adding more information as soon as we have new results and findings. Checking back once in a while is highly recommended.

While server setup is very important, we realize that there is a lot of optimization that can be done in Cheetah. We will continue working on every piece of code in Cheetah to make it the fastest and the most efficient CMS in world.

Hosting Server Setup Recommendations

2021-10-23T12:25:40Z

Admin: /* FastCGI */

= Hosting Server Setup Recommendations for Optimal Cheetah Performance =

Cheetah is a package of many scripts and it may perform very well only if the server is properly configured. Unfortunately, we have noticed that many server default setups are very inefficient, often leading to false assumptions about Cheetah performance. In some cases hosting providers terminate accounts due to heavy load, although traffic is insignificant. This document covers very basic recommendations on how to improve your site performance by slightly changing your server configuration. Our research shows that very poor and very good combinations of setups may lead to up to '''2500%''' (25x) difference in execution times of certain files.

These recommendations are for dedicated or VPS server owners, however if you are on shared hosting and notice that your server configuration is inefficient, you can ask your hosting support to change these settings on the server, so the whole server would run faster.

You will need root access to the server and also some skills on how to connect to the server using SSH terminal and must know some basic command line tools, like navigating through directories and editing files.

'''Remember, making the wrong changes can take your server "down". So, be careful, backup everything you can and research more if unsure.'''

''A fast and efficient server setup will lead to better page-load time, lower server resources consumption, smaller hosting bills, better search engine rankings and happier site visitors.''

== Before Starting ==

Always backup old data, so you can always return to the original configuration.

Before starting optimization, it is better to monitor your server performance before starting optimization and after, to see how things are changing, if it becomes better or worse. Try "[http://munin-monitoring.org/ Munin]" server monitor, available as a WHM plugin, which you can install from the WHM panel -> cPanel -> Manage Plugins -> click "Install and Keep Updated" near the Munin logo and press the "Save" button at the bottom of the page. After installing, a link to Munin appears in the "Plugins" section of your WHM panel. Allow up to 10 minutes until it generates pages with graphs for you.

-----

'''Table of contents:'''

* [[m/cheetah_docs/chapter/hosting-server-setup-recommendations#MySQL|MySQL]]
* [[m/cheetah_docs/chapter/hosting-server-setup-recommendations#PHP|PHP]]
* [[m/cheetah_docs/chapter/hosting-server-setup-recommendations#mod_phpdsomodule|mod_php (dso module)]]
* [[m/cheetah_docs/chapter/hosting-server-setup-recommendations#CGIsuPHP|CGI/suPHP]]
* [[m/cheetah_docs/chapter/hosting-server-setup-recommendations#FastCGI|FastCGI]]
* [[m/cheetah_docs/chapter/hosting-server-setup-recommendations#DifferentPHPsetupsBenchmark|Different PHP setups Benchmark]]
* [[m/cheetah_docs/chapter/hosting-server-setup-recommendations#Web-server|Web-server]]
* [[m/cheetah_docs/chapter/hosting-server-setup-recommendations#Preparation|Preparation]]
* [[m/cheetah_docs/chapter/hosting-server-setup-recommendations#Serversidecontentcompression|Server side content compression]]
* [[m/cheetah_docs/chapter/hosting-server-setup-recommendations#Usersidecachingforstaticcontent|User side caching for static content]]
* [[m/cheetah_docs/chapter/hosting-server-setup-recommendations#Conclusion|Conclusion]]

-----

== MySQL ==

-----

First you need to check if "query_cache" is enabled on your server. It was noticed that 80% of all SELECT queries are taken from "query_cache" when it is enabled, so if it is disabled on your server

* mysql performance is '''5''' times slower !

To check this, go to the phpMysqlAdmin tool (in most cases it is in your WHM panel -> SQL Services -> phpMyAdmin). Then click the "Variables" tab. The "query cache size" must be at least 16M, "query cache type" must be ON and "query cache limit" value should be around 1M. Example of a good configuration:

<blockquote>[[File:modules/deano/cheetah_docs/uploads/images/hssr-mysql-1-query-cache.jpg]]
</blockquote>
After you realized that you need to change these settings, you need to edit the "my.cnf" file on your server (in most cases it is in the "/etc" folder) and add the following lines in the "[mysqld]" section of the file. If the same configuration options already exist it is better to comment out old ones (with the hash # symbol ) and add new ones near them:

<pre class="wiki">[mysqld]
query_cache_limit = 1M
query_cache_size = 32M</pre>
You need to restart MySQL server to apply the changes, and you can do it from the WHM panel or from a command line,.. the most common command line for linux servers is:

<pre class="wiki">/etc/init.s/mysql restart</pre>
These are the most critical configuration options. Other useful options should be enabled too - "key buffer size", "max heap table size", "tmp table size", "thread cache" are some of them. But the exact values varies from server to server. For example, for a dedicated or VPS server with 1Gb RAM and one cheetah site, these values maybe like this:

<pre class="wiki">[mysqld]

query_cache_limit = 1M
query_cache_size = 32M

key_buffer_size = 64M

max_heap_table_size = 256M
tmp_table_size = 256M

thread_cache = 128
</pre>
There is already a tool in phpMyAdmin which can help you with deciding what configuration values need to be changed. Go to phpMyAdmin and open the "Status" tab, look through this page and pay attention to red values. There is a comment near each value you can use as a guide in changing a particular MySQL option. During changing, remember that memory is always limited, so you need to increase the values adequately to your available RAM. Keep in mind that these values are collected during a period of time, so if you change some value it is better to wait at least 1 day until new data is collected for analysis. After MySQL is restarted, this data is collected from scratch.

This is an example of how many queries becomes cached after introducing "query cache":

[[File:modules/deano/cheetah_docs/uploads/images/hssr-mysql-2-queries-day.png]]

1 day is shown on the graph. In the beginning, cache was disabled, then cache was enabled - the pink zone shows SELECT queries which are taken from cache. So, the benefits are obvious !

-----

== PHP ==

-----

There are many setup options here, and there are advantages and disadvantages between all of them. So choose the most suitable scenario for your situation. PHP is a part of the webserver and it is difficult to describe PHP without the webserver or related to different webservers, so Apache is considered as the webserver in this section. Most common setups are described, but there are more complex setups that may be available.

=== mod_php (dso module) ===

This method is no longer supported. Hosting should be setup with PHP running as a PHP-FPM application.

=== CGI/suPHP ===

PHP is working in CGI mode (suPHP is the same CGI with the exception that the php script is running under a particular user). Server API in phpinfo() looks like this in this setup:

[[File:modules/deano/cheetah_docs/uploads/images/hssr-php-2-cgi.jpg]]

This is the most inefficient setup. The webserver has to load the PHP interpreter each time, especially when small PHP files are executed - the time overhead can be up to 2500% (25x times slower). Even worse is if opcode cache extensions are not compatible with suPHP.

This is used on shared hosting to separate users from each other, so it is considered to be safe on a shared hosting environment. But when an attacker gets access to your server - access to all files is open, and any file can be modified/removed in any folder, so this maybe a more dangerous result in case of a hack attempt.

Advantages:

* all files are always handled under one owner, so you don't need to bother about file permissions
* PHP settings can be changed without a web-server reload

Disadvantages:

* slow
* opcode cache extensions are not supported
* insecure

Conclusion: it is better to switch to another setup if you have a VPS or dedicated server. If you are on shared hosting, try to ask them to move your account to another server with another setup. If you have no choice - try to lower the number of accesses to the webserver. You can do this by uninstalling the following modules in Cheetah (they make periodic lightweight requests to the web-server): messenger, simple messenger, spy and disable floating member menu. Or, at least increase the time between requests.

=== FPM/FastCGI ===

PHP is working as a separate server process. Server API in phpinfo() looks the same as in CGI/suPHP mode:

[[File:modules/deano/cheetah_docs/uploads/images/hssr-php-2-cgi.jpg]]

This setup is very flexible. There are different webserver modules which implement the FastCGI interface. Also, PHP has built-in support for this interface. In general this is the best setup which provides great flexibility and speed, but setting up can be a bit tricky. It can be run under any user, so it can be run under webserver user (nobody or apache, as usual) or under a specific user.

It maybe a complicated situation with opcode cache PHP extensions, if there are many processes under different users running. In this case, each user will have their own opcode cache - meaning more security from one side, but high memory usage from the other side.

Advantages:

* flexibility
* speed
* security (if properly configured)
* opcode cache extensions support
* enabled by default since PHP 5.3

Disadvantages:

* since there are a lot of ways to implement this setup, it may be difficult to tune it up for a specific situation.
* it may incur high memory usage with opcode cache extensions if there are several PHP processes under different users.

Conclusion: This is the best option in most situations. Just check how your site is functioning - maybe some things can be changed to increase speed and/or the security of your site.

=== Different PHP setups Benchmark ===

Tests were performed on the following environment:

* Hardware: Intel Pentium E2140 (1M Cache, 1.60 GHz, 800 MHz FSB), 1Gb RAM
* OS: Gentoo Linux
* Web-server: Apache 2.2
* PHP: 5.3.3
* Clean Cheetah.0.3 development version with default settings with all modules installed

Apache benchmark (ab) tool was used to measure performance:

<pre class="wiki">ab -c 50 -n 200 -C memberID=1 -C memberPassword=XXX http://local-domain/local/path/index.php</pre>
It means 200 requests with 50 concurrency requests and cookies are set to simulate a logged in user. Total test execution time was measured - so the biggest value means the slowest execution time.

The following pages were tested:

* phpinfo() - performance of single and simple php script file execution time.
* XML.php - performance of periodic requests, like checking for updates in Flash messenger, simple messenger, member menu notifications, spy updates.
* faq.php - performance of simple cheetah pages, page with one text block.
* index.php - performance of complex cheetah pages with many blocks from different modules, most complex and slowest page in Cheetah is tested

Finally the result:

[[modules/deano/cheetah_docs/uploads/images/hssr-benchmark.jpg|[[File:modules/deano/cheetah_docs/uploads/images/hssr-benchmark.jpg]]]]

Conclusion: suPHP/CGI is slowest possible setup. More important is that it is '''5x times slower''' for most frequent requests to XML.php and similar pages comparing to the fastest setup - FastCGI+eAccelerator or mod_php+eAccelerator. If you already have a mod_php or FastCGI setup you can easily install eAccelerator and get more than a 200% performance increase !

Also, from Cheetah.0.3 onward, there is built-in support for eAccelerator shared memory cache, so there is even more of a performance increase - not shown, because this test does not include this modification.

 
 

-----

== Web-server ==

-----

The Web-server is most critical part, and optimizing it can give the most performance increase and leverage server load. There are many tweaks to the web-server, but the most critical optimization will be described.

We will consider the recent version 2.2 of [http://www.apache.org/ Apache] as the most frequently used web-server nowadays, however most of the options should apply to Apache 2.0 too.

If you need to configure Nginx web-server for Cheetah then please refer to [[m/cheetah_docs/chapter/how-to-setup-cheetah-on-nginx|How to setup Cheetah on Nginx webserver]].

A new install of [https://www.cheetahwsb.com/ Cheetah] with all Cheetah modules is used as test environment. Internal Cheetah JS/CSS files compression was disabled to show how to do it using your web-server.

=== Preparation ===

I suggest installing [http://www.mozilla.com/ Firefox] browser + [http://getfirebug.com/ Firebug] extension for Firefox + [http://code.google.com/speed/page-speed/ Page Speed] extension for Firebug.

Page Speed is a great tool from Google which shows a lot of optimization advices for the website. We will use it to check if a a particular optimization trick is enabled and/or to check if changes were applied to the website.

Also Page Speed gives every site an overall score. We will watch this score too to see how it will be increased after basic, but the most critical optimization steps are completed. So, in the beginning or the score is '''64/100''':

[[modules/deano/cheetah_docs/uploads/images/wso-0-preparation.jpg|[[File:modules/deano/cheetah_docs/uploads/images/wso-0-preparation.jpg]]]]

'''Please note:''' your score maybe different, due to different server configuration and different content on the site.

=== Server side content compression ===

Despite the fact that Cheetah.0.3 has built-in compression of JS/CSS files, this is still critical optimization step, because internal Cheetah compression compresses only one combined JS cache file and one combined CSS cache file - these two files are where compression is most important and where most of the file size reduction is possible.

'''Please note:''' compression is disabled automatically if CSS/JS cache is turned off.

Let's see the Page Speed analysis for compression for the Cheetah homepage:

[[modules/deano/cheetah_docs/uploads/images/wso-1-compression.jpg|[[File:modules/deano/cheetah_docs/uploads/images/wso-1-compression.jpg]]]]

Half a megabyte size deduction is possible ! It is about 70 seconds of waiting on a fast 56k modem connection speed. It is already a good reduction for the two most critical files - CSS and JS cache files - 400 kb is possible by default from Cheetah.0.3 on, but more optimization is possible. You need to enable [http://httpd.apache.org/docs/2.2/mod/mod_deflate.html mod_deflate] for apache and tune it right (for Apache 1.3 mod_gzip do the same thing).

To check if '''mod_deflate''' is enabled on your web-server you can execute the following commands on your server:

<pre class="wiki">apachectl -t -D DUMP_MODULES</pre>
and see if the '''deflate_module''' is listed in the output. Also, you can try to check '''phpinfo''' (if you have no access to command line):

[[modules/deano/cheetah_docs/uploads/images/wso-1-compression-phpinfo.jpg|[[File:modules/deano/cheetah_docs/uploads/images/wso-1-compression-phpinfo.jpg]]]]

If this module is installed you can begin to configure it. If not - then you need root access to the server to enable it. It is better to ask your hosting support to enable it on your server. If you have cPanel WHM it can be enabled using the [http://www.cpanel.net/documentation/easyapache/ EasyApache] tool, but anyway it is better to perform this via your hosting support.

To configure '''mod_deflate''' you need access to the '''.htaccess''' file in your Cheetah root folder (root access is not necessary here). Insert the following code in your '''.htaccess''' file in the Cheetah root folder:

<pre class="wiki"> # Insert filter
SetOutputFilter DEFLATE

# Netscape 4.x has some problems...
BrowserMatch ^Mozilla/4 gzip-only-text/html
# Netscape 4.06-4.08 have some more problems
BrowserMatch ^Mozilla/4\.0[678] no-gzip
# MSIE masquerades as Netscape, but it is fine
BrowserMatch \bMSIE !no-gzip !gzip-only-text/html
# Don't compress images/archives/music/video/etc
SetEnvIfNoCase Request_URI \.(?:gif|jpe?g|png)$ no-gzip dont-vary
SetEnvIfNoCase Request_URI \.(?:exe|t?gz|zip|bz2|sit|rar)$ no-gzip dont-vary
SetEnvIfNoCase Request_URI \.(?:avi|mov|mp3|mp4|rm|flv|swf|mp?g)$ no-gzip dont-vary

# Make sure proxies don't deliver the wrong content
Header append Vary User-Agent env=!dont-vary

</pre>
It will enable compression for all files except some archives/movies/music/etc files.

After applying the above change, clear the browser cache and press "Analyze Performance" or "Refresh Analysis" button in Page Speed panel. The resulting score is '''71/100''' now, and the first, most important warnings go away:

[[modules/deano/cheetah_docs/uploads/images/wso-1-compression-result-score.jpg|[[File:modules/deano/cheetah_docs/uploads/images/wso-1-compression-result-score.jpg]]]]

=== User side caching for static content ===

This optimization permits static content to be cached in the user's browser, so the server will not be even asked for the most part of the site's content at all. It can save even more bandwidth and server resources in some cases. This type of optimization users "feel" more than all others. It can change a slow feeling site to lighting fast - without any other optimizations.

The following graph shows an example of introducing this type of optimization on one server:

[[modules/deano/cheetah_docs/uploads/images/wso-2-user-side-cache-graph.jpg|[[File:modules/deano/cheetah_docs/uploads/images/wso-2-user-side-cache-graph.jpg]]]]

Optimization was introduced in the beginning of August and you can see that the number of requests to the server reduced twice as much! This is not a Cheetah based site, but a Cheetah site can be even more optimized because there are more static resources in Cheetah than on this site. /p>

IIn Page Speed analysis this optimization comes next - "Leverage browser caching":

[[modules/deano/cheetah_docs/uploads/images/wso-2-user-side-cache-page-speed-before.jpg|[[File:modules/deano/cheetah_docs/uploads/images/wso-2-user-side-cache-page-speed-before.jpg]]]]

Not all files which can be cached in the browser are even listed, so there are a lot of them. This optimization is first on the screenshot because server side compression is already applied and is not shown.

To introduce this optimization for your site you need the [http://httpd.apache.org/docs/2.2/mod/mod_expires.html mod_expires] mod for Apache. You can check if this module already exists with the same command:

<pre class="wiki">apachectl -t -D DUMP_MODULES</pre>
and see if the '''expires_module''' is listed in the output. You can check '''phpinfo''' too the same way as in "Server side content compression".

After you make sure that the module is available you can add the following code to your '''.htaccess''' file in the Cheetah root folder:

<pre class="wiki"> # enable expirations
ExpiresActive On
# expire images/css/js/swf files after a month in the client's cache
ExpiresByType application/x-shockwave-flash "access plus 30 days"
ExpiresByType text/css "access plus 30 days"
ExpiresByType text/javascript "access plus 30 days"
ExpiresByType application/javascript "access plus 30 days"
ExpiresByType application/x-javascript "access plus 30 days"
ExpiresByType application/x-gzip "access plus 30 days"
ExpiresByType image/gif "access plus 30 days"
ExpiresByType image/jpeg "access plus 30 days"
ExpiresByType image/png "access plus 30 days"
ExpiresByType image/x-icon "access plus 30 days"
ExpiresByType image/vnd.microsoft.icon "access plus 30 days"
</pre>
It will cache all images/css/js/swf files for 1 month in user's the browser cache.

After applying the above change, clear the browser cache and press "Analyze Performance" or "Refresh Analysis" in Page Speed. The resulting score is '''76/100''' now, and the second most important warning goes away:

[[modules/deano/cheetah_docs/uploads/images/wso-2-user-side-cache-page-speed-after.jpg|[[File:modules/deano/cheetah_docs/uploads/images/wso-2-user-side-cache-page-speed-after.jpg]]]]

A common Cheetah page has about strong>200 Kb of static resources that can be cached in a user's browser. Most important is that the number of files is about '''60''' - a browser can not load all these files in parallel and has to load 2-3 files in parallel. This means that loading '''60''' files in a total size of '''200 Kb''' with '''2''' simultaneous loads usually take '''10-20''' seconds on a good DSL connection and '''45''' seconds on a good 56K modem connection.

=== Conclusion ===

After applying above web-server optimization tips your web-server will breath easier and most important is that your users will feel it even more!

The benefits shortlist:

* your users will load approximately 700 Kb less data on each page load
* your users will wait approximately 30 seconds on DSL (2 minutes modem connection) LESS each page load
* visible site response time will be much better
* users will surf more pages at the same time
* users will surf more pages in total - since they are loaded faster
* users bandwidth economy
* better and faster search engines crawling
* better positions in search engines
* server bandwidth economy
* less requests to the server
* server load will be decreased
* everyone will be happier :)

= IMPORTANT =

This guide is a work in progress. We will be adding more information as soon as we have new results and findings. Checking back once in a while is highly recommended.

While server setup is very important, we realize that there is a lot of optimization that can be done in Cheetah. We will continue working on every piece of code in Cheetah to make it the fastest and the most efficient CMS in world.

Hosting Server Setup Recommendations

2021-10-23T12:23:53Z

Admin: /* mod_php (dso module) */

= Hosting Server Setup Recommendations for Optimal Cheetah Performance =

Cheetah is a package of many scripts and it may perform very well only if the server is properly configured. Unfortunately, we have noticed that many server default setups are very inefficient, often leading to false assumptions about Cheetah performance. In some cases hosting providers terminate accounts due to heavy load, although traffic is insignificant. This document covers very basic recommendations on how to improve your site performance by slightly changing your server configuration. Our research shows that very poor and very good combinations of setups may lead to up to '''2500%''' (25x) difference in execution times of certain files.

These recommendations are for dedicated or VPS server owners, however if you are on shared hosting and notice that your server configuration is inefficient, you can ask your hosting support to change these settings on the server, so the whole server would run faster.

You will need root access to the server and also some skills on how to connect to the server using SSH terminal and must know some basic command line tools, like navigating through directories and editing files.

'''Remember, making the wrong changes can take your server "down". So, be careful, backup everything you can and research more if unsure.'''

''A fast and efficient server setup will lead to better page-load time, lower server resources consumption, smaller hosting bills, better search engine rankings and happier site visitors.''

== Before Starting ==

Always backup old data, so you can always return to the original configuration.

Before starting optimization, it is better to monitor your server performance before starting optimization and after, to see how things are changing, if it becomes better or worse. Try "[http://munin-monitoring.org/ Munin]" server monitor, available as a WHM plugin, which you can install from the WHM panel -> cPanel -> Manage Plugins -> click "Install and Keep Updated" near the Munin logo and press the "Save" button at the bottom of the page. After installing, a link to Munin appears in the "Plugins" section of your WHM panel. Allow up to 10 minutes until it generates pages with graphs for you.

-----

'''Table of contents:'''

* [[m/cheetah_docs/chapter/hosting-server-setup-recommendations#MySQL|MySQL]]
* [[m/cheetah_docs/chapter/hosting-server-setup-recommendations#PHP|PHP]]
* [[m/cheetah_docs/chapter/hosting-server-setup-recommendations#mod_phpdsomodule|mod_php (dso module)]]
* [[m/cheetah_docs/chapter/hosting-server-setup-recommendations#CGIsuPHP|CGI/suPHP]]
* [[m/cheetah_docs/chapter/hosting-server-setup-recommendations#FastCGI|FastCGI]]
* [[m/cheetah_docs/chapter/hosting-server-setup-recommendations#DifferentPHPsetupsBenchmark|Different PHP setups Benchmark]]
* [[m/cheetah_docs/chapter/hosting-server-setup-recommendations#Web-server|Web-server]]
* [[m/cheetah_docs/chapter/hosting-server-setup-recommendations#Preparation|Preparation]]
* [[m/cheetah_docs/chapter/hosting-server-setup-recommendations#Serversidecontentcompression|Server side content compression]]
* [[m/cheetah_docs/chapter/hosting-server-setup-recommendations#Usersidecachingforstaticcontent|User side caching for static content]]
* [[m/cheetah_docs/chapter/hosting-server-setup-recommendations#Conclusion|Conclusion]]

-----

== MySQL ==

-----

First you need to check if "query_cache" is enabled on your server. It was noticed that 80% of all SELECT queries are taken from "query_cache" when it is enabled, so if it is disabled on your server

* mysql performance is '''5''' times slower !

To check this, go to the phpMysqlAdmin tool (in most cases it is in your WHM panel -> SQL Services -> phpMyAdmin). Then click the "Variables" tab. The "query cache size" must be at least 16M, "query cache type" must be ON and "query cache limit" value should be around 1M. Example of a good configuration:

<blockquote>[[File:modules/deano/cheetah_docs/uploads/images/hssr-mysql-1-query-cache.jpg]]
</blockquote>
After you realized that you need to change these settings, you need to edit the "my.cnf" file on your server (in most cases it is in the "/etc" folder) and add the following lines in the "[mysqld]" section of the file. If the same configuration options already exist it is better to comment out old ones (with the hash # symbol ) and add new ones near them:

<pre class="wiki">[mysqld]
query_cache_limit = 1M
query_cache_size = 32M</pre>
You need to restart MySQL server to apply the changes, and you can do it from the WHM panel or from a command line,.. the most common command line for linux servers is:

<pre class="wiki">/etc/init.s/mysql restart</pre>
These are the most critical configuration options. Other useful options should be enabled too - "key buffer size", "max heap table size", "tmp table size", "thread cache" are some of them. But the exact values varies from server to server. For example, for a dedicated or VPS server with 1Gb RAM and one cheetah site, these values maybe like this:

<pre class="wiki">[mysqld]

query_cache_limit = 1M
query_cache_size = 32M

key_buffer_size = 64M

max_heap_table_size = 256M
tmp_table_size = 256M

thread_cache = 128
</pre>
There is already a tool in phpMyAdmin which can help you with deciding what configuration values need to be changed. Go to phpMyAdmin and open the "Status" tab, look through this page and pay attention to red values. There is a comment near each value you can use as a guide in changing a particular MySQL option. During changing, remember that memory is always limited, so you need to increase the values adequately to your available RAM. Keep in mind that these values are collected during a period of time, so if you change some value it is better to wait at least 1 day until new data is collected for analysis. After MySQL is restarted, this data is collected from scratch.

This is an example of how many queries becomes cached after introducing "query cache":

[[File:modules/deano/cheetah_docs/uploads/images/hssr-mysql-2-queries-day.png]]

1 day is shown on the graph. In the beginning, cache was disabled, then cache was enabled - the pink zone shows SELECT queries which are taken from cache. So, the benefits are obvious !

-----

== PHP ==

-----

There are many setup options here, and there are advantages and disadvantages between all of them. So choose the most suitable scenario for your situation. PHP is a part of the webserver and it is difficult to describe PHP without the webserver or related to different webservers, so Apache is considered as the webserver in this section. Most common setups are described, but there are more complex setups that may be available.

=== mod_php (dso module) ===

This method is no longer supported. Hosting should be setup with PHP running as a PHP-FPM application.

=== CGI/suPHP ===

PHP is working in CGI mode (suPHP is the same CGI with the exception that the php script is running under a particular user). Server API in phpinfo() looks like this in this setup:

[[File:modules/deano/cheetah_docs/uploads/images/hssr-php-2-cgi.jpg]]

This is the most inefficient setup. The webserver has to load the PHP interpreter each time, especially when small PHP files are executed - the time overhead can be up to 2500% (25x times slower). Even worse is if opcode cache extensions are not compatible with suPHP.

This is used on shared hosting to separate users from each other, so it is considered to be safe on a shared hosting environment. But when an attacker gets access to your server - access to all files is open, and any file can be modified/removed in any folder, so this maybe a more dangerous result in case of a hack attempt.

Advantages:

* all files are always handled under one owner, so you don't need to bother about file permissions
* PHP settings can be changed without a web-server reload

Disadvantages:

* slow
* opcode cache extensions are not supported
* insecure

Conclusion: it is better to switch to another setup if you have a VPS or dedicated server. If you are on shared hosting, try to ask them to move your account to another server with another setup. If you have no choice - try to lower the number of accesses to the webserver. You can do this by uninstalling the following modules in Cheetah (they make periodic lightweight requests to the web-server): messenger, simple messenger, spy and disable floating member menu. Or, at least increase the time between requests.

=== FastCGI ===

PHP is working as a separate server process. Server API in phpinfo() looks the same as in CGI/suPHP mode:

[[File:modules/deano/cheetah_docs/uploads/images/hssr-php-2-cgi.jpg]]

This setup is very flexible. There are different webserver modules which implement the FastCGI interface. Also, PHP has built-in support for this interface. In general this is the best setup which provides great flexibility and speed, but setting up can be a bit tricky. It can be run under any user, so it can be run undera webserver user (nobody or apache, as usual) or under a specific user.

It maybe a complicated situation with opcode cache PHP extensions, if there are many processes under different users running. In this case, each user will have their own opcode cache - meaning more security from one side, but high memory usage from the other side.

Advantages:

* flexibility
* speed
* security (if properly configured)
* opcode cache extensions support
* enabled by default since PHP 5.3

Disadvantages:

* since there are a lot of ways to implement this setup, it may be difficult to tune it up for a specific situation.
* it may incur high memory usage with opcode cache extensions if there are several PHP processes under different users.

Conclusion: This is the best option in most situations. Just check how your site is functioning - maybe some things can be changed to increase speed and/or the security of your site.

=== Different PHP setups Benchmark ===

Tests were performed on the following environment:

* Hardware: Intel Pentium E2140 (1M Cache, 1.60 GHz, 800 MHz FSB), 1Gb RAM
* OS: Gentoo Linux
* Web-server: Apache 2.2
* PHP: 5.3.3
* Clean Cheetah.0.3 development version with default settings with all modules installed

Apache benchmark (ab) tool was used to measure performance:

<pre class="wiki">ab -c 50 -n 200 -C memberID=1 -C memberPassword=XXX http://local-domain/local/path/index.php</pre>
It means 200 requests with 50 concurrency requests and cookies are set to simulate a logged in user. Total test execution time was measured - so the biggest value means the slowest execution time.

The following pages were tested:

* phpinfo() - performance of single and simple php script file execution time.
* XML.php - performance of periodic requests, like checking for updates in Flash messenger, simple messenger, member menu notifications, spy updates.
* faq.php - performance of simple cheetah pages, page with one text block.
* index.php - performance of complex cheetah pages with many blocks from different modules, most complex and slowest page in Cheetah is tested

Finally the result:

[[modules/deano/cheetah_docs/uploads/images/hssr-benchmark.jpg|[[File:modules/deano/cheetah_docs/uploads/images/hssr-benchmark.jpg]]]]

Conclusion: suPHP/CGI is slowest possible setup. More important is that it is '''5x times slower''' for most frequent requests to XML.php and similar pages comparing to the fastest setup - FastCGI+eAccelerator or mod_php+eAccelerator. If you already have a mod_php or FastCGI setup you can easily install eAccelerator and get more than a 200% performance increase !

Also, from Cheetah.0.3 onward, there is built-in support for eAccelerator shared memory cache, so there is even more of a performance increase - not shown, because this test does not include this modification.

 
 

-----

== Web-server ==

-----

The Web-server is most critical part, and optimizing it can give the most performance increase and leverage server load. There are many tweaks to the web-server, but the most critical optimization will be described.

We will consider the recent version 2.2 of [http://www.apache.org/ Apache] as the most frequently used web-server nowadays, however most of the options should apply to Apache 2.0 too.

If you need to configure Nginx web-server for Cheetah then please refer to [[m/cheetah_docs/chapter/how-to-setup-cheetah-on-nginx|How to setup Cheetah on Nginx webserver]].

A new install of [https://www.cheetahwsb.com/ Cheetah] with all Cheetah modules is used as test environment. Internal Cheetah JS/CSS files compression was disabled to show how to do it using your web-server.

=== Preparation ===

I suggest installing [http://www.mozilla.com/ Firefox] browser + [http://getfirebug.com/ Firebug] extension for Firefox + [http://code.google.com/speed/page-speed/ Page Speed] extension for Firebug.

Page Speed is a great tool from Google which shows a lot of optimization advices for the website. We will use it to check if a a particular optimization trick is enabled and/or to check if changes were applied to the website.

Also Page Speed gives every site an overall score. We will watch this score too to see how it will be increased after basic, but the most critical optimization steps are completed. So, in the beginning or the score is '''64/100''':

[[modules/deano/cheetah_docs/uploads/images/wso-0-preparation.jpg|[[File:modules/deano/cheetah_docs/uploads/images/wso-0-preparation.jpg]]]]

'''Please note:''' your score maybe different, due to different server configuration and different content on the site.

=== Server side content compression ===

Despite the fact that Cheetah.0.3 has built-in compression of JS/CSS files, this is still critical optimization step, because internal Cheetah compression compresses only one combined JS cache file and one combined CSS cache file - these two files are where compression is most important and where most of the file size reduction is possible.

'''Please note:''' compression is disabled automatically if CSS/JS cache is turned off.

Let's see the Page Speed analysis for compression for the Cheetah homepage:

[[modules/deano/cheetah_docs/uploads/images/wso-1-compression.jpg|[[File:modules/deano/cheetah_docs/uploads/images/wso-1-compression.jpg]]]]

Half a megabyte size deduction is possible ! It is about 70 seconds of waiting on a fast 56k modem connection speed. It is already a good reduction for the two most critical files - CSS and JS cache files - 400 kb is possible by default from Cheetah.0.3 on, but more optimization is possible. You need to enable [http://httpd.apache.org/docs/2.2/mod/mod_deflate.html mod_deflate] for apache and tune it right (for Apache 1.3 mod_gzip do the same thing).

To check if '''mod_deflate''' is enabled on your web-server you can execute the following commands on your server:

<pre class="wiki">apachectl -t -D DUMP_MODULES</pre>
and see if the '''deflate_module''' is listed in the output. Also, you can try to check '''phpinfo''' (if you have no access to command line):

[[modules/deano/cheetah_docs/uploads/images/wso-1-compression-phpinfo.jpg|[[File:modules/deano/cheetah_docs/uploads/images/wso-1-compression-phpinfo.jpg]]]]

If this module is installed you can begin to configure it. If not - then you need root access to the server to enable it. It is better to ask your hosting support to enable it on your server. If you have cPanel WHM it can be enabled using the [http://www.cpanel.net/documentation/easyapache/ EasyApache] tool, but anyway it is better to perform this via your hosting support.

To configure '''mod_deflate''' you need access to the '''.htaccess''' file in your Cheetah root folder (root access is not necessary here). Insert the following code in your '''.htaccess''' file in the Cheetah root folder:

<pre class="wiki"> # Insert filter
SetOutputFilter DEFLATE

# Netscape 4.x has some problems...
BrowserMatch ^Mozilla/4 gzip-only-text/html
# Netscape 4.06-4.08 have some more problems
BrowserMatch ^Mozilla/4\.0[678] no-gzip
# MSIE masquerades as Netscape, but it is fine
BrowserMatch \bMSIE !no-gzip !gzip-only-text/html
# Don't compress images/archives/music/video/etc
SetEnvIfNoCase Request_URI \.(?:gif|jpe?g|png)$ no-gzip dont-vary
SetEnvIfNoCase Request_URI \.(?:exe|t?gz|zip|bz2|sit|rar)$ no-gzip dont-vary
SetEnvIfNoCase Request_URI \.(?:avi|mov|mp3|mp4|rm|flv|swf|mp?g)$ no-gzip dont-vary

# Make sure proxies don't deliver the wrong content
Header append Vary User-Agent env=!dont-vary

</pre>
It will enable compression for all files except some archives/movies/music/etc files.

After applying the above change, clear the browser cache and press "Analyze Performance" or "Refresh Analysis" button in Page Speed panel. The resulting score is '''71/100''' now, and the first, most important warnings go away:

[[modules/deano/cheetah_docs/uploads/images/wso-1-compression-result-score.jpg|[[File:modules/deano/cheetah_docs/uploads/images/wso-1-compression-result-score.jpg]]]]

=== User side caching for static content ===

This optimization permits static content to be cached in the user's browser, so the server will not be even asked for the most part of the site's content at all. It can save even more bandwidth and server resources in some cases. This type of optimization users "feel" more than all others. It can change a slow feeling site to lighting fast - without any other optimizations.

The following graph shows an example of introducing this type of optimization on one server:

[[modules/deano/cheetah_docs/uploads/images/wso-2-user-side-cache-graph.jpg|[[File:modules/deano/cheetah_docs/uploads/images/wso-2-user-side-cache-graph.jpg]]]]

Optimization was introduced in the beginning of August and you can see that the number of requests to the server reduced twice as much! This is not a Cheetah based site, but a Cheetah site can be even more optimized because there are more static resources in Cheetah than on this site. /p>

IIn Page Speed analysis this optimization comes next - "Leverage browser caching":

[[modules/deano/cheetah_docs/uploads/images/wso-2-user-side-cache-page-speed-before.jpg|[[File:modules/deano/cheetah_docs/uploads/images/wso-2-user-side-cache-page-speed-before.jpg]]]]

Not all files which can be cached in the browser are even listed, so there are a lot of them. This optimization is first on the screenshot because server side compression is already applied and is not shown.

To introduce this optimization for your site you need the [http://httpd.apache.org/docs/2.2/mod/mod_expires.html mod_expires] mod for Apache. You can check if this module already exists with the same command:

<pre class="wiki">apachectl -t -D DUMP_MODULES</pre>
and see if the '''expires_module''' is listed in the output. You can check '''phpinfo''' too the same way as in "Server side content compression".

After you make sure that the module is available you can add the following code to your '''.htaccess''' file in the Cheetah root folder:

<pre class="wiki"> # enable expirations
ExpiresActive On
# expire images/css/js/swf files after a month in the client's cache
ExpiresByType application/x-shockwave-flash "access plus 30 days"
ExpiresByType text/css "access plus 30 days"
ExpiresByType text/javascript "access plus 30 days"
ExpiresByType application/javascript "access plus 30 days"
ExpiresByType application/x-javascript "access plus 30 days"
ExpiresByType application/x-gzip "access plus 30 days"
ExpiresByType image/gif "access plus 30 days"
ExpiresByType image/jpeg "access plus 30 days"
ExpiresByType image/png "access plus 30 days"
ExpiresByType image/x-icon "access plus 30 days"
ExpiresByType image/vnd.microsoft.icon "access plus 30 days"
</pre>
It will cache all images/css/js/swf files for 1 month in user's the browser cache.

After applying the above change, clear the browser cache and press "Analyze Performance" or "Refresh Analysis" in Page Speed. The resulting score is '''76/100''' now, and the second most important warning goes away:

[[modules/deano/cheetah_docs/uploads/images/wso-2-user-side-cache-page-speed-after.jpg|[[File:modules/deano/cheetah_docs/uploads/images/wso-2-user-side-cache-page-speed-after.jpg]]]]

A common Cheetah page has about strong>200 Kb of static resources that can be cached in a user's browser. Most important is that the number of files is about '''60''' - a browser can not load all these files in parallel and has to load 2-3 files in parallel. This means that loading '''60''' files in a total size of '''200 Kb''' with '''2''' simultaneous loads usually take '''10-20''' seconds on a good DSL connection and '''45''' seconds on a good 56K modem connection.

=== Conclusion ===

After applying above web-server optimization tips your web-server will breath easier and most important is that your users will feel it even more!

The benefits shortlist:

* your users will load approximately 700 Kb less data on each page load
* your users will wait approximately 30 seconds on DSL (2 minutes modem connection) LESS each page load
* visible site response time will be much better
* users will surf more pages at the same time
* users will surf more pages in total - since they are loaded faster
* users bandwidth economy
* better and faster search engines crawling
* better positions in search engines
* server bandwidth economy
* less requests to the server
* server load will be decreased
* everyone will be happier :)

= IMPORTANT =

This guide is a work in progress. We will be adding more information as soon as we have new results and findings. Checking back once in a while is highly recommended.

While server setup is very important, we realize that there is a lot of optimization that can be done in Cheetah. We will continue working on every piece of code in Cheetah to make it the fastest and the most efficient CMS in world.

Cheetah System Requirements

2021-10-23T12:22:26Z

Admin: /* Recommended Server Setup */

= Cheetah Hosting(System) Requirements =

A default Cheetah installation works with most common configurations of hosting server, however, since Cheetah is a package with multiple scripts and apps, it is very important to ensure that all of the following requirements are met. Most of the technical problems occur due to improper server setup, so make sure that your hosting provider is Cheetah-compatible.

To help avoid trouble, we gathered a number of [https://www.cheetahwsb.com/page/hosting Recommended Hosting Providers] that have Cheetah-ready accounts and experience with managing accounts that have Cheetah installed. Some of them offer instant installation or even pre-installed Cheetah.

Providing that the server is properly configured, it is possible to run Cheetah on a shared hosting account although not recommended. It is strongly suggested that you have at least a VPS for Cheetah. A '''dedicated server''' is even better and is the recommended choice.

'''NOTE:''' If you do decide to go with shared hosting to keep costs down please keep the following in mind. Most shared hosting accounts do not meet the requirements for many of the PHP setting requirements listed below. Especially memory_limit, max_execution_time, upload_max_filesize and exec(). So make sure the hosting company you choose allows those to be changed or you will have problems running Cheetah.

== Server Requirements ==

* Linux/Unix (Red Hat, Debian, FreeBSD, Mandrake, etc.) or Windows OS
** '''Note:''' Linux kernel 2.6.32 or higher is needed for ffmpeg.exe
** '''Windows OS''' is not recommended. Not many Cheetah users run on Windows based servers, so support will be very limited. Cheetah is also developed for and only tested on Linux based servers.
* '''Apache v.1.3''' and higher or '''LiteSpeed''' web server. Other web servers can be used too, but custom rewrite rules are required, we have one for [https://www.cheetahwsb.com/m/cheetah_docs/chapter/how-to-setup-cheetah-on-nginx nginx web server].
* '''PHP 5.4.0''' or higher. '''PHP 7''' recommended. Cheetah is not yet compatible with PHP 8 
** '''PHP-CLI''' (command line version) should also be installed, and it should be configured the same way and have the same extensions required by Cheetah as the FPM version.
** Host needs to be running '''PHP-FPM'''. PHP as an Apache module(DS0) is outdated and no longer supported. PHP running as a '''PHP-FPM''' application is necessary for the Cheetah update system and other features. You will not be able to update Cheetah without it.
* '''register_globals''' must be '''Off''' 
* '''safe_mode''' must be '''Off''' 
* '''exec()''' (executable files) must be '''allowed''' 
* '''short_open_tag''' must be '''On''' 
* '''allow_url_fopen''' should be '''On''' 
* '''allow_url_include''' should be '''Off''' 
* '''open_basedir''' should not have any value 
* '''upload_max_filesize''' should be '''1024M''' or higher 
* '''memory_limit''' should be '''256M''' or higher. '''512M''' or higher is '''highly recommended'''.
* '''max_execution_time''' must be set to '''300''' or higher. Some areas of Cheetah perform database backups. Script timeouts that occur if this setting is too low will cause problems during those backups.
* '''curl, gd, mbstring, xsl, json, fileinfo, openssl, zip, ftp, calendar, exif, pdo,''' and '''pdo_mysql '''extensions''' must be installed'''.
* '''[http://www.mysql.com/ MySQL 4.1.2]''' and higher.
* The '''magic_quotes_gpc''' option must be disabled.
* If a security module is installed (such as '''mod_security''' for Apache), it should be able to be configured for specific folders (or disabled).
* '''mod_rewrite''' for Apache
* Direct connection to https://www.cheetahwsb.com/ should be able to be established (i.e. connection without requiring proxy authorization). This is required for license verification.
* '''[http://www.boutell.com/gd/ GD library]''' compiled with '''FreeType''' fonts (for photo processing) or '''[http://imagemagick.org/ ImageMagick]''' as an alternative.
* '''Sendmail''' or '''Postfix''' programs for sending emails.
* Ability to create '''[http://www.unixgeeks.org/security/newbie/unix/cron-1.html Cron Jobs]'''.
* You should be able to run executable files (you would need it for '''ffmpeg.exe''', which converts videos).

== Server Requirements for Media Streaming ==

Some of Cheetah's features (such as Flash Chat, Flash IM, Boards, Video Recorder, Video Comments) require media streaming capabilities. To use those, you need to make sure that the following requirements are met:

* '''VPS''' or '''Dedicated''' server is generally required in order to be able to install and run '''RMS (Ray Media Server)'''. You would need access to the '''root''' or '''administrator''' account on the hosting server.
* '''[http://www.java.com/en/download/manual.jsp JRE] (Java Runtime Environment) ver. 1.6''' or higher should be installed.
* Ports '''1935''', '''1936''' and '''5080''' should be open on the server.
* Allowance of at least 15 KB/sec for media streaming for each user.

-----

'''''It is a good idea to send the list above to your hosting provider to make sure the server is ready for installation. If all the above requirements are met you are all set to proceed to [https://www.cheetahwsb.com/m/cheetah_docs/chapter/installing-cheetah Cheetah Installation]'''.''

-----

== Recommended Hosting Providers ==

Going for one of our [https://www.cheetahwsb.com/page/hosting Recommended Hosting Providers] is a good idea for both starters and those willing to work with companies that have Cheetah experience.

== Recommended Server Setup ==

Since Cheetah is a resource-intensive platform, it is very important to "fine-tune" your server. In some cases (for popular sites) you may have to setup clustered servers, and/or a remote database server. Alternative "web-server" software, such as [http://nginx.org/ nginx] may also be beneficial to your site performance. Please refer to [[Hosting_Server_Setup_Recommendations]] for the details on how you can tune-up your server.

Cheetah System Requirements

2021-10-23T12:21:01Z

Admin: /* Recommended Server Setup */

= Cheetah Hosting(System) Requirements =

A default Cheetah installation works with most common configurations of hosting server, however, since Cheetah is a package with multiple scripts and apps, it is very important to ensure that all of the following requirements are met. Most of the technical problems occur due to improper server setup, so make sure that your hosting provider is Cheetah-compatible.

To help avoid trouble, we gathered a number of [https://www.cheetahwsb.com/page/hosting Recommended Hosting Providers] that have Cheetah-ready accounts and experience with managing accounts that have Cheetah installed. Some of them offer instant installation or even pre-installed Cheetah.

Providing that the server is properly configured, it is possible to run Cheetah on a shared hosting account although not recommended. It is strongly suggested that you have at least a VPS for Cheetah. A '''dedicated server''' is even better and is the recommended choice.

'''NOTE:''' If you do decide to go with shared hosting to keep costs down please keep the following in mind. Most shared hosting accounts do not meet the requirements for many of the PHP setting requirements listed below. Especially memory_limit, max_execution_time, upload_max_filesize and exec(). So make sure the hosting company you choose allows those to be changed or you will have problems running Cheetah.

== Server Requirements ==

* Linux/Unix (Red Hat, Debian, FreeBSD, Mandrake, etc.) or Windows OS
** '''Note:''' Linux kernel 2.6.32 or higher is needed for ffmpeg.exe
** '''Windows OS''' is not recommended. Not many Cheetah users run on Windows based servers, so support will be very limited. Cheetah is also developed for and only tested on Linux based servers.
* '''Apache v.1.3''' and higher or '''LiteSpeed''' web server. Other web servers can be used too, but custom rewrite rules are required, we have one for [https://www.cheetahwsb.com/m/cheetah_docs/chapter/how-to-setup-cheetah-on-nginx nginx web server].
* '''PHP 5.4.0''' or higher. '''PHP 7''' recommended. Cheetah is not yet compatible with PHP 8 
** '''PHP-CLI''' (command line version) should also be installed, and it should be configured the same way and have the same extensions required by Cheetah as the FPM version.
** Host needs to be running '''PHP-FPM'''. PHP as an Apache module(DS0) is outdated and no longer supported. PHP running as a '''PHP-FPM''' application is necessary for the Cheetah update system and other features. You will not be able to update Cheetah without it.
* '''register_globals''' must be '''Off''' 
* '''safe_mode''' must be '''Off''' 
* '''exec()''' (executable files) must be '''allowed''' 
* '''short_open_tag''' must be '''On''' 
* '''allow_url_fopen''' should be '''On''' 
* '''allow_url_include''' should be '''Off''' 
* '''open_basedir''' should not have any value 
* '''upload_max_filesize''' should be '''1024M''' or higher 
* '''memory_limit''' should be '''256M''' or higher. '''512M''' or higher is '''highly recommended'''.
* '''max_execution_time''' must be set to '''300''' or higher. Some areas of Cheetah perform database backups. Script timeouts that occur if this setting is too low will cause problems during those backups.
* '''curl, gd, mbstring, xsl, json, fileinfo, openssl, zip, ftp, calendar, exif, pdo,''' and '''pdo_mysql '''extensions''' must be installed'''.
* '''[http://www.mysql.com/ MySQL 4.1.2]''' and higher.
* The '''magic_quotes_gpc''' option must be disabled.
* If a security module is installed (such as '''mod_security''' for Apache), it should be able to be configured for specific folders (or disabled).
* '''mod_rewrite''' for Apache
* Direct connection to https://www.cheetahwsb.com/ should be able to be established (i.e. connection without requiring proxy authorization). This is required for license verification.
* '''[http://www.boutell.com/gd/ GD library]''' compiled with '''FreeType''' fonts (for photo processing) or '''[http://imagemagick.org/ ImageMagick]''' as an alternative.
* '''Sendmail''' or '''Postfix''' programs for sending emails.
* Ability to create '''[http://www.unixgeeks.org/security/newbie/unix/cron-1.html Cron Jobs]'''.
* You should be able to run executable files (you would need it for '''ffmpeg.exe''', which converts videos).

== Server Requirements for Media Streaming ==

Some of Cheetah's features (such as Flash Chat, Flash IM, Boards, Video Recorder, Video Comments) require media streaming capabilities. To use those, you need to make sure that the following requirements are met:

* '''VPS''' or '''Dedicated''' server is generally required in order to be able to install and run '''RMS (Ray Media Server)'''. You would need access to the '''root''' or '''administrator''' account on the hosting server.
* '''[http://www.java.com/en/download/manual.jsp JRE] (Java Runtime Environment) ver. 1.6''' or higher should be installed.
* Ports '''1935''', '''1936''' and '''5080''' should be open on the server.
* Allowance of at least 15 KB/sec for media streaming for each user.

-----

'''''It is a good idea to send the list above to your hosting provider to make sure the server is ready for installation. If all the above requirements are met you are all set to proceed to [https://www.cheetahwsb.com/m/cheetah_docs/chapter/installing-cheetah Cheetah Installation]'''.''

-----

== Recommended Hosting Providers ==

Going for one of our [https://www.cheetahwsb.com/page/hosting Recommended Hosting Providers] is a good idea for both starters and those willing to work with companies that have Cheetah experience.

== Recommended Server Setup ==

Since Cheetah is a resource-intensive platform, it is very important to "fine-tune" your server. In some cases (for popular sites) you may have to setup clustered servers, and/or a remote database server. Alternative "web-server" software, such as [http://nginx.org/ nginx] may also be beneficial to your site performance. Please refer to [https://wiki.cheetahwsb.com/index.php?title=Hosting_Server_Setup_Recommendations] for the details on how you can tune-up your server.

Cheetah System Requirements

2021-10-23T12:17:58Z

Admin: /* Server Requirements */

= Cheetah Hosting(System) Requirements =

A default Cheetah installation works with most common configurations of hosting server, however, since Cheetah is a package with multiple scripts and apps, it is very important to ensure that all of the following requirements are met. Most of the technical problems occur due to improper server setup, so make sure that your hosting provider is Cheetah-compatible.

To help avoid trouble, we gathered a number of [https://www.cheetahwsb.com/page/hosting Recommended Hosting Providers] that have Cheetah-ready accounts and experience with managing accounts that have Cheetah installed. Some of them offer instant installation or even pre-installed Cheetah.

Providing that the server is properly configured, it is possible to run Cheetah on a shared hosting account although not recommended. It is strongly suggested that you have at least a VPS for Cheetah. A '''dedicated server''' is even better and is the recommended choice.

'''NOTE:''' If you do decide to go with shared hosting to keep costs down please keep the following in mind. Most shared hosting accounts do not meet the requirements for many of the PHP setting requirements listed below. Especially memory_limit, max_execution_time, upload_max_filesize and exec(). So make sure the hosting company you choose allows those to be changed or you will have problems running Cheetah.

== Server Requirements ==

* Linux/Unix (Red Hat, Debian, FreeBSD, Mandrake, etc.) or Windows OS
** '''Note:''' Linux kernel 2.6.32 or higher is needed for ffmpeg.exe
** '''Windows OS''' is not recommended. Not many Cheetah users run on Windows based servers, so support will be very limited. Cheetah is also developed for and only tested on Linux based servers.
* '''Apache v.1.3''' and higher or '''LiteSpeed''' web server. Other web servers can be used too, but custom rewrite rules are required, we have one for [https://www.cheetahwsb.com/m/cheetah_docs/chapter/how-to-setup-cheetah-on-nginx nginx web server].
* '''PHP 5.4.0''' or higher. '''PHP 7''' recommended. Cheetah is not yet compatible with PHP 8 
** '''PHP-CLI''' (command line version) should also be installed, and it should be configured the same way and have the same extensions required by Cheetah as the FPM version.
** Host needs to be running '''PHP-FPM'''. PHP as an Apache module(DS0) is outdated and no longer supported. PHP running as a '''PHP-FPM''' application is necessary for the Cheetah update system and other features. You will not be able to update Cheetah without it.
* '''register_globals''' must be '''Off''' 
* '''safe_mode''' must be '''Off''' 
* '''exec()''' (executable files) must be '''allowed''' 
* '''short_open_tag''' must be '''On''' 
* '''allow_url_fopen''' should be '''On''' 
* '''allow_url_include''' should be '''Off''' 
* '''open_basedir''' should not have any value 
* '''upload_max_filesize''' should be '''1024M''' or higher 
* '''memory_limit''' should be '''256M''' or higher. '''512M''' or higher is '''highly recommended'''.
* '''max_execution_time''' must be set to '''300''' or higher. Some areas of Cheetah perform database backups. Script timeouts that occur if this setting is too low will cause problems during those backups.
* '''curl, gd, mbstring, xsl, json, fileinfo, openssl, zip, ftp, calendar, exif, pdo,''' and '''pdo_mysql '''extensions''' must be installed'''.
* '''[http://www.mysql.com/ MySQL 4.1.2]''' and higher.
* The '''magic_quotes_gpc''' option must be disabled.
* If a security module is installed (such as '''mod_security''' for Apache), it should be able to be configured for specific folders (or disabled).
* '''mod_rewrite''' for Apache
* Direct connection to https://www.cheetahwsb.com/ should be able to be established (i.e. connection without requiring proxy authorization). This is required for license verification.
* '''[http://www.boutell.com/gd/ GD library]''' compiled with '''FreeType''' fonts (for photo processing) or '''[http://imagemagick.org/ ImageMagick]''' as an alternative.
* '''Sendmail''' or '''Postfix''' programs for sending emails.
* Ability to create '''[http://www.unixgeeks.org/security/newbie/unix/cron-1.html Cron Jobs]'''.
* You should be able to run executable files (you would need it for '''ffmpeg.exe''', which converts videos).

== Server Requirements for Media Streaming ==

Some of Cheetah's features (such as Flash Chat, Flash IM, Boards, Video Recorder, Video Comments) require media streaming capabilities. To use those, you need to make sure that the following requirements are met:

* '''VPS''' or '''Dedicated''' server is generally required in order to be able to install and run '''RMS (Ray Media Server)'''. You would need access to the '''root''' or '''administrator''' account on the hosting server.
* '''[http://www.java.com/en/download/manual.jsp JRE] (Java Runtime Environment) ver. 1.6''' or higher should be installed.
* Ports '''1935''', '''1936''' and '''5080''' should be open on the server.
* Allowance of at least 15 KB/sec for media streaming for each user.

-----

'''''It is a good idea to send the list above to your hosting provider to make sure the server is ready for installation. If all the above requirements are met you are all set to proceed to [https://www.cheetahwsb.com/m/cheetah_docs/chapter/installing-cheetah Cheetah Installation]'''.''

-----

== Recommended Hosting Providers ==

Going for one of our [https://www.cheetahwsb.com/page/hosting Recommended Hosting Providers] is a good idea for both starters and those willing to work with companies that have Cheetah experience.

== Recommended Server Setup ==

Since Cheetah is a resource-intensive platform, it is very important to "fine-tune" your server. In some cases (for popular sites) you may have to setup clustered servers, and/or a remote database server. Alternative "web-server" software, such as [http://nginx.org/ nginx] may also be beneficial to your site performance. Please refer to [https://www.cheetahwsb.com/m/cheetah_docs/chapter/hosting-server-setup-recommendations Hosting Server Setup Recommendations] for the details on how you can tune-up your server.

Cheetah System Requirements

2021-10-23T12:17:18Z

Admin: /* Server Requirements */

= Cheetah Hosting(System) Requirements =

A default Cheetah installation works with most common configurations of hosting server, however, since Cheetah is a package with multiple scripts and apps, it is very important to ensure that all of the following requirements are met. Most of the technical problems occur due to improper server setup, so make sure that your hosting provider is Cheetah-compatible.

To help avoid trouble, we gathered a number of [https://www.cheetahwsb.com/page/hosting Recommended Hosting Providers] that have Cheetah-ready accounts and experience with managing accounts that have Cheetah installed. Some of them offer instant installation or even pre-installed Cheetah.

Providing that the server is properly configured, it is possible to run Cheetah on a shared hosting account although not recommended. It is strongly suggested that you have at least a VPS for Cheetah. A '''dedicated server''' is even better and is the recommended choice.

'''NOTE:''' If you do decide to go with shared hosting to keep costs down please keep the following in mind. Most shared hosting accounts do not meet the requirements for many of the PHP setting requirements listed below. Especially memory_limit, max_execution_time, upload_max_filesize and exec(). So make sure the hosting company you choose allows those to be changed or you will have problems running Cheetah.

== Server Requirements ==

* Linux/Unix (Red Hat, Debian, FreeBSD, Mandrake, etc.) or Windows OS
** '''Note:''' Linux kernel 2.6.32 or higher is needed for ffmpeg.exe
** '''Windows OS''' is not recommended. Not many Cheetah users run on Windows based servers, so support will be very limited. Cheetah is also developed for and only tested on Linux based servers.
* '''Apache v.1.3''' and higher or '''LiteSpeed''' web server. Other web servers can be used too, but custom rewrite rules are required, we have one for [https://www.cheetahwsb.com/m/cheetah_docs/chapter/how-to-setup-cheetah-on-nginx nginx web server].
* '''PHP 5.4.0''' or higher. '''PHP 7''' recommended. Cheetah is not yet compatible with PHP 8 
** '''PHP-CLI''' (command line version) should also be installed, and it should be configured the same way and have the same extensions required by Cheetah as the FPM version.
** Host needs to be running '''PHP-FPM'''. PHP as an Apache module is outdated and no longer supported. PHP running as a '''PHP-FPM''' application is necessary for the Cheetah update system and other features. You will not be able to update Cheetah without it.
* '''register_globals''' must be '''Off''' 
* '''safe_mode''' must be '''Off''' 
* '''exec()''' (executable files) must be '''allowed''' 
* '''short_open_tag''' must be '''On''' 
* '''allow_url_fopen''' should be '''On''' 
* '''allow_url_include''' should be '''Off''' 
* '''open_basedir''' should not have any value 
* '''upload_max_filesize''' should be '''1024M''' or higher 
* '''memory_limit''' should be '''256M''' or higher. '''512M''' or higher is '''highly recommended'''.
* '''max_execution_time''' must be set to '''300''' or higher. Some areas of Cheetah perform database backups. Script timeouts that occur if this setting is too low will cause problems during those backups.
* '''curl, gd, mbstring, xsl, json, fileinfo, openssl, zip, ftp, calendar, exif, pdo,''' and '''pdo_mysql '''extensions''' must be installed'''.
* '''[http://www.mysql.com/ MySQL 4.1.2]''' and higher.
* The '''magic_quotes_gpc''' option must be disabled.
* If a security module is installed (such as '''mod_security''' for Apache), it should be able to be configured for specific folders (or disabled).
* '''mod_rewrite''' for Apache
* Direct connection to https://www.cheetahwsb.com/ should be able to be established (i.e. connection without requiring proxy authorization). This is required for license verification.
* '''[http://www.boutell.com/gd/ GD library]''' compiled with '''FreeType''' fonts (for photo processing) or '''[http://imagemagick.org/ ImageMagick]''' as an alternative.
* '''Sendmail''' or '''Postfix''' programs for sending emails.
* Ability to create '''[http://www.unixgeeks.org/security/newbie/unix/cron-1.html Cron Jobs]'''.
* You should be able to run executable files (you would need it for '''ffmpeg.exe''', which converts videos).

== Server Requirements for Media Streaming ==

Some of Cheetah's features (such as Flash Chat, Flash IM, Boards, Video Recorder, Video Comments) require media streaming capabilities. To use those, you need to make sure that the following requirements are met:

* '''VPS''' or '''Dedicated''' server is generally required in order to be able to install and run '''RMS (Ray Media Server)'''. You would need access to the '''root''' or '''administrator''' account on the hosting server.
* '''[http://www.java.com/en/download/manual.jsp JRE] (Java Runtime Environment) ver. 1.6''' or higher should be installed.
* Ports '''1935''', '''1936''' and '''5080''' should be open on the server.
* Allowance of at least 15 KB/sec for media streaming for each user.

-----

'''''It is a good idea to send the list above to your hosting provider to make sure the server is ready for installation. If all the above requirements are met you are all set to proceed to [https://www.cheetahwsb.com/m/cheetah_docs/chapter/installing-cheetah Cheetah Installation]'''.''

-----

== Recommended Hosting Providers ==

Going for one of our [https://www.cheetahwsb.com/page/hosting Recommended Hosting Providers] is a good idea for both starters and those willing to work with companies that have Cheetah experience.

== Recommended Server Setup ==

Since Cheetah is a resource-intensive platform, it is very important to "fine-tune" your server. In some cases (for popular sites) you may have to setup clustered servers, and/or a remote database server. Alternative "web-server" software, such as [http://nginx.org/ nginx] may also be beneficial to your site performance. Please refer to [https://www.cheetahwsb.com/m/cheetah_docs/chapter/hosting-server-setup-recommendations Hosting Server Setup Recommendations] for the details on how you can tune-up your server.