WordPress MU

hi,
i have requested my host to add wildcard character the asterisk at my domain's server alias setting. after that, the fantastico is not accessiable and all my previous subdomains are not working anymore. i tried to install wpmu but still not okay and the subdomain catchall still isn't working yet. i believed if the subdomain catchall is okay, we can ping like "ping whatever.mydomain.com". i can see all successful installation sites can ping thou there is no subdomain created before. for example, "ping whatever.wordpress.com"
just wanna ask is anybody here figure out wpmu with cPanel hosting service in success. i'm not sure wut i still left and need to figure out!!
might need to restart the apache??
thanks

You need to get your host to set up your virtual hosts in Apache to be in the right order, so all the named subdomains need to be listed first and then the wildcard entry.

It doesn't have anything to do with cPanel.

i hope because of this..
the wildcard need to add not only to my virtual host domain container but also in main DNS server domain which my domain hook-on. hosting company and the main host server which is pinging dns, of course may not be doing this service because it may conflict or sort of loose control on coustomers. i've tried to ping most of web hosting companies dns, 99% do not support this(wildcard at dns server). so, wpmu is good for those who are running their own server or dedicated server and who have a full control of httpd themself.
it still might need some solutions for those who are running web under hosting service like WHM/cPanel,etc.. because wpmu is lease support on subdirectory method than subdomain method.
so, i thought those who are running under hosting service webmasters, you might first check whether your host server(dns) support wildcard by just simply type "ping whatever.yourhostdomain.com" and see if it is ping back the ip address packes.. if not, thou you've requested your host to add wildcard to your domain, it will still not work.
correct me if i'm wrong.
thanks

No, no and no...

You need to get your host to setup bind on their server so it has a wildcard DNS entry that will point *.yourdomain.com to your web server's IP address.

Then to handle that you need them to add a ServerAlias of *.yourdomain.com to your VirtualHost entry in Apache.

A good host will do all of this for you, although some may insist that you add a dedicated IP address to your account, which is typically a few dollars more each month.

Note: Wildcard DNS is not setup by default you must request it first.

Hi jaseone,
Yes, my thought was wrong. My hosting is willing to do but host admin is asking about what i might exactly need to do. So i have to express what i exactly need to do with my vhost setting. Thanks for your pointing and now the bind is working. In fact, i didnt read properly this article.
http://photomatt.net/2003/10/10/wildcard-dns-and-sub-domains/

Now, everything seem working "ping whatever.haalaaluu.com" and got return ip-packes. But i still have a problem; without putting "www" i got to default cpanel page. pls try this http://haalaaluu.com/ and http://www.haalaaluu.com/
Because of this problem, i still cant success in wpmu installation.

Just wanna double check, is it..

<VirtualHost ip>
......other setting
ServerAlias *.haalaaluu.com
</VirtualHost>

or

<VirtualHost ip>
......other setting
ServerAlias haalaaluu.com *.haalaaluu.com
</VirtualHost>

*.haalaaluu.com should add on or replace to original haalaaluu.com ????

Because cPanel original setting is just
<VirtualHost ip>
ServerAlias haalaaluu.com
</VirtualHost>

currently, i just requested to add wildcard * infront.

thanks again.

Add the wildcard virtualhost entry to the end of the existing virtualhosts.

sorry to tell you my failure becaue i didnt get it.. could you please a little more specific? because i need to tell my host in exact manner. i edited everything said so in this post except the last part "RedirectMatch 301 (.*) http://photomatt.net$1" ->
http://photomatt.net/2003/10/10/wildcard-dns-and-sub-domains/

now my cpanel hosting site is available with www and without it i get into cpanel default page and wpmu cant proceed. *sign

thanks

Err if your host can't understand then they aren't very competent... Any named VirtualHost's have to come first in httpd.conf for example any subdomains you have defined and then the wildcard VirtualHost comes last.

well, thanks jaseone for being with my thread. just one thought.. if it is so, then the cpanel have ability to create addon domain and subdomain feature, whenever there is new subdomain vhost container created, i may need to move the wildcard entry vhost to the end??

thanks

well, as i posted in above the serveralias must be both. not just wildcard entry only.
<VirtualHost ip>
ServerAlias haalaaluu.com *.haalaaluu.com
</VirtualHost>
problem solved!! thanks a lot jaseone for your helps.

for those who like mine, under cpanel hosting.. the following will help your headache for sure.

- if you are in cpanel share hosting and want to run wpmu
- your hosting ask for how you want to be your vhost setting
- follow this way

request update BIND Zone file of yourdomain by
----------------------------------------------
go to zone file
/var/named/yourdomain.com.db

add this at the end of above file
*.yourdomain.com. 14400 IN A 12.34.56.789

restart BIND
/etc/init.d/named restart

tell you want this vitrual host setting
-----------------------------------------------
<VirtualHost 12.34.56.789>
DocumentRoot /home/username/public_html
BytesLog domlogs/yourdomain.com-bytes_log
User username
Group username
ServerAlias http://www.yourdomain.com yourdomain.com *.yourdomain.com
ServerName http://www.yourdomain.com
CustomLog domlogs/yourdomain.com combined
</VirtualHost>

tell the host to restart all web services (apache) after modified.
99% of cpnael hosting are the same blood. if wpmu installation instruction attach this instruction will help a lot for cpanel wpmu users.
*sign.. i gonna continuously sleep for three days. :)

Is this need time to prepare nameservers?
Look my website http://www.blogreactor.com :((

Hi!
please can you tell me what is wrong?
I can edit DNS zone in cPanel WHM
what should I add?
is something as this?
* 14400 IN CNAME (or A?) domainname.com (or IP?)
Thanks for your help!

Hi!
please can you tell me what is wrong?
I can edit DNS zone in cPanel WHM
what should I add?
is something as this?
* 14400 IN CNAME (or A?) domainname.com (or IP?)
Thanks for your help!

federico, for me, just A name and IP...

dyrer, it might not need to take time to effect. for me, once the setting've changed, everything is working fine with no time. yes, i looked your site and pinged it but seem the zone file not function in right manner yet. you can ping yourself from command prompt in window or terminal console in linux.
ping whatever.blogreactor.com
if the zone file is okay, it should straight away ping back the ip.

regards,

hi Haalaaluu,
then you wrote something like this:

* 14400 IN A 1.1.1.1
or
*.domainname.com. 14400 IN A 1.1.1.1

thanks for your answer,
I will confirm for mod_rewrite in my host, I do not see another wrong.
I saw their wpmu installation. It is well.
I will leave a comment in your wpmu site as soon as possible.
Best regards

hi federico,

it should be *.domainname.com. 14400 IN A 1.1.1.1

just double check, if you are in cpanel, apache httpd.conf, the server alias should be

ServerAlias http://www.yourdomain.com yourdomain.com *.yourdomain.com

for better and full analysis, pls look at
http://www.haalaaluu.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=31

restart all http service. you wont go far.. see your wpmu soon :)

regards,

haalaaluu,

does reason in
http://photomatt.net/2003/10/10/wildcard-dns-and-sub-domains
explain another thing?

Thanks again

it's the same concept except the above link is more suitable for those who host themselve and control over themselve. for who are running dedicated server, VPS, etc..
when i was troubleshoting, i've also referred myself, too.
try this also..
http://wordfront.com/articles/2005/08/10/how-to-create-subdomains-for-member-logins/

by the way, the ip address and yourdomain.com suppose to be yours accordingly.
:)

good luck,

For those who tracing this thread, i dropped my forum on my domain. Instead i put about WPMU on cPanel entry here.

http://www.haalaaluu.com/blog/2006/07/22/wpmu-htaccess-for-cpanel/