Consider yourselves spoiled around here with Cpanel and Fanastico to install common web apps like Joomla, Xoops, etc. Recently 1and1.com began to offer their "click and build" applications which is supposed to be their home grown version of Fantastico. I was excited as I often recommend 1and1.com to my clients that have E-commerce needs since they offer a lot of marketing vouchers and some other features that are ideal for that cliental.

So I was excited as I would always have to install web-apps manually. This is not hard, but takes time. I frankly got spoiled with click a couple buttons, filling out the forms, and then being able to go right to uploading modules and the new template.

Well this was exactly the plan for one of my client's site. In fact I had developed on my Xisto hosting account and was ready to deploy. I set up the 1and1 account, set up Xoops with CLink and build, and went to upload modules and the templates and got a 550: Permission denied error. Well a quick email and phone call to their tech support and it turns out that users cannot upload to click and build applications. So you are stuck with the default install, default template, and nothing more. Xoops was completely useless for what we needed.

I eventually went back and installed Xoops the old fashion way, but my point was wanting avoid that, have the automated installer do it for me in 5 minutes, and then get directly to uploading the modules and template and get the site ready for launch in a month. What is worse is there is no documentation for click and build and no where do they mention that one cannot make changes to the existing file structures.

So there needs to be a disclaimer that 1and1.com's click and build is more like, "click and cripple ware".

Wow, and to think that my plan was to get professional by buying a site through 1&1. I worked with 1&1 at school and liked what was offered. But I didn't really get a chance to see what all was available. I was able to have access to working on my web space, and then play around with FTP. My instructor had all of the rights to the hosting. But when I graduated, I planned on starting up my own 1&1 account...

My sister started one about a year ago, and I installed WiseFTP for her uploading. She has since reformatted many a computer, and has began to lose interest due to always reinstalling. I don't usually add much to my space, but if I am able to do so now that I can host, and not just create a space, I am glad I chose astahost...

There is STILL a lot more than just saving money... maybe saving headaches. Thanks for info and it's unfortunate what we have to go through to learn new things.

Good luck with your application uploads and such...

- bob -