konard

Been using cPanel? Webmin? H-Sphere? Direct Admin? and all the other control panels?

Well before you jump into getting one, remember that these are NOT necessary at all for you to get started!
All those cool programs that are provided like Webalizer, Awstats, phpmyadmin, cron etc etc are actually standalone programs and can be installed individually and access without logging into these control panels at all!

What about those that help users install programs like forums, portals?
Well if they can't install a simple program like phpBB you are sure going to be sitting on your Helpdesk for hours and hour and hours... Have an archive on how they can install them themselves will enhance their abilities and save you future headaches.

In short, if you don't need it, don't pay for it!

daniel_adonai

Well... They make life easier for you.
YOU can go around being complex for all I care, but clients want a solution that is simple and intregrated all-in-1

How are you going to provide that? What make them a static HTML page?

allon

He is trying to host his own sites I think. But if I was to setup a hosting service, I would prefer that the customer have a control panel or at least a simple one.

kiwilie

Obviously you don't need one if you know how to do things yourself... It's common sense. But if you are selling hostings, or providing any hosting for others I'm sure they'd appreciate you having a nice and neat control panel for them to use.

gh0stface

I agree with kiwili, while Control Panel isn't neccessary, however for business practices such as webhosting, it makes it easier for clients. Webhosters want to make money so when they provide easy to utilize tools for the clients, it will help their company grow. The clients will be able to use more of their times else where instead of trying to figure out how to install the programs manually.

cristobal

Not everyone ( especially newbie webmasters ) know how to work everything around a system.
Its best that they at least have something simple to work on instead of nothing at all.
SSH or the commandline is not really for everyone.

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babymama728

I know when I first started out I wouldn't know how to do anthing without cpanel. It would make everything so much more complicated. I am still just getting the hang of this and while I'm learning cpanel makes it that much easier. I know I would never by hosting from someone if they didn't provide cpanel;

Harmony

agree with babymama728, it just makes life easier, at least you can learn while using cpanel, instead of having to learn everything first then create your website. If you provide cPanel for your clients, you would get definitly get more clients. Faster.

cristobal

I don't know about that.... because most start out people would not even know what is a cPanel to begin with, let alone know which control panel is good.
All they look at if the way the hosting site is presented.

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Cobalt

I would say that a control panel, or at least a GUI interface is ESSENTIAL for getting started. After all, think back to the days of DOS, did you actually really know how it worked? No, me neither.

There are far too many dangerous commands to risk it, plus think about installations. Well yes, they are easy enough to do from a shell prompt... but wouldn't you rather hit extract and install?

A knowledge of the command prompt is great, it allows you to fine tune, quickly check things, delve deeper into your system, but unless you know exactly what you're doing, spend a little more and make your life easier with something graphical.

John