Going round the bend with DreamHost...

I have a new client site that set up the hosting with DreamHost.

I am going nuts trying to get anything to work. The client set up access to the cPanel and created a FTP account for me. I was given the server name, username and password. I used these details to set up a shortcut with Transmit on my Mac. I can access the cPanel. I created a database. I then added a test index file using FTP. But the default "Coming Soon" page wont go away. It mentions "Once logged in, you’ll be able to delete this page (quickstart.html) and begin uploading your new site." But I do not see this file?

DreamHost has this FTP User system. I think I do not have proper access to the domain maybe? But then where the heck I am going when I use the FTP login? I can see the root folder and the test index file I added?

I signed up for email support which is supposed to generate a response in 24 hours. There is no phone support!!! I then signed up on the forums. I added my question this evening. I have heard from one guy out of 1800 views! He says I do not have the right username and password. But where I am going when I use the username and password provided to me? As far as I can tell the FTP session works? This whole FTP User system is really strange.

Anyone have any experience with DreamHost that could shed some light on this?

Thanks!

Is it possible your ftp access dumps you directly into the wrong directory? I know when setting up ftp’s on (mt), it always gives me the option to force the user into a particular folder, so they don’t have root access to my hosting account. Maybe they did that to you inadvertently?

I did get this response:

The problem is that you uploaded the file to the ’myName’ user’s home
directory rather than to the web directory for the site (which us under
another user entirely).

You’d need to make sure to upload the site using the user it’s hosted
under. Unfortuantely, you’ll need to contact the owner of the account
about that as it doesn’t look like they’ve given you access to that user
or the domain itself.

This is such a hassle. I was given access to the account cPanel and a login was created for me to upload site files using FTP. But this FTP account goes into my FTP User and not the site itself. I have no account with this host. This might be some kind of security measure but it has wasted my time.

This does reinforce the notion of asking clients to use hosts that I (the developer) am familiar with instead of going though all this head scratching making their host choices work...

I don’t even know if it is a security measure. I’ve always found that feature to be mostly useless, unless I want files from someone but don’t want them having access to my server, which I don’t think ever happens.

If my clients don’t want to host with me, I charge them to set up the server. This is a good point though - I should update my contract to specify that if it takes longer than X to set everything up because of the host they choose, then I’ll charge X more. That first part is usually enough to have them host with me, alleviating these issues.

Can you use the cPanel file manager to upload to the right place?

Still working on this... >:(

The owner "found some obscure setting which let me change which user the domain runs under and I switched it to you..." So far this does nothing. That silly Coming Soon page remains, taunting me...

I then tried using the site owner’s FTP login and username but there is an error there somewhere. I am waiting for confirmation...

In contrast the last three sites I set up with Bluehost: FTP setup, database creation and MODx installs all got done in like 15 minutes...

EDIT: finally success. The owner did something that I could not see that actually connected my FTP "username" to the domain the host is actually hosting. This seems like a mousetrap that does not need to be...

Photo,
Glad to hear you got it sorted. Are you a CPanel virgin? Sorry, couldn’t resist.

If someone uses CPanel to set up FTP access, they do have the ability to "aim" you to a particular folder. If a newbie were doing this, I would not predict success - CPanel sometimes does things like "suggesting" a foldername, which the newbie might take without thinking - it sounds like that’s what happened here.

In CPanel, File Manager will be your friend for many things. In fact, with CPanel I sometimes don’t use FTP at all. In File Manager, you can stick the ZIP there, and File Manager will unarchive right in place. (just be careful you don’t overwrite stuff, but you knew that). Then you set up the database, and you’re ready for action.

You can also use CPanel yourself to make a separate FTP account that will go to whatever folder you need.

CPanel versions do vary, so some hosts are a little different.

Cheers

I am used to cPanels, but this FTP User deal was confusing. Basically I had to wait until the owner of the site, with more permissions than was granted to me, could point my FTP User account to the domain. My initial user system apparently did nothing. My hosts and most hosts belonging to my clients do not have this kind of thing as far as I know.

Any way, its working and I got the site up and running...