Softaculous - what are the benefits?

[Genesis]

Softaculous works well. All one has to do is click on Softaculous, click on the script one wants, then follow all of the steps. However, how effective are auto installers really? I'm almost certain that when I used an auto installer - Softaculous - to download phpBB a couple of months ago, that the transitioning was not as smooth as it had been with downloading the script directly from the author and uploading it with the cPanel File Manager.

Also, going the manual route with downloading the script from the author, is effortless and probably even faster than using an auto installer. I've just uploaded Word Press zipped script this weekend with cPanel File Manager. All I needed to do was extract the folder in cPanel, create a mySQL database, and it was done.

FileManager is great. Previously I used FileZilla to upload scripts, but with cPanel Filemanager it's a matter of seconds. Probably four times as fast as FileZilla.

 

[GigaGreg]

But with FileManager you cannot upload multiple times at once which makes worse than FileZilla.

Also I like the new layout of Softaculous.

 

[Genesis]

But with FileManager you cannot upload multiple times at once which makes worse than FileZilla.

Also I like the new layout of Softaculous.

True. I'd use FileZilla for that. But just for loading a script in a zip package, FileManager works perfect for me. Saves me to go look for my FTP details.

 

[Briar Spirit]

I prefer not to use auto installers, just old habits really but I prefer to be in control as much as possible with a software installation, of course you're never really that in control but I prefer to keep the bit of control, I dabble with them from time to time just to see how the installation goes but I wont keep an active site from an auto installed situation.

Been a while since I frequented phpBB but there was a time they refused support for both FREE hosted forums and for auto installed forums, of course this may have changed since my times there but it caused a lot of friction I can tell you. I never understood the attitude, a FREE forum solution and they had a problem with free hosting, oh well, takes all sorts to make a World I guess.

 

[jaran]

Softaculous is intended for basic users who want to build a new site. For new users this is the easiest way to learn a basic coding.

 

[Genesis]

I'd say I learned more about coding from installing the scripts manually than automatically. Last night was an interesting experience with iframe. Pretty awesome code that. And probably the easiest and simplest one I've learned yet. Like magic! Getting one's fingers "dirty" with code instead of clicking past it, nothing can beat that experience of discovery.

 

[ogah]

use wget from shell also fast

 

[Spelunca]

Honestly I have never used softalicous Seriously when I was first starting I didn't even know what it was (yeah that kind of n00b @___@). I just install everything manually now out of habit, hasn't been that much harder tbh. Also like Genesis said you learn a lot more from installing it manually. XD

 

[jaran]

In some countries, English is not the native language. Therefore Softaculous is made to make it easier for those who have difficulty understanding the coding language. Unlike blogspot is already integrated with many languages.

 

[seliol]

Yes, it also depends on how much you trust your understanding of what you're installing on your site.
For some things I will risk it and do it myself, and for others I'd rather go with an autoinstaller if I'm not sure I will do it right.
It's always good to have the alternative, of course

 

[hnet]

Post 4:

With my previous host, use of Softaculous for the installer sometimes could be messy or not functioning if the script required a newer version of PHP. To resole the limitation of SQL databases would have to manually remove the database assigned to the system left behind. I had to learn this trick the hard way.

 

[Genesis]

Post 4:

With my previous host, use of Softaculous for the installer sometimes could be messy or not functioning if the script required a newer version of PHP. To resole the limitation of SQL databases would have to manually remove the database assigned to the system left behind. I had to learn this trick the hard way.

Our softaculous is up to date, but if you research this topic you'll find that specialists advise people to upload the scripts manually rather than through an auto installer. It's a much cleaner install and you are much more in control of the script and your databases. You can either do it direct with the cPanel File Manager, or with FTP and Filezilla.