Forums Archive -> VectorStar News

The servers are going live! 2003-01-24 15:24:20
by lmbedore
We're scheduling time in February to hook up our new servers! There are a number of operational changes that will affect you, so here they are:
  • PHP scripts in websites will now run as your user account. This greatly improves security for PHP scripts, but may require script or datafile changes for some people. PHP scripts will now have to be held to the same security standards as normal CGI's. Further info about this can be found on our Services Page.
  • For users pointing their own domains at VectorStar, the IP address of the web server will be changing. It will be 64.58.198.246. We recommend that you use alias (CNAME) records and point them to www.vectorstar.net, as this IP will be changing again after the new servers are running for a while.
  • In order to send SMTP mail to people outside of VectorStar, your mail client will need to be configured to use SMTP AUTH. In most mail clients, this is set by checking a checkbox that says "My SMTP server requires me to log on", and entering your username and password in the boxes on that page. We will add further documentation on the Services page.
  • All mail protocols (SMTP, POP3, IMAP, and webmail) will support 128-bit Secure Sockets Layer (SSL). We strongly recommend that all users take advantage of this security feature! We will add further documentation on the Services page.
  • Other major improvements include quadrupling our processing power, 30 times the disk space, all journaled filesystems, frequent tape backups, redundant RAID on all servers, and new Cisco networking hardware.
Within a week or so, we will know the exact switchover date. I will add a comment here to let people know when the big move will be. The servers will be down for about 3 hours.



Re: The servers are going live! 2003-01-25 12:15:25
by apollo
Well ..when it will be opened again.. and if the freeaccounts will work again ..and 3rd ..why don`t u start an ircd server where the users can chat online ...and the posbility to link with irc.dnwt.net ..(i`m one of the NetAdmins of that network)
Re: The servers are going live! 2003-01-25 13:25:07
by Jeremy Slater
Yeah Laird, and while you're at it, we'll take down all the firewalls and you can change the root password on all of your boxes to password.
Re: The servers are going live! 2003-01-25 15:08:33
by lmbedore
Yeah, we're gonna change all the administrative passwords to "hello" on the new servers, too. Then we're going to tell everybody in #2600, #phrack, #ninjas, and #prebubescenthax0r on every major IRC network.

User signups will be reopened when we have finished the Administration system, which cannot be finished until the new servers are put into production. There is no date or tentative date or even wishful date to describe when this will be done. We are more focused on strengthening the services we offer for our community than we are in getting new users.

We are going to play around with setting up an IRC server for VectorStar. We want to integrate the services engine with our administration system, for some interesting services. There is NO WAY IN HELL that we will link the server with any IRC network. We're not stupid. Simply said.

Lastly, I'd like to encourage everyone to enroll in a remedial grammar and spelling course. I don't understand how so many illiterate people coexist and interact in our world without dropping nukes on each other every 5 minutes.
Oh wait... :/
Re: The servers are going live! 2003-01-26 14:40:07
by jdaunt
Laird/Jeremy,

You guys forgot to post the enable passwords on all the cisco gear. That way users can also assist with the connectivity on Vectorstar.

I do think a Vectorstar irc server would be a good service, but linking it to flyhoswithafros.h4x0rthew0rld.dyndns.org would not be a good idea.

Re: The servers are going live! 2003-01-26 23:29:25
by stale
I'm going to step it up a notch and post my home address on the main page along with leaving the keys to my '67 Camaro hanging from my front door. In the glove box of the car, which will be taken on a first-come-first-serve basis, will be the directions from my house to Jeremy's house so that the VectorStar servers can phsyically be stolen and used on the IRC server of the thieving user's choice. While I'm at it, I might as well leave a copy of the dictionary, enclopedia, and my 8th grade English book in the trunk, and if anybody can guess my birthday (I'll be sure to post that somewhere too), I'll leave my girlfriend naked in the backseat!
Re: The servers are going live! 2003-01-26 23:30:38
by stale
I might want to keep a copy of that dictionary for myself too...
Re: The servers are going live! 2003-01-27 21:29:20
by toby
When are you gonna leave the keys out? I wanna be the first to drive the old sk00ln' penis car!
Re: The servers are going live! 2003-01-30 01:22:23
by Anonymous
Me am Brazil. GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Vectorstar is back Rooting it will be real fun Pound Ninja Hackers

Keep up the good work boys.

Re: The servers are going live! 2003-01-30 01:23:05
by Anonymous
Some one should give me an html book instead...
Re: The servers are going live! 2003-01-30 20:11:43
by lmbedore
Fear not, unnamed Anonymous we-know-who-you-are-anyways poster. You will undoubtedly get an offer by e-mail for your free copy of "Teach yourself HTML in 21 days" by those horrible book-writers at SAMSnet. :)
Re: The servers are going live! 2003-02-11 17:42:10
by lmbedore
Okay! An official go-live date and time.....
February 15th, starting at 1pm EST (19:00 GMT) and ending about 5pm EST (23:00 GMT)
With any luck it'll only take about 4 hours to totally gut the network, re-rack and re-wire everything, move all the data over and make last-minute changes.

I'm going to start writing up new docs for our Services page tonight.