Applications

What are Applications?

Applications created via the dashboard are used to run your sites. An application can take many forms, such as a directory of static files, a PHP script (or several), or even a complex back-end server spawning several long-running processes.

You serve applications from your sites by assigning them to site routes. Please refer to Building A Site for more information.

Adding an Application

  1. Click on Applications in the dashboard sidebar.

  2. Create a shell user if you have not done so already. You can use an existing shell user if you wish. We recommend that you use the same shell user for all of the applications that will run on a single website.

  3. Click the green button labeled "Create Application" in the upper-right corner of the content area.

  4. Enter a name for your application in the Name field.

    This name will be used to create a subdirectory in your shell user's apps directory such as /home/username/apps/appname.

  5. Select the type of application that you want to install.

  6. Select the shell user that will host the application.

    If you have multiple servers, be sure to select the shell user that is located on the server from which you intend to serve your site.

    Note

    You must create a new shell user before you can create a new application.

  7. Some application types will present additional options when they are selected.

    Read the on-screen instructions for the options and set them as desired. Unless otherwise noted, it's generally safe to accept the default options.

  8. Click the green "Create Application" button to save your new application.

    The application will appear in the application list, and its status will update in real time as the application is installed. This may take from a few seconds to a minute or longer depending on the complexity of the application.

    If a new application's status is not "Ready" following an installation then you can check for the cause of the failure in the application's install log. The log is located in the shell user's home directory at /home/shelluser/logs/apps/appname/install.log.

Deleting an Application

  1. Click on Applications in the dashboard sidebar.

  2. Click the delete icon (a trashcan/bin) for your application in the right edge of the application list.

  3. A confirmation prompt will appear. Click the red button to confirm the operation, or click the cancel button to cancel it.

  4. After you delete the application its status will update while the operation is pending, and the app will disappear a few seconds later when the operation is complete.

Modifying an Application

Some apps have parameters that can be modified via the dashboard after the app has been installed. To modify an app:

  1. Click on Applications in the dashboard sidebar.

  2. In the application list in the lower half of the page click the Edit icon (a pencil) in the rightmost column for the application that you want to modify. A form will appear.

  3. Adjust your app's parameters as needed.

  4. Click the green "Update Application" button to save your changes.