purpose of control panel/code

[smithcferg]

As I look at Amahi, some questions are coming to my mind:

1) Does my Amahi Home Server have any dependencies on the control panel on your website? Will it work fine without it?
2) What is the purpose of the profile code? How does this help me?
3) Are there plans to sell Amahi in the future? I.E. profile code is the start of a license key, etc.
4) What information about my Home Server is being communicated to your site?

Just trying to make sure I know what I am jumping in to, before I commit.

Thanks for all your hard work,

Craig

[cpg]

understood.

each server profile captures the basic settings that were entered plus two things, an api key used to access the api, send debug reports, etc. and the dynamic dns update. all things are initiated by the server (dyndns updates or updates) or the user (debug reports, applications, vpn access, ...), never from anyone in the amahi team. (some people think this is possible and ask that the team members fix their computer!)

there is no way that anyone from the team can access your server remotely, if that is what you are asking.

we have been talking about how to make the project self sustained, like having "pro" subscription services or other services like that, which people have been asking for, or an small business edition or online backups, or something that, which would allow the project to scale and pay the bills at the same time. those services would be managed in the control panel. we just have been slow at adding them there, as the team is small.

however, amahi will always be free and open source, even when/if we implement some of the subscription services that people have been requesting. amahi is not only open source, it's based on open source too, so we only enhance what's already free. and we can't possibly close it. we use the GPL3 license.

amahi started as a simple server for friends and it's evolving into a managed server. managed server means it's a different kind of distro, a next generation distro.

amahi is one of the first managed distros for regular users (not enterprise stuff) and it's really meant for people who would like to have the power of linux and be able to go deep at any time, with the automation of something managed, with simplicity at the core of it and not have to worry too much about managing updates, etc.

[smithcferg]

Thanks for the answers.

1. Still unanswered: Will Amahi Server work without the control panel? If it will do so now, are there plans to make it dependent upon the control panel in the future, even tentative plans? (Though not using the control panel may defeat the purpose of the managed server idea, bear with me now, I am just trying to figure out what it is that I am trying to make when I make an Amahi Server!)

2. Do we have to have a dynamic dns? Will Amahi Server work without it? Really rather not.

Thanks for your quick responses,

Craig

[cpg]

Thanks for the answers.

1. Still unanswered: Will Amahi Server work without the control panel? If it will do so now, are there plans to make it dependent upon the control panel in the future, even tentative plans? (Though not using the control panel may defeat the purpose of the managed server idea, bear with me now, I am just trying to figure out what it is that I am trying to make when I make an Amahi Server!)

it will work. let's say the team decides to stop working on amahi.

there is nothing the team can do to disable, stop, power down, or otherwise interfere with the server operation (well, theoretically we could royally screw up an update of the amahi system, but you can disable updates). you will not get apps as they appear, etc. but that's it.

2. Do we have to have a dynamic dns? Will Amahi Server work without it? Really rather not.

it's enabled by default. you can disable it by hand by stopping the hdactl and monit services.

why not just installing fedora/ubuntu?

with the above restrictions you would only get a very small fraction of the amahi experience, hardly worth the effort. maybe better off with a standard system install.

if you do decide to try the above,i think some things may break because not too many people use it like that (some do disable some things here and there), so please do file bugs or send patches to support this mode or operation.