Knowledge base

This guide explains how modify PHP version available for the sites of your Web hosting Infomaniak.

Preamble

• It is possible to switch from an old and potentially vulnerable PHP version to a recent version, but then go back to this vulnerable version will no longer be possible for security reasons.
• The change is real immediately and to the infinite.
• Be aware of this other guide if you are looking for information about the configuration of the PHP version used in SSH.
   

Edit the PHP version used for a website

It is possible to easily modify the PHP version used on the whole of a website:

1. Click here in order to access the management of your product on the Manager Infomaniak (Need help?).
2. Click directly on the nameallocated to the product concerned.
3. Click on ‍ More information.
4. Click on Edit:
   
5. Choose the desired PHP version:
   
6. Click on Save at the bottom of the page to save the modification.

This guide explains how to add a MySQL/MariaDB database, create or modify users, and how to find all the necessary settings to configure your scripts and CMS on a Web hosting.

Manage databases

To access the database management page of your hosting:

1. Click here in order to access the management of your product on the Manager Infomaniak (Need help?).
2. Click directly on the nameallocated to the product concerned.
3. Click on Databases (or MariaDB (if necessary) in the left side menu:
   

Databases

Under the tab Databases you can:

• Create a MySQL database/MariaDB by clicking on the button Add Database.
• Import, Export or restore a MySQL database by clicking on the chevron ‍ to the right of the button Add.

Users

Under the tab Users you can:

• Create a MySQL/MariaDB database user by clicking on the button Add User.

Configuration information

It is also here that you will find the information required to configure CMS or web applications:

• The name of a database (e.g. XXXX_dbname)
• The user name of a database (e.g. XXXX_username)
• The password the user name of a database ( the one you chose to create MySQL/MariaDB user to redefine if you have forgotten it)
• The MySQL/MariaDB server databases / host name / hostname (e.g. XXXX.myd.infomaniak.com) with its version (5.7 e.g.)

User Rights, Shared Servers & Cloud

• With rights in reading-Select.
• With rights in Writing: "INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE, CREATE TEMPORARY TABLES, LOCK TABLES"
• With Rights admin: "CREATE, DROP, INDEX, ALTER, CREATE VIEW, SHOW VIEW, REFERENCES"
  • + "CREATE ROUTINE, ALTER ROUTINE, EXECUTE, TRIGGER, EVENT" on Cloud Server only (be aware of this other guide on this subject)
• Without no rights: the user will not see the database in phpMyAdmin

Web application databases

• Be aware of this other guide about WordPress.
• Be aware of this other guide about Joomla.

This guide details the technical and administrative aspects of hosting multiple websites on the same platform.

Technically speaking

A single hosting package can encompass various websites. Therefore, it's possible to add multiple websites to one hosting account (multi-site / multi-domain management). In this scenario, the resources of the hosting (disk space, databases, script execution time, and memory, etc.) are shared among the various websites on the hosting account.

The basic Cloud Server plan includes a certain number of hostings (e.g., 5) and a higher number of websites (e.g., 20). In this example, that means you could create 20 websites (with 20 different domains/subdomains) that you can freely organize across your 5 hosting accounts.

Administratively speaking

Regarding the organization within the Infomaniak Manager, management and access rights cannot be assigned to a specific website on a hosting account. A user that you add to the organization cannot have rights limited to just one site; they will always have access to the entire hosting account.

However, at the server data level, it is possible to create an FTP user restricted to a specific folder (this should be limited to the folder where the site is located).

Managing a single site among others on the same hosting can also be considered directly within the tool used for the site (e.g., WordPress user management).

Also read: https://news.infomaniak.com/quel-hebergement-web-choisir/

This guide explains how to add an additional website to an existing Infomaniak hosting plan.

Introduction

• The hosting may be on a shared Web Hosting plan or on an Infomaniak Cloud Server.
• The additional site can be either:
  • a second domain name (e.g., domain2.xyz),
  • or a subdomain (e.g., abc.domain.xyz) of a domain name you already own.
• In this multisite/multidomain management (virtual host), the total disk space and resources of your hosting are shared among your sites/subdomains.

Access Site Management

Prerequisites

• If the 20 site slots offered on the Web hosting are already used, order additional sites.

To access a Web Hosting plan to add a site:

1. Click here to access your product management in the Infomaniak Manager (need help?).
2. Click directly on the name assigned to the relevant product.
3. Click the blue Add button.
   
4. Choose optional content for the new site (A)‍ or no specific installation (B)‍:‍
   
5. Press Next.
6. Choose the type of domain to be assigned to this new site:
   1. an already acquired domain name
   2. a subdomain created from an already acquired domain name
   3. a domain name that is still available and to be ordered
7. Enter the Domain name (domain2.xyz, for example) or the Subdomain.
   
8. Choose any Advanced Options, including:
   1. By default, the new site is added to the /sites/domain2.xyz directory on your FTP server.
   2. To manually define another directory, check Define location manually and indicate the path and name.
   3. Create a new folder if needed:
      
9. Click Continue.

This guide explains what you need to determine as a website visitor if you get a type 403 errorin order to solve this problem.

What is error 403?

HTTP error code 403 usually means that access to a resource is denied to the client by the server.

In what case does this error occur?

The user is not authenticatedThe server requires the user to identify to access the resource. This may be the case for private pages requiring authentication, for example.

The user is authenticated but does not have the necessary permissionsThe server recognizes the user but does not allow access to the requested resource due to permission or role restrictions. This cause of error 403 may be an incorrect permission problem, on a folder or file. For a folder, the error message is of type "403 Forbidden", for a file, "failed to open stream: Permission denied". In this case you must check that the permissions of your folders / files are correct, i.e. minimum 644 for a file and 755 for a folder. Read more

The user's IP address is blocked or restricted: the server can block access to a specific IP address for security reasons, protection against attacks... Read more

The requested resource does not exist on the serverIn this case, the server returns an error 403 rather than an error 404 to avoid the disclosure of confidential information. If you are trying to simply access your home page or part of your site, indicating a type address www.domaine.xyz or www.domaine.xyz/dossier/ Make sure there is a home page named "index.html or .htm or .php" placed in the right place (at the root of your FTP space, in the /web directory, or in the /folder/ directory). Read more

In addition, make sure that there is no uppercase in the file name, all file names or folders present must be in lowercase, without accent or space.

Script errorIf you are running a script, filling out a form, loading a file online and you get this type of message:

Accès interdit!
Vous n'avez pas le droit d'accéder à l'objet demandé.
Soit celui-ci est protégé, soit il ne peut être lu par le serveur.
Si vous pensez qu'il s'agit d'une erreur du serveur, veuillez contacter le gestionnaire du site.
Error 403

the cause can be a filter that prevents unwanted use of scripts by spammers. Indeed, the Infomaniak Antivirus blocks uploading files via scripts or via FTP. This means that when a hacker sends a file identified as a virus via a form, an unsecured script or via FTP, its installation is directly blocked, the file is not uploaded to the server and the upload generates an error 403.

In case of false positives,contact Infomaniak support by giving the URL of the page where you encounter this error message in order to accurately diagnose the origin of the problem.

There are however many other cases among which you could get a message "403 forbidden" and for very different reasons ( PHP, perl, mod_security, .htaccess, ...).

This guide explains what a web host like Infomaniak is and what its role is. Will technical support e.g. be able to help design a website or troubleshoot a bug on a user's computer?

Infomaniak, host since 1996

According to Wikipedia, one web hosting is a company that provides Internet hosting of various and varied computer systems to individuals or entities who do not wish to do so by their own means.

Infomaniak is also...

• ... decades of experience: it is a world-renowned hosting & online solutions player, who loves what it does and wants to offer high-end solutions at affordable prices by continuously improving its services according to market trends and customer needs
• ... more than a million users in Switzerland and Europe; CHF 36.5 million in turnover in 2022 (22.43% growth in German-speaking Switzerland compared to 2021)
• ... enterprise certified ISO 27001, ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 50001... Infomaniak is 100% committed to sustainable and responsible development with concrete actions, as the creation of the most ecological Datacenter in Switzerland; it compensates for CO2 emissions from its activities and the energy used is of renewable origin
• ... 100% technological know-how "Swiss made" : all customer data are hosted on servers in Switzerland owned by Infomaniak; its solutions are systematically developed and maintained by hundreds of Geneva and Winterthur employees
• ... more than 1,000 articles and videos ; the knowledge base allows customers to immediately find an answer to the vast majority of questions and it is possible at any time to contact Infomaniak support

Infomaniak's responsibilities and limits of intervention

As a Web and Mail host, Infomaniak's main activities are: Install, secure and maintain servers to protect them from malicious attacks.

Infomaniak also ensures that continuously evolve its web interfaces (Manager) and its infrastructure based on customer returns, latest technologies and market needs. Finally, Infomaniak is also here to accompanying its customers in the various stages of Use of services.

On the other hand, Infomaniak does not interfere with server content or website development Indeed, the creation or maintenance of a site is a different profession; Infomaniak employs webmasters and developers for its own site, its own applications & tools.

Technical support limits

In particular, the Technical Support Department will not be able to help you...

• ... solve problems related to the development of the site (Fatal Error, etc.) or its updates
• ... put solutions in place (e.g. "Hello I want you to help me set up all my Swiss Backup", “migrating from my site")
• ... manually install WordPress
• ... take control of your computer remotely with TeamViewer or similar
  etc.

But he'll be able to see you at...

• ... solving problems related to the infrastructure or the Manager
• ... clarify certain processes
  etc.

One Premium assistance exists to meet the more demanding and recurring demands requiring additional time and resources from employees to assist you in an optimal way.

Also discover the Migration Service of Infomaniak.

Find help with a webmaster

For external help regarding the content of your site or the organization of your emails, you can contact one of the Infomaniak partners.

Making an invitation to tender

The Infomaniak tender platform There are more than 1000 verified companies in Switzerland, France, Belgium, Italy and Spain. This is the fastest way to find a webmaster, UX designer, IT technician, web agency or a communications and marketing agency near you; or Browse the directory.

This guide explains add a new domain name to a website Infomaniak.

Preamble

• When you add a new domain name to a website, we talk about related area but also of aliases.
• An alias domain in this case is an additional domain name, also linked to an existing site.
  • To make the website domain.xyz be reachable with a whole other domain name like private.abc e.g., add private.abc as the alias of the website.
  • Second example, so that the site domain.xyz can also be reached with www. domain.xyz, it must be added as an alias to the domain domain.xyz In this example, domain.xyz is the parent site of the alias www.domain.xyz In general, the alias www is already added automatically and now...

Add an alias to an existing site

Prerequisites

• If the domain name (intended to become alias) or its DNS area is managed by Infomaniak, everything is OK. If not:
  • Domain name registration A must point to Infomaniak.
  • To simplify, you canentrusting the management of the domain to Infomaniak.
• It is also necessary that the future alias is not already so, in which case it will have to be the disconnect from the current site in advance (i.e. synonym).

To add an additional domain that will be linked to your website:

1. Click here in order to access the management of your product on the Manager Infomaniak (Need help?).
2. Click directly on the nameallocated to the product concerned:
   
3. Then click on the chevron ‍ to develop the game Areas of this site.
4. Click on the button Add Domain:
   
5. Enter the domain name(s) to be added, separating them by the key Enter.
6. If the alias or its DNS area is managed by Infomaniak, it is possible to automatically update DNS entries In the opposite case, make any changes to your registrar or transfer domain name management to Infomaniak.
7. If you have an SSL certificate like Let's Encrypt e.g. you can ask the update here to include the new names.
8. Click on Validate to complete the procedure:
   

To define the alias as the main domain, take note of this other guide.

This guide concerns: Incoming and Outgoing Traffic Permissions between different hosts at the database level.

Access...

...to databases external to Infomaniak

From Infomaniak Web hosting, it is possible to make MySQL queries to external servers without restriction.

... from outside to Infomaniak databases

Access to Infomaniak databases from outside the infrastructure is only permitted with a Cloud Server (it is necessary to open the port 3306 in TCP / entry into the Firewall).

Allow external connections to MongoDB

Concerning MongoDB you have to disable the option local_only since Fast Install:

1. Click here in order to access the management of your product on the Manager Infomaniak (Need help?).
2. Click directly on the nameallocated to the product concerned.
3. Click on Fast Install in the left side menu.
4. Click on MongoDB.
5. Click on the action menu ⋮ to the right of the object concerned in the array that appears.
6. Click on Configure:
   
7. Disable local_only:
   
8. Save the changes.

This guide explains how to turn on or off the mode maintenance on a website of a Accommodation Infomaniak.

Preamble

• The maintenance mode allows you to display a personalized message to your visitors, e.g. during the resolution of a technical problem.
• It is also possible to specify IP addresses that can bypass this page.
• An e-mail is sent to the users of the Organization.

Enable maintenance mode

To activate a page that temporarily replaces your usual home page:

1. Click here in order to access the management of your product on the Manager Infomaniak (Need help?).
2. Click directly on the nameallocated to the product concerned.
3. Click the toggle switch button for enable the maintenance page:
   
4. Confirm the maintenance activation.

Customize the maintenance page

To set up a page with the message of your choice:

1. Click here in order to access the management of your product on the Manager Infomaniak (Need help?).
2. Click directly on the nameallocated to the product concerned.
3. Click on Page and Maintenance in the left side menu.
4. Click on ‍ Create Page or on the button Customize if it already exists:
   
5. Lay out the text of your choice.
6. Configure View using the elements on the right.
7. Click on Save so you won't lose your edits while editing.
8. Click on Save & Enable to publish the page:
   

Allow IP addresses

It is possible to display a site even with the maintenance mode. To do this, it is necessary to provide the IP addresses of computers that must be able to bypass the maintenance mode:

1. Activate the maintenance mode according to the above procedure.
2. Go to the maintenance page configuration page (see procedure above)
3. Under Maintenanceon the right, click on Insert my IP address to allow your computer to display the site without maintenance mode.
   • It is also possible to manually enter the IPs to be allowed.
4. Click on Save and Publish.

Disable maintenance mode

To disable the message that appears on your site during maintenance:

1. Click here in order to access the management of your product on the Manager Infomaniak (Need help?).
2. Click directly on the nameallocated to the product concerned.
3. Click either on the button Disable or on the toggle switch button for disable the maintenance page:
   
4. Confirm the deactivation of maintenance.

Alternative method for WordPress

It is not recommended to activate the Infomaniak maintenance page above to then work in WordPress.

It is recommended to install a WordPress extension (There are dozens of them.) dedicated to maintenance within CMS itself.

If not, you can add the code <?php $upgrading = time(); ?> in a new empty file named .maintenance (the point before the file name is important) placed on the server at the root of your site, which disable all your pages except the WordPress homepage.

This guide explains how...

1. ... generate a CSR and private key to apply for a third-party certificate from a Certification Authority (CA)
2. … import this certificate for your Infomaniak site, thanks to the CRT obtained from the CA

Preamble

• Although Infomaniak offers all SSL certificates that you might need...
  • free certifs Let's Encrypt for the personal sites (only possible with the sites hosted by Infomaniak)
  • certifs DV of Sectionigo for the professional/individual sites which are not registered in the Commercial Register
  • certifs EV of Sectionigo for the enterprises registered in the business register
• ... it is also possible to install an SSL certificate obtained elsewhere (intermediate/intermediate certificate from a certification body of your choice), personalized or self-signed certificates.

1. Generate a CSR (Certificate Signing Request)

A CSR (Certificate Signing Request or Application for Signature of Certificate) is an encoded file containing information necessary to request an SSL/TLS certificate. It must be generated on your side, to ensure that the private key remains under your control, using e.g. OpenSSL

Adapt and enter this command in a terminal:

openssl req -utf8 -nodes -sha256 -newkey rsa:2048 -keyout domain.xyz.key -out domain.xyz.csr -addext "subjectAltName = DNS:domain.xyz, DNS:www.domain.xyz"

Explanations

• newkey rsa:2048: Generates a new RSA key of 2048 bits.
• keyout domain.xyz.key: Specifies the file where the private key will be saved.
• out domain.xyz.csr: Specifies the file where the CSR will be saved.
• addext “subjectAltName = ...”: Adds additional domains via the SAN (Subject Alternative Name) extension, necessary to include all desired domains in the certificate (the main domain) domain.xyz + any other associated domain or sub-domain, such as www.domain.xyz).

After generation, you can check the contents of the CSR with the following command:

openssl req -in domain.xyz.csr -noout -text

This ensures that all domains listed in subjectAltName are correctly included.

Once the CSR is generated, you can forward it to the Certification Authority (CA) to obtain your SSL/TLS certificate.

2. Import External Certificate

Once validated, the CA will issue you a certificate (domain.xyz.crt) and sometimes an intermediate certificate (ca_bundle.crt). To access SSL certificate management:

1. Click here in order to access the management of your product on the Manager Infomaniak (Need help?).
2. Click directly on the nameallocated to the product concerned.
3. Click on SSL certificates in the left side menu.
4. Click the blue button Install a certificate:
   
5. Choose the certificate Custom.
6. Click on the button Next:
   
7. Import your certificate and private key, either by importing files .crt and .key or by copy-paste.
8. Click on Complete:
   

Alternative command to generate a self-signed certificate (optional)

If you want a local certificate only for testing or without going through a CA (not recommended for production), you can use this command:

openssl req -x509 -nodes -days 365 -newkey rsa:2048 -keyout domain.xyz.key -out domain.xyz.crt -addext “subjectAltName = DNS:domain.xyz, DNS:www.domain.xyz”

This generates both a self-signed certificate (domain.xyz.crt) and a private key (domain.xyz.key). However, self-signed certificates are not recognized as valid by public browsers or systems. They are suitable only for internal or development environments.