Table of contents
Introduction (Beginners Guide)
 
Mobile Apps
 
Cheetah System Requirements
 
Hosting Server Setup Recommendations
 
Installing Cheetah
 
Cheetah Detailed Install Guide
 
Cheetah Troubleshooter
 
How to setup Cheetah on Nginx
 
Tweaking Spam Filters
 
Using Language Keys
 
Membership Actions
 
Chapter Content

Cheetah Hosting(System) Requirements

A default Cheetah installation works with most common configurations of hosting server, however, since Cheetah is a package with multiple scripts and apps, it is very important to ensure that all of the following requirements are met. Most of the technical problems occur due to improper server setup, so make sure that your hosting provider is Cheetah-compatible.

To help avoid trouble, we gathered a number of Recommended Hosting Providers that have Cheetah-ready accounts and experience with managing accounts that have Cheetah installed. Some of them offer instant installation or even pre-installed Cheetah.

Providing that the server is properly configured, it is possible to run Cheetah on a shared hosting account. We do recommend, however, that you have a VPS or a Dedicated Server for Cheetah.

Server Requirements

  • Linux/Unix (Red Hat, Debian, FreeBSD, Mandrake, etc.) or Windows OS
    • Note: Linux kernel 2.6.32 or higher is needed for ffmpeg.exe
  • Apache v.1.3 and higher or LiteSpeed web server. Other web servers can be used too, but custom rewrite rules are required, we have one for nginx web server.
  • PHP 5.4.0 or higher. PHP 7 recommended.
    • PHP-CLI (command line version) should also be installed, and it should be configured the same way and have the same extensions required by Cheetah as the DSO/CGI version.
  • register_globals must be Off
    safe_mode must be Off
    exec() (executable files) must be allowed
    short_open_tag must be On
    allow_url_fopen should be On
    allow_url_include should be Off
    open_basedir should not have any value
    upload_max_filesize should be 1024M or higher
    memory_limit should be 256M or higher. 512M or higher is highly recommended.
  • mbstring, mysql, curl, gd, xsl, json, zip, ftp, openssl ,fileinfo and exif.
  • MySQL 4.1.2 and higher.
  • The magic_quotes_gpc option must be disabled.
  • If a security module is installed (such as mod_security for Apache), it should be able to be configured for specific folders (or disabled).
  • mod_rewrite for Apache
  • Direct connection to cheetah.deanbassett.com should be able to be established (i.e. connection without requiring proxy authorization). This is required for license verification.
  • GD library compiled with FreeType fonts (for photo processing) or ImageMagick as an alternative.
  • Sendmail or Postfix programs for sending emails.
  • Ability to create Cron Jobs.
  • You should be able to run executable files (you would need it for ffmpeg.exe, which converts videos).

Server Requirements for Media Streaming

Some of Cheetah's features (such as Flash Chat, Flash IM, Boards, Video Recorder, Video Comments) require media streaming capabilities. To use those, you need to make sure that the following requirements are met:

  • VPS or Dedicated server is generally required in order to be able to install and run RMS (Ray Media Server). You would need access to the root or administrator account on the hosting server.
  • JRE (Java Runtime Environment) ver. 1.6 or higher should be installed.
  • Ports 1935, 1936 and 5080 should be open on the server.
  • Allowance of at least 15 KB/sec for media streaming for each user.

It is a good idea to send the list above to your hosting provider to make sure the server is ready for installation. If all the above requirements are met you are all set to proceed to Cheetah Installation.

Recommended Hosting Providers

Over the years we have worked with many different hosting providers, and some of them are very experienced when it comes to managing Cheetah sites. Going for one of our Recommended Hosting Providers is a good idea for both starters and those willing to work with companies that have Cheetah experience. Most of our hosting partners provide automatic Cheetah installation and special discounts for Cheetah users.

Recommended Server Setup

Since Cheetah is a resource-intensive platform, it is very important to "fine-tune" your server. In some cases (for popular sites) you may have to setup clustered servers, and/or a remote database server. Alternative "web-server" software, such as nginx may also be beneficial to your site performance. Please refer to Hosting Server Setup Recommendations for the details on how you can tune-up your server.

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