Is aaPanel a dying/abandoned project

maverick

Hi guys,

I really need to make this question as looking around in the forums I see a plentitude of new topics with all kinds of errors and problems of this software, and it seems the staff participation is decreasing by the day.

Not only this, but I also noticed some handicaps on how the project owners are tackling the issues:

Instigating users to install EOL CentOS7 ... ridiculous;
Focusing on adding paid features when the standard features aren't working well;
Reduced participation;
No announcements of updates that matter (like availability for proper OS's)

I have been considering about the actual professionalism of the aaPanel team, their focus and direction. This is starting to seem like a dead project by the day, we have a couple of web servers running aaPanel, only one (with CentOS 7 still works well), the others with Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 work poorly, and so do those with Oracle Linux 8, AlmaPanel which is now the default for cPanel is not compatible with aaPanel (despite being a very similar system, they're all Enterprise Linux and rpm systems with the very same base install).

Personally I'm growing weary of aaPanel, unfortunately. When we first installed it on the first couple of servers, we thought it performed well and maybe it would be a nice bet. However, the tardiness to react to the market, and even to the issues posted here, makes me doubt that first impression. I'd appreciate some feedback from other aaPanel users.

aaP_boza111

What would be a good alternative?

maverick

aaP_boza111 I really don't know.
Usually when I'm looking for an web panel I am simply looking for something that will bring a GUI to adding domains.

I have cPanel servers for customers, and for those some customers it will only be cPanel.
For other customers or internal projects, I have tested many web panels. Referencing the free ones only:

Webmin/Virtualmin: I find it too heavy and bulky;
VestaCP: too many bugs;
ISPConfig: is nice but has some features I don't find appealing at all, specially the location and path of domain files. "customer1" "customer2" and other nuisances;
Ajenti & Sentora are also full of bugs, and poorly maintained;

I have to say overall I don't find many of them appealing or user friendly. I found aaPanel user friendly as it has few options, but relevant and accessible.
One of the major handicaps on aaPanel is that the system is poorly compatible with systemd, and still tries to use init.d as service manager.
I'm not a developer, but I really wish there was a lite control panel that would simply:

Use the "base" or "epel" or some pre-selected repos to install software, on their pre-determined location (increased compatibility with each system, simply using dnf or yum to install the packages, or apt if it detected a debian system);
Would simply write the configs on the pre-defined paths and play nice with the system;
Provided a simple and lean interface that would allow to add new domains, and add the vhost config to the proper location (in case of EL based distros, is /etc/httpd/sites-available and then add a symlink to sites-enabled if the site is enabled);
Display a simple dashboard with info's (actually the dashboard is one of the features I most enjoy with aaPanel).

If aaPanel's FAST installation method (opposed to the compiled method) would simply use the system's package manager to install, it would be quite simpler to be compatible with newer versions. But really I've been considering more and more just deploy the config manually or with some script, than keep using this panels. I know how to configure all the services using the CLI, the panels is just for the ease of point and click.

KrzysztofMaciejewski how soon, and how do you know that, taking that info from where?
If a panel is compatible with CentOS 8 it should be compatible with all other EL8 OS's out there. It isn't because aaPanel has limitations that come from the above mentioned points.
But honestly, looking around to many problems posted on this forum, the lack of answers and lack of resolution to so many situations, I don't know how you claim it is "active and in good health".

KrzysztofMaciejewski

i think that this project is active and in good health
it stable on Centos 8 and soon will be declaration about future OS compatibility

aaP_boza111

maverick I would really like to see a way where we can import our own web-apps into the "one click installer". I don't want to install outdated software and this feels really bothersome.

Is there a way to import up to date web apps into the one click installer?

idflorin

aaP_boza111 Is there a way to import up to date web apps into the one-click installer?

I really think that are other issues. The development of the one-click installer is a waste of time, in my opinion.
Talking about "outdated software": my issue for over 6 months is with the outdated apcu and maybe mariaDB 10.4.xx

maverick

@aaP_boza111 I'm not sure what do you mean by "importing our own web-apps into the one click installer".
What is the one click installer exactly? Is it the "App Store" on the panel where you click and it installs some software?

If so, there could be ways to bring your software there. If you develop an app, put it into a rpm or dpkg and submit it to aaPanel so they'd add it to their repos. That could be a simple way, but sure there should be a vetting otherwise anyone could create an app with malicious code and submit it.

One of the main issues here is that aaPanel should not try to reinvent the wheel with the base software packages, like httpd, nginx, php, php-fpm, mysql, mariadb and so on.
These are softwares that have packages for every OS, well known paths, and aaPanel could simply install these softwares from the base repos, or from the own developers repo (for example MariaDB from MariaDB repo) its simply a matter of adding these repos to the repolist.

aaPanel has some good ideas and some features that could make it great and even a major contender in the domain management softwares. It isn't too bloated with shitty stuff, has a clean and simple panel, if some of my above suggestions were implemented, it would be much, much better.

aaP_loonysnow

I was looking for an alternative for 3 months. Despite all the shortcomings of the panel, it still works adequately.

HestiaCP (fork of VestaCP) works well but didn't quite work for me
Ajenti is incomprehensible
Webmin is too complicated in everything
Fastpanel doesn't like admin panel
CyberPanel is confused by the ability to use htaccess

So aaPanel is not the worst option. Yes, the problem is with the speed of page generation from the server side, but with a little tweaking, the result becomes more or less normal.

It's a pity the developers don't work on GitHub. So many edits could have been made with the community, but they really don't care.

cr33p

don't care. all working good. there is no other option anyway, so i'll stay with aapanel.