Apache maintainance application development

Hello,

I am looking to put together an Open Source Server maintainance program and
am looking for others with a common goal and/or interest.

ISPConfig and WebMin both offer solutions but neither is ideal for my
required goals :-

1) To be usable by
a) Systems Administrator
b) Resellers
c) End users

2) To be either :-
a) an interface hosted by Apache using PHP.
b) Perl based second HTTP server on a second port simular to WebMin.

3) To offer a community internet solution

ISPConfig offers these, but WebMin does not really address this structure.
ISPConfig is programmed in German with class and variable names in German.
ISPConfig has some bad design decisions and UI bugs I would like to avoid.
ISPConfig's instillation is horrendous.

Making a decision on the approach to use is the first hurdle.

The primary instance of Apache generally uses the "apache" user and group
accounts which does not have administration rights for creating new users.
FTP seems to require user accounts to be system user accounts.

This would point to either using a second instance of Apache on a second
port ( that would ideally be cloaked by the primary instance) running as
root.

Or to use a Perl solution like WebMin's technology that would run as root.

I would like input into which way to go forward and possible help in
establishing as solution.

Any thoughts or suggestions welcome.

Aaron

> Making a decision on the approach to use is the first hurdle.
>
> The primary instance of Apache generally uses the "apache" user and group
> accounts which does not have administration rights for creating new users.
> FTP seems to require user accounts to be system user accounts.

ProFTPd allows separate passwd files for each Virtual FTP server and
therefore does not need root access to create new accounts :)

This bypasses the need for root access totally and therefore allows all
configuration to be done by Apache and PHP.

Also the configuration files are more like Apache's too, and allow includes
to maintain individual accounts as separate configuration files.

Aaron