Finding good hosting and domain registrar

2 replies [Last post]
koszkonutek
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Joined: 03/19/2020

I am looking for a domain registrar, hosting company and SSL issuer. It would be cool if single company offered all 3 services although this is not my primary concern. It should meet the following criteria:
- It should not require running nonfree js in the browser in order to purchase/use the service (this is a must)
- It should be friendly (or at least not hostile) towards our principles: software freedom, user privacy, etc.
- It should have sane ToS
- It can be a bit more expensive than competition but should not require me to rob a bank
- The registrar should allow pointing an NS record to my chosen IP address so that I can administer DNS on my own (this is *not* strictly a must).
- The hosting company should initially install a 100% free OS on the server I rent (does not have to be an ethical distro, Debian/Devuan without nonfree&contrib is sufficient for me)
- The company should not create any unnecessary difficulties (blocking certain ports, etc.)

What I at least glimpsed at:
- Gandi[1] - Seems friendly towards free software but Hyperbola projects seems to have serious concerns about it[2], so perhaps I should too?
- 1984[3] - That's what Hyperbola project moved to. Unfortunately, the site doesn't work without nonfree js and the ToS[4] are not sane(1).
- Vikings[5] - I am afraid the price is going to be too high(1) (right now I can't seem to check it, though).

I have yet to more closely look at ovh.com which is famous for standing in defense of WikiLeaks.

(1) From 1984's ToS: "Offering, selling or showing, or providing links to other websites offering, selling or showing the following is prohibited: [...] (g) file sharing; (h)pharmaceuticals; [...]". That's way more restrictive than reasonably required. In another place: "System resources [...] shall only be used for data directly pertaining to the web sites or email accounts of the shared hosting account." - this is also bad. In yet another place: "It is prohibited [...] to resell or allow a third party usage [...] in whole or in part, [...] unless Subscriber has entered into a Reseller Agreement with 1984." - depending on how it is to be understood, it can also be too restrictive.
(2) Vikings seems to be the only company offering hosting on devices at RYF level of liberty (if I am wrong - please correct me). While hosting on a librebooted devices(2) would be cool, I am afraid it would drive the service price high. At the same time, I don't consider freedom of firmware underlying the VPS I rent to be strictly relevant to me. In cases some companies run nonfree firmware on devices, it harms their freedom. Also, it is perhaps better to avoid all x86 platforms, even librebooted ones, so as not to let AMD and Intel make more money? Good ARM hosting anyone?

[1] https://www.gandi.net
[2] https://www.hyperbola.info/news/site-maintenance/
[3] https://1984hosting.com
[4] https://1984hosting.com/tos/
[5] https://vikings.net

koszkonutek
Offline
Joined: 03/19/2020

> It should not require running nonfree js in the browser in order to purchase/use the service

If a company can be persuaded to set everything up via email, bypassing the need to use its web interface, then it is also acceptable

koszkonutek
Offline
Joined: 03/19/2020

I emailed 1984 with a question regarding some aspects of their offer, including their ToS. It turns out I misunderstood it in a few points. My wrong, especially in mixing shared hosting ToS with VPS ToS, and I am happy to have been wrong. Below you see their response:

> Hello,
>
> I'd like to inquire about some aspects of your offer.
>
> I noticed that some of the (inline) javascript on your site[1] does not
> have any license attached which makes it nonfree[2]. As a result,
> customers rejecting nonfree software cannot utilize your website. Do
> you have plans to put a free software license on your javascript? If
> not, would it be possible for a customer to bypass the site and make
> purchase with you some other way, e.g. through email?

Thank you for pointing this out, we will look into adding a free license to the javascript code.

>
> Regarding domain registration, do you offer adding an NS record
> for purchased domain pointing to customer's specified IP address so
> that customer can manage all other records independently?

We do, it is not a part of the general interface, you just have to contact us to have us create the glue records.

>
> If one decides to rent a server with you, are there any additional
> difficulties? Are all ports open? Is adding one's own reverse DNS
> records supported? Are your customers free to run their own email
> infrastructure on rented servers or do they have to use your mail
> service instead?

For VPS all ports are open and you can put your own PTR record in place. People run whatever they like, as long as they don´t breach Icelandic law or the 1984 TOS.

>
> I also have some questins regarding your ToS. It seems to be
> impractically restrictive, which makes me suppose that perhaps the
> most obvious interpratation of it is wrong.
>
> In one place you state:
>
> > Offering, selling or showing, or providing links to other websites
> > offering, selling or showing the following is prohibited: [...] (g)
> > file sharing; (h)pharmaceuticals; [...]
>
> In the "file sharing" case I believe you are trying to secure yourself
> from copyright suits. Does it mean your customer cannot use a rented
> server to run a forum if the forum allows users to attach files to
> post?

No, it does not mean that. Of course you can do that.

Or maybe the customer is allowed to do so as long as forum is
> regularly moderated and copyrighted material deleted from it? Do your
> ToS mean a customer who runs a forum on a rented server has to regularly
> delete all users' posts containing links or references to file sharing
> sites?

We do not mean that.

What sites fall under the category of "file sharing sites"?
> Logically thinking, Google Drive is surely included?

We will not give a list of "file sharing sites" for reference. This is about copyright attacks as you no doubt realize.

>
> What is the problem with pharmaceuticals? Is your customer not allowed
> to write a post about COVID vaccines on a blog hosted on your
> servers? If this particular thing is allowed, then what isn't? Where is
> the line drawn?

The line is drawn on a case to to case basis. We do not want our systems to be used for selling cocaine, we are fine with people writing posts about vaccines.

>
> In another part of the ToS you state:
>
> > System resources [...] shall only be used for data directly
> > pertaining to the web sites or email accounts of the shared hosting
> > account.

This applies to shared hosting.

>
> I believe you don't want users to mine cryptocurrencies on rented
> servers, right?

This restriction has got nothing to do with that.

Does the restriction cited above also mean that
> a customer is not allowed to utilize the rented disk space as personal
> storage?

On a VPS, sure. On shared hosting no.

What if a customer is smart and attempts to bypass the
> restriction by saving personal files in the mailbox?

I'm not sure how to answer this. There are always ways.

How does this
> restriction affect the possibility of hosting for example a debian
> package mirror? It is not strictly a website, although index of certain
> directory would be viewable in a web browser, making it a website-like
> creation. What about possibility of hosting services other than
> websites and email? Mumble server, IRC server, SIP telephony server?
> Are these allowed or not?

You are listing services that belong on VPS, and mostly cannot be run on shared hosting ata all, in the context of shared hosting.

>
> Yet another part of ToS that raises serious concerns is:
>
> > It is prohibited [...] to resell or allow a third party usage [...]
> > in whole or in part, [...] unless Subscriber has entered into a
> > Reseller Agreement with 1984.
>
> What actions exactly does this restriction cover? It certainly
> prohibits giving direct ssh access to third parties. But what if
> customer wants to create some commercial service using rented server?
> Can a bussiness involving creation of private wikias utilize your
> servers? Is it allowed to host servers of some voxel game on your
> VPS and rent them for profit? What is the "Reseller Agreement", where
> can I find more about it and how does one enter it?

This, again, applies to shared hosting.

>
> Lastly, I'd like to ask whether it would be possible to negotiate less
> restrictive service terms.

No, generally not. If, however, the business you bring is very substantial, in the tens of thousands of dollars annually at least, a contract can be negotiated with different parameters.

Best,
Mo
1984