The Confused Freelancer's Guide To Technology: The Bare Essentials You Need To Get Your Freelance Business Online — And Be Your Own I.T. Department by Rosehill Daniel S

Author:Rosehill, Daniel S. [Rosehill, Daniel S.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2020-06-02T16:00:00+00:00

Why Go Open Source?

We paused our discussion on setting up infrastructure aboard our hosting platform after looking at Softaculous — which makes it easy to install server scripts without having to worry about things like creating MySQL users and setting up configurations between the database and the files that comprise the actual program.

Softaculous's library includes a number of CRM scripts which can be installed on your hosting server in order to provide a similar set of functionalities to those which you might encounter in the SaaS marketplace. Vtiger, Sugar CRM, and Yetiforce are just a few of the commonly installed options.

Although Softaculous makes it easy to install these scripts there are plenty more than exist in its library — you'll just have to handle the installation process manually (a process we discussed in the previous chapter). Each installation also typically has a set of prerequisites and dependencies: packages you'll need to have installed on the server in order to ensure that the script provides the functionalities it is intended to. In a typical shared hosting environment, you won't be able to request the installation of these packages if your host hasn't provided them in its default configuration — and yes, even if you ask nicely. If you want to see what's out there then search for the software that you're looking for along with the keywords 'open source' or 'self hosted.' Some companies offer both SaaS and open source versions of a product. In these instances, the open source tool is often called the community edition.

Although the approach certainly has its limitations, for many, going open source and running their own cloud software has made a significant difference to the success of their freelance businesses and allowed them to access advanced tools for a fraction of the cost of SaaS programs — or, in some cases, even for nothing at all.

There are several advantages to using an open source CRM as well as several disadvantages.

Let's look at both in turn.

Advantages of Open Source / Self-Hosted Scripts

Cost

The big advantage to running open source software on your host is that it is typically free to do so — although this is not always the case. When you are running software on your own server (even if it's technically that of your host, which you are renting) it is known as a "self-hosted" solution. Commonly, this type of configuration is used to run programs on servers which are managed locally rather than through a third party on the cloud. This latter case is called an "on premises" installation, which is commonly simply referred to as a "on-prem" (in case the etiology wasn't clear: the server hosting the application is physically located within the business premises).

Responsibility for Updates

Irrespective of whether you're self-hosting a CRM through your host or on-prem, you're going to be responsible for making sure that it's kept updated. This isn't simply a matter of ensuring that you're always running the latest version with the newest features. Out of date scripts are

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