This is what happened to PMC web sites this week.
I was away from computer at the moment but 2024-09-10T17:28:02Z was the last apache web server log entry before I lost SSH connection to the Virtual Private Server (VPS) which was running Linux Ubuntu 16.04.7 operating system.
Checked web sites and they were all down, SSH did not connect, web hosting company's server status page show no issues so looks like this is localized to my VPS only.
First I was just patiently waiting if the system comes back up by itself, but at 2024-09-11T04:43:00Z decided to send web hosting company's customer support an email reporting this issue.
This then began multi day back and forth ping-pong email exchange with customer support, its too long to go into details and doesn't matter, overall I was furious as all PMC web sites are down for hours at first and then it turned into days, let me tell ya, I was not a happy camper, however I kept my cool because raging and raving would not help at all.
Finally at 2024-09-13T04:29:00Z received last email from customer support and at this time I came to the conclusion that these guys cant help me, this issue will not be resolved like this, I need to just backup my files and re-install linux to the VPS.
Then I started to fiddle with that installation, however it was too little too late as sep 14th was the yearly web hosting fees expiration date already so even if I would manage to re-install brand new linux and restore backup files, it would only run mere hours.
Started installing linux debian 12 to the existing web hosting VPS at 2024-09-13T15:30:00Z and these software installs reached pretty much OK "testing stage" at 2024-09-13T21:41:00Z or so.
Purchased the new more powerful (and web hosting company product wise more up to date) VPS at 2024-09-13T22:33:00Z however the payment procedure messed up, the order went in but my payment didn't, so I had to retry the payment which then worked fine, but now web hosting company doesn't have this new payment info so I had to send yet another customer support email at 2024-09-13T23:15:00Z and then another set of waiting period commenced.
I got to tell ya, at this point I was so sick and tired of waiting for customer support email replies that I just wanted to throw my hands in the air and run outta the door screaming
Since VPS went down on sep 10th I had been slowly editing PMC web pages to add global announcement PHP include files, this project got completed, its just that VPS being down I cant upload those files. Also it was extremely frustrating that time was running out as server expiration deadline is getting closer and closer but none of these PHP files help at all as nobody can see them.
Then the next day at 2024-09-14T10:51:00Z finally received email that my brand new VPS payment went through and the product is ready for me to use, well cool but this kind of feels like everything just went to shit fast and now its too late. Also at this time I was end of my day already just about to get some sleep so yet another delay with PMC web sites being down.
Woke up yesterday at 2024-09-14T19:02:00Z and then after days first meal it was go time, Linux Debian 12 configurations begin! Cool!
I'm not going to bore you with excessively long story about configuring linux, fail2ban, apache, letsencrypt, MySQL and PHP etc, but it was 2024-09-15T09:27:00Z (today actually, even though for me this time was last night) when I finally got PMC Tactical Forum working along with other MySQL database using web sites.
That's the story what happened with PMC web site down time on september 10th 2024.
For privacy sensitive info reasons I'm not going to go into details how I got the money to purchase this new VPS web hosting package, but its now paid until sep 2025, however domain registration fees are due starting october 3rd 2024 and across various domains their due dates are along oct with last ones expiring on oct 28th 2024 I believe.
Right now I have even less money than before, I do not know how can I pay those domain registration fees, so if nobody support's PMC with this issue then there is a real chance that starting from beginning of oct 2024 PMC web sites go dark one by one.
Yes web HOSTING server has been paid, files are on the SERVER but the domain name is the "pmctactical.org" and "farming-simulator.org" etc and if those are gone then you could still connect through IP but that doesn't work because how apache web server is configured, for example if you try to reach pmc.editing.wiki with IP address, its not possible as there is no virtual host information in that IP. Once domains expire so do the web sites, they simply go down.
I am obviously working hard trying to come up some way to get money for the domain registration fees, there is about two weeks time now to hustle some cash, but I just don't know how that plays out, I have my doubts but yeah dunno.
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