So, you want to setup WordPress on your local machine to develop a new project. You setup your virtual server, install, setup, etc … A little ways into the project you realize it might be better done in Drupal or maybe Joomla!? No, definitely not Joomla! What about Ruby? Is there something that could be added to the project with Ruby? It sure would be nice to learn more, but I need to set it up …
Wouldn’t it be nice if you could have multiple Open Source applications just an icon click away?
JumpBox gives you that flexibility!
JumpBox is ready-to-use right out of the box! This virtual machine will be running in minutes from any computing environment that supports virtualization. One download + One of these: VMware, Parallels, Microsoft, Xen Open Source, VirtualBox or Amazon EC2. Once you’re up and running, JumpBox is ready to run an instance of an application right away! You can run it locally or launch it into a cloud.
The number of apps with JumpBox blew me away.
55.
All vetted and ready to use!
Now you can try over 50 Open Source applications. Whether to build, learn, or try, there’s a crap load here.
Even with all these apps to choose from, because it’s self-contained in JumpBox, your apps aren’t going to get tangled up:
Computing resources can be allocated differently amongst JumpBoxes on the same machine. You can partition and throttle resources to prevent runaway situations where a single application takes down an entire machine. And in the event one outgrows its available resources it can be effortlessly migrated to more powerful hardware.
As for updates for your Open Source apps, it’s pretty slick. For instance, instead of upgrading WordPress on the install you are working on, you download a fresh copy of the new version and use the JumpBox migration mechanism to move your data. If it’s broken, you still have your pre-upgrade setup. Very cool.
My favorite part about JumpBox has got to be the GUI. Seriously? Click on the icon and go.
Change the host name, configure email relaying, enable SSH/SFTP, install an SSL certificate, turn on stats or configure automated backups. The tools are identical across the entire library so once you’ve managed one you know how to manage them all.
For the daring types, take a snapshot of your favorite virtualization software before attempting operations that can be, well, “unchangeable”. You can even created scheduled backups!
I don’t know about you, but I was totally ready to get this.
Then I read the pricing.
- Silver – $60 per month
- Gold – $150 per month
- Platinum – $300 per month
Gulp.
Honestly, because there is no limit on the number of machine installs or users, it’s quite affordable for larger scale operations. It really does streamline things, however, if you’re flying solo or have a small organization, it might be a bit out of reach.
Learn more and sign-up for a 15-day trial at the JumpBox website.
Kevin says
Dude…I was just as excited as you were…until the prices. I guess I’ll have to keep being “hardcore” and doing it all myself…even the EC2 instances. O well. :-/
But…for administering stuff (not launching, etc.), Webmin is pretty awesome. Check it out.
Eric Dye says
I will be checking it out … thanks man!
Henry says
With pricing like this, you could set up an account with a hosting company like Dreamhost (~$9.00/mo) and have a one click install to a number of these apps, though nowhere near 55(!). On the plus (or negative, depending on how you look at it) side, you can develop from anywhere you have access to the web and a text editor.
Eric Dye says
Very true. Again, this is only a solid option if you are using it with multiple users.
Great idea, though!
David says
Jumpbox offers a discounts to non profits and education institutions. They are good guys. Check them out.
Eric Dye says
That’s awesome!
Thanks for the info. I think places that offer discounts like that are great.
Again, thanks for the info!
Jason McCranie says
Why not joomla? Joomla is way more powerful than wordpress and once setup, it is way more customizable than wordpress.
Eric Dye says
It does Joomla, too. 🙂