New DirectAdmin Skin (Your Opinion is Important)

[evanet]

Hello Everybody,

We've created a new DirectAdmin skin and we would like to receive your opinions, suggestions and constructive criticism in order to make it better.

Please use these guidelines for making a comment:
1. Do you like the skin in general? If not, why not?
2. What do you like/dislike the most? (For example: navigation, colors, etc.)
3. What would be your suggestions to improve it?
4. Should the new skin be included with DirectAdmin by default or as option?
5. What is your screen resolution?
6. Rate it from 1 to 10.
7. Let us know if there are any errors.

It is still Beta version, so we are going to use your advices to make it Final.

SKIN DEMO
http://vps.evanet.lt:2222

USER LEVEL
User: demo_user
Pass: demo

RESELLER LEVEL
User: demo_reseller
Pass: demo

ADMIN LEVEL
User: demo_admin
Pass: demo

With regards,
Evaldas Pakstys
www.evanet.lt (http://www.evanet.lt)

[Michael.Terence]

It's clean and simple, colors go nicely and the expandable menus are a nice touch. One nice feature to add would be a cpanel style search box that searches the different functionality offered, and displays links (example, you can search for phpmyadmin ... as you start typing and reach php, a new nav block has shown up under the search field and has all the links that could relate to (or contain) the value php.

I haven't used cpanel much, but that single feature was awesome. I never bothered to have to remember where to find the phpmyadmin link, or anythine else... just start typing and bam there it is. :)

If the skin were to be included in DA (as a plugin, or a standard skin option) I would likely use it myself, or at the very least offer it as an option for others. :)

I hear that the DA folks are working on a nice new interface already though.

[littleoak]

This is a very nice skin. I like the overall appearance - color, layout, and etc. The javascript is very nice as well.

What happens if a user has javascript disabled in their browser? Does the skin still allow users to create email accounts and etc? It would be nice if there were an option to turn the javascript off so that the skin would function without it in a way similar to the current enhanced skin.

The color choice for the tables is good - shades of grey. It works.

The padding / margins of the skin should be more compact. A browser window must be at least 1015x850 to view the dashboard. This means it will take up more space than most laptops allow. It would help if you could take away the wasted space so that visitors don't have to scroll to see all of the options. This space is not being used and makes the panel look empty.

The tabs in the sidebar, while very attractive, are quite large. They could be half as wide / tall.

There is no link back to the dashboard from any of the subpages. If you click the DirectAdmin logo it takes you back to the dashboard, but many users will not figure that out.

It would be nice if it were included as an option. I would not use it as a default unless the visuals were more compact and accessible for smaller smaller screens.

[Frej]

I really like your clean and smooth design.
+ for the design simplicity
+ for javascript anything that doesnt require to refresh the entire page
+ for your left quick menu. It really does make things much faster now and more easier to find the settings you wanna do
this should replace with the older one mostly because its more userfriendly and easier to access settings
Rating the skin 8 of 10
Suggestion: it would be nice if you can allow the admins to sort columns and left menu links using ajax. So the users can move in any order or in any position at all like they can move it freely. Example, in front page, Account management with the links below is column, allow users to move it anywhere they want
Support your development and already excited to see your stable release once its out

[evanet]

littleoak,

What is your screen resolution?

Thank you

[littleoak]

Evanet,

I am on my laptop right now: 1280 x 800.

[littleoak]

Here are three screenshots. One is of the browser at its minimum size with this skin. The second is an overlay to show the additional ~180px width over the enhanced skin. The third is Safari - the theme looks best in this browser.
841

842

843

[evanet]

Thank you all for your time and the feedbacks, I really appreciate that.

I still look forward to hearing from other forum members and DirectAdmin users.

For those who have not registered on this forum please contact me on Skype: nenis20 or send me an email: evaldas_eta_evanet_dot_lt

Every opinion/advice is golden for us, because it helps to improve our work. If we can work together everybody will be happy having a new skin for themselves and their users.

Thank you

[Michael.Terence]

How are you going to license the skin?
Will it be free?

[evanet]

Michael.Terence,

We still discussing about that. Maybe it will be free, maybe not, depends on several agreements we should make. If we license it, then the price is going to be affordable for everyone.

[nobaloney]

If we license it, then the price is going to be affordable for everyone.
Keep in mind that some of us have many, many, many, licenses. For those of us running lots of VPS instances, and paying the VPS license fees for DirectAdmin, it would be easy for the skin to be too expensive unless great care was taken in the licensing.

That said, I do really like this skin. My biggest concern would be keeping it updted; unless the company has a track record and we can trust it to stay around I'd be very reticent to use it because it would be really hard to to convince our clients to go back from this one to any of the DirectAdmin supplied skins.

Jeff

[evanet]

This is the reason why I have created this thread. If we are going to make an agreement with DirectAdmin, then this skin is going to be default or optional. But before that we need to make it really good. It depends what DirectAdmin staff has to say and they also want to know what users think about it. We are eager to create so much new things and keep everything fresh, but we need DirectAdmin's blessings :)

[nobaloney]

Have you discussed it with DirectAdmin (http://www.directadmin.support.html) staff yet?

Jeff

[evanet]

Yes, we've been talking about this skin for two months already. They want to know your opinions and suggestions as much as we do.

[walo]

This is a very nice skin !!! Is very clear and light.

1. Totally
2. I like all
3. The footer
4. Option. You need to sell this.
5. 1920x1080
6. 9
7. I didnt find anyone

[Michael.Terence]

Yes, we've been talking about this skin for two months already. They want to know your opinions and suggestions as much as we do.

Awesome. :)

[zaphod]

I'd agree that this skin is very nice. I'd also agree that it could do with being reduced a few pixels here and there, particularly in the size of the tabs on the left, and the spacing between the submenu items. I'd also be interested in hearing about the planning for degrading when Javascript is turned off.

Very nice job though, this could replace the default skin without any issues, from our point of view.

[cyberneticos]

I'm not convinced that this skin is better than enhanced nor marina. Also not convinced that this new skin will make us and break us. It's jut not explosive enough for me.

It is a nice skin. It is clean and has nice features.

But I personally think that this step into the future needs to be bigger. This skins needs to say :

"OMFG , look at that ass !!"

I hope everyone understands what I mean.

No one has made any comments of this level yet.

[DutchTSE]

I agree with cyberneticos. Actually the fancy javascript side menu contains the same items as the main page, so only a Home button should do the same.

Pages like: http://vps.evanet.lt:2222/CMD_FILE_MANAGER/domains/demo.com/logs
got too much colors, 5 within a small frame. It hurt my eyes tbh.

The skin contains a huge bug about selecting domains. After clicking around some items, and i want to press Email management for example, i got a popup box "select a domain before using this"... but i already did at the start?!

[evanet]

I agree with cyberneticos. Actually the fancy javascript side menu contains the same items as the main page, so only a Home button should do the same.


But it was the point that left side must contain the same items as the main page, example, if you're on "Show all users" you can see the content of it and still you can reach any item on the left.

And I agree about the colors on File manager, there must be done something.

Thank you for suggestions

[floyd]

I will just say I agree with cyberneticos. Its an ok skin. I like DA's Enhanced better. I like smaller text and icons. Just one person's opinion.

[cyberneticos]

I agree with cyberneticos

historical event :D

[BooDaddy]

Its a nice looking skin. Its not really "revolutional", but the left menu is a nice touch. To be honest, I kinda like DA's Enhanced skin better, just because its familiar.

I mean, the Enhanced skin is VERY functional, has everything right there in plain site and easy to get to. It doesnt have alot of "pretty fluff" to have to navigate through, which I really like.

With that being said, I like how this skin keeps to that tradition, but also adds the menu on the left.

I dunno if I would pay for this skin as it doesnt really add any type of value for me, as the Enhanced skin is just as easy to navigate. BUT, if this skin were to be included with DA or offered as a free option, I would probably end up using it.

[DutchTSE]

But it was the point that left side must contain the same items as the main page, example, if you're on "Show all users" you can see the content of it and still you can reach any item on the left.
With this kind of menu you always need 2 clicks to end up where you like to go (open parent menu + open submenu item).

With a home button you also need 2 clicks, but after the first click you got all the possible submenu's in front of you, so you can't choose the wrong parent menu, which is possible in your skin (and i did many times testing your skin :D).

[evanet]

With this kind of menu you always need 2 clicks to end up where you like to go (open parent menu + open submenu item).

With a home button you also need 2 clicks, but after the first click you got all the possible submenu's in front of you, so you can't choose the wrong parent menu, which is possible in your skin (and i did many times testing your skin :D).

2 clicks in that case if you don't expand all categories on the left side menu. As the matter of fact you can navigate in 3 ways: Home and Dashboard, left menu or depth navigation on top. All other skins have the similar navigations, I don't know if you are able to do everything with only one click. There are many people who navigate in their way, so in our point of view we put the best choices. If you have any better idea how to make it better, I'd like to hear your suggestions.

Thank you

[DutchTSE]

Some other commands/bugs (tested with firefox):

As User:
- http://vps.evanet.lt:2222/CMD_SHOW_LOG?domain=demo.com&type=log:
The "Your Account" information is useless, it's already shown under the left menu. Besides that it is not lined out very well, and the yellow bars are not filled up (see attachment pic1.png).

- http://vps.evanet.lt:2222/CMD_USER_STATS?domain=demo.com:
Because every item takes up so much space i need to scroll very much to see the bottom of the page. Also it gets very "busy", maybe better replace the 2 Apache log bars into 1 called Apache logs, with both items underneath it.

- http://vps.evanet.lt:2222/CMD_USER_STATS?domain=demo.com:
Remove the yellow warning and put a small notice somewhere else (too many colors, to much space).

- http://vps.evanet.lt:2222/CMD_ADDITIONAL_DOMAINS?view=advanced&sort1=1&domain=demo.com:
- http://vps.evanet.lt:2222/CMD_TICKET?view=advanced&sort1=1&domain=demo.com
Im missing some text next to the radio buttons?

- http://vps.evanet.lt:2222/HTM_ADD_DOMAIN?iframe:
In stead of making a yellow warning box, make a replace which filters out http://, www and CAPS.

- http://vps.evanet.lt:2222/CMD_ADDITIONAL_DOMAINS?action=view&domain=demo.com:
Put both radio buttons in front of the text

- All pages:
The text-color in the yellow warning bars should be a bit darker (makes it better to read)

- http://vps.evanet.lt:2222/CMD_TICKET?action=view&number=000000044&type=ticket
Remove the upper reply button and put the reply button on the buttom in the grey bar.
Put the name of the sender (FROM: Bob Smith) in the dark grey upper bar in stead of in the grey bar on the buttom.

- Opening a support ticket clears the Domain variable, which makes it impossible to navigate to other menu items then the Domain Setup.
- Same for http://vps.evanet.lt:2222/CMD_PROTECTED_DIRECTORIES?domain=demo.com and click "Find a Directory to Password Protect" (now you can't open the Account management and select a domain, so you are stuck in the interface now).

- When the domain variable is cleared and set to None the link to Subdomain Management contains: <a href="/CMD_SUBDOMAIN?domain=|domain|">Subdomain Management</a>
While all other menu items contain domain=none.

- http://vps.evanet.lt:2222/CMD_FTP_SHOW?DOMAIN=demo.com&user=bob:
Use the full width for the Custom directory textfield, using only 3/4th is useless.

- http://vps.evanet.lt:2222/CMD_FTP_SHOW?DOMAIN=demo.com&user=bob:
Don't disable the textfield that shows the random generated password, because it is disabled you can't copy the password.

- http://vps.evanet.lt:2222/HTM_FTP_CREATE?DOMAIN=demo.com&owned=yes
Choose something more usefull then /dev/null in the custom textfield.

- http://vps.evanet.lt:2222/HTM_FTP_CREATE?DOMAIN=demo.com&owned=yes
Don't know if it possible but show the full path under each option (should be since you know the username and the domain).

- http://vps.evanet.lt:2222/CMD_EMAIL_POP?domain=demo.com
Put the Empty inbox/imap/spambox options on the left on the grey bar, to avoid thinking that the delete button is related to it.

- http://vps.evanet.lt:2222/CMD_SPAMASSASSIN?domain=demo.com
+ http://vps.evanet.lt:2222/CMD_SSL?domain=demo.com
Remove the yellow warning bar that SA is enabled, only warn when it is disabled (because if it is disabled the setting won't work)

- http://vps.evanet.lt:2222/CMD_CRON_JOBS?domain=demo.com
I'm missing the Modify option for the cronjob

That was it for now, have fun fixing :p

[evanet]

DutchTSE,

Thank you for your time writing all this. We're going to fix many things you mentioned.

Thanks again

[Orien]

I like this skin much better than the enhanced skin and would definitely approve of making this the default after ironing out some minor graphical stuff.

[daveyw]

this skin looks awesome, good job!
When can we download it to use it :D ?

[MikeVrind]

I think this skin looks great. I would use it :D

Can't wait to download this nice skin!

[CiscoMike]

I got to be honest, I prefer the bland vanilla default skin that comes with the default DA install. It's not that this isn't nice but the navigation isn't what I'm expecting. It *feels* like there are more clicks to navigate and while I counted and know that it's just a perception thing, it still feels more "busy" than it needed to be.

Don't get me wrong, it's a nice skin but I can't say that I would use it myself.

[evanet]

I got to be honest, I prefer the bland vanilla default skin that comes with the default DA install. It's not that this isn't nice but the navigation isn't what I'm expecting. It *feels* like there are more clicks to navigate and while I counted and know that it's just a perception thing, it still feels more "busy" than it needed to be.

Don't get me wrong, it's a nice skin but I can't say that I would use it myself.

Could you be more specific on how whould you improve it to make it feel good? What would you use yourself instead of default skin?

Thank you

[CiscoMike]

Could you be more specific on how whould you improve it to make it feel good? What would you use yourself instead of default skin?

Thank you

I wouldn't use much other than the default DA skin. I like it the way it is. To be honest, I would be disappointed if another skin became the "default" with no easy way to get back to the current (default) skin.

As for more specific - it's just an "eye of the beholder" thing. The skin just feels busier and I've gotten used to the layout of where things are in the current vanilla skin. I personally don't like how things are arranged in the new layout and I find that navigation via the left menus is actually counter-intuitive. If there was a way to minimize/slide the left navigation pane away, that would be a good start but again, I just don't like how the center menu structure has been re-organized.

Don't take this as being hyper-critical. I absolutely could not do any better nor even begin to make a skin. I just chose DA for it's minimalist approach to both server control and the GUI. While I have a few minor nit-picks on things DA could do better within the sub-systems, the GUI isn't one of them. If this GUI became optional or I had the ability to use my current one w/o jumping through hoops, then fine with me. Perhaps more people will adopt DA due to a "pretty" screen.

[rjd22]

I was wondering the Layout is really nice. But isn't it a good idea to use this to start a open source theme moderated by the DA community?

This could be a great way to get theme creating possible for the community and having a pick out of multiple themes for DA in Xhtml

Btw it doesn't work completely with javascript off.

This are my 2 cents.

[nobaloney]

I was wondering the Layout is really nice. But isn't it a good idea to use this to start a open source theme moderated by the DA community?
The folk who created the design would have to put it into open source. they may not want to do that.

Btw it doesn't work completely with javascript off.
Because those menus I and others like are built in javascript.

That's why you always offer alternative skins.

Jeff

[Michael.Terence]

Any updates on the progress of the skin? Any release date?

I'd love to tinker with it.

[evanet]

We are working on it, it needs some time to make changes and updates. I'll let you know when it's finished. Thank you for your patience.

[youds]

[QUOTE=rjd22;157770]I was wondering the Layout is really nice. But isn't it a good idea to use this to start a open source theme moderated by the DA community?[quote]
The folk who created the design would have to put it into open source. they may not want to do that.

Because those menus I and others like are built in javascript.

That's why you always offer alternative skins.

Jeff

Indeed
I like it, but there are no icons, from the Marina skin to this, would be my biggest concern, bar licensing. I don't know what arrangement you will make with DA but if you do not make it LGP then it is useless to DA's customers as modifying it would be impossible, especially where many servers are involved.
I created the most popular RoundCube Web mail theme (see http://roundcubethemes.net) and it has evolved into something really great, thanks to the original owners decision to make it open source.
Sorry but it's only an improvement and not really worth paying for if you have to keep the default code.
I'd love to re-release my own version open source if possible, given time.
Thanks

[youds]

Took another look at this today..in Firefox if you scroll to the bottom of the page then open a new sub-menu the page jitters. This happens when the page flow's height is adjusted by the navigation changing. Didn't have time to check anything else, sorry.

[MikeVrind]

Any news about this nice theme?:D

[floyd]

Any news about this nice theme?:D

See post 37.

[MikeVrind]

Hope the development didn't die out :D