Removing the Virtuozzo spam from Plesk's interface

[CruzMark]

Yeah, plus Virtuozzo isn't even available on FreeBSD. So, you're spamming me and my customers with something we can't even use.

And I agree with the FreeBSD installer. It should work flawlessly on a fresh BSD install, but it does not. That makes *NO* sense to me.

We will not be switching to Plesk 8.1 until the Virtuozzo spam issue is resolved and until it installs without jumping through hoops.

And if the Virtuozzo spam in NOT removed, we'll be looking at other options.

 

[danliker]

bad news from the swsoft support:

Yes, the problem was reported to
developers by us, but they have responded that only Virtuozzo link in
the left frame can be definitely hidden and that sales/marketing team
didn't allow to completely hide VZ promo in the top of page. I'm sorry
for incomplete previous answer. In such situation we can only recommend
that you contact your sales rep in this case..


> start -> E-Mail -> address -> **MyPlesk.com**

This is not an ad, unfortunately this is a problem as well. This MPC
button should be hidden when checkbox "Server > Interface Management >
Interface templates > Preferences > Hide buttons for extra services" is
enabled, however it does not happen. I hope this issue will be corrected
in one of the near patches...

 

[Kanagaraj]

its really very bad,we can remove VZ promo in top page in editing Template CSS

Kanagaraj

 

[SHGreg]

I hate to have to do this but, SWsoft, you are now forcing me to look into unfair business practices and possible legal action

 

[gnosis]

Originally posted by energylevel

While they are at it why don't they include a feature to switch OFF or HIDE ALL references and icons for DR WEB for those of us who prefer to use an alternative anti-virus option ..... it's about time....

Dr. Web is a pox on Plesk. It's a crappy product and SWSoft should be ashamed for forcing it down our (and our clients') throats. Obviously they've made a conscious business decision to do this rather than bundle a module for the free and kickass clamav.

Yes, we can turn off the service. Yes, we can hide the Dr. Web button from the interface. But how about that nice little "Antivirus mail checking (!) Disabled" notice that show up in the Info area for mail users? That makes everyone feel nice and safe, eh?

Unfortunately, I obtained Plesk as part of a dedicated server package, so I don't have an SWSoft sales rep to complain to.

Offtopic: is there a thread somewhere that teaches how to safely remove dr. web from the server and/or plesk?

-G

 

[energylevel]

I don't think as of Plesk 8 it is possible to remove the Dr Web stuff and the 'disabled' text that appears next to the greyed-out icon that makes clients think they don't have AV, I feel the same as you, it really looks unprofessional if you are running ClamAV but your clients see a disabled message for anti-virus in their control panels, I think SWSoft made it even harder than it was previosusly to remove this in Plesk 8 which is synical in my opinion, a company called 4PSA had a little utility script to remove Dr Web stuff in versions prior to Plesk 8.

I think it might be an easier hack to have the Dr Web message on mail pages to say enabled for Incoming and Outgoing all the time when runing ClamAV, that would be acceptable from my perspective.

I've been looking at Cpanel as an option as I only see SWSoft seeing what they can get away with in the future again and treating their customers like sh*t by trying to foce us to buy products and push theior crappy spam to our customers, I noticed also there are a lot of third party skins for Cpanel, some very professional loking ones about, It's be nice to se a side by side comparison Cpanel v Plesk .... I really can't believe SWsoft !!!

 

[gtoger]

Originally posted by gnosis
Unfortunately, I obtained Plesk as part of a dedicated server package, so I don't have an SWSoft sales rep to complain to.
-G [/B]

You may want to address your concerns with your hosting provider, so that THEY can feed the comments upstream to SWSoft.

I can't speak for everybody, but I know that we are very interested in our customer feedback.

 

[gnosis]

Done.

Chris,
Thanks for your help getting this set up. Things have been going well so far.

There is a concern I want to bring up with you. This is not related to EV1, but Plesk. Since I didn't purchase Plesk from SWSoft, I have no rep for them...so you're my next best option.

I imagine that EV1 is one of SWSoft's bigger customers. Lord knows how many servers you set up for customers like me. SWSoft has made some rotten decisions with their recent versions of the product. The message boards are full of people complaining and a great many are contacting their SWSoft reps to complain. I'm asking you to do this for me, and all EV1 clients.

The problem relates to advertising within the product. Plesk is sold as a "completely skinnable" control panel. But SWSoft has decided to include an ever increasing promotional presence within the cp screens. This last version has taken this a step too far. They've added links and graphics advertising their Virtuozzo product. Some of these can be removed, but others cannot. The new ads for Virtuozzo are just silly, since the admin is the only target demographic. Why show this to normal users?? Further, the ad takes on an ominous tone during server config, where admins recieve a "warning" that OMG!!1!Virtuozzo is not installed!

When you add in default links and icons for their "my plesk" service, their SSL certs, their photo library, and the Dr. Web antivirus module (all of which are installed by default even though they cost extra), it gets to be extremely slimy. The Dr. Web example is, to me, particularly evil because if the admin chooses to disable it and use a different AV package, the Plesk interface puts up security risk warnings regardless. Users think they're unprotected.

I hope you'll agree that all of this is unacceptable for a paid product. When products are offered for free or as trialware, promotion of a commercial product is acceptable and even expected. But when a product is purchased or licensed, this kind of promotion should absolutely not be included. A signature or copyright placed tastefully would be one thing. A prominent ad at the top of the screen is another.

They've already sold their product and they can market their add-on services in other ways. There's just no excuse for forcing advertisements into a "skinnable" control panel that we customers pay a considerable amount for.

Please use your influence as a large reseller to convince SWSoft to remove all of this **** from Plesk.

Thanks,
Jason XXXX
CustomerID: XXXX

 

[JZMatrix]

Removing the MyPlesk button (it's a start until SWSoft fixes their own products).

To semi-easily remove the MyPlesk button from your clients you can do the following:
-- As admin, go to the server interface prefences
-- Go to the Interface Templates tab and then click on Interface customization template link
-- Click on Show Toolbar
-- Once the toolbar is displayed, navigate to the mail user of one of your domains
-- Click on the Customize button at the bottom of the page
-- Click on MyPlesk button and select Hide, and then click OK at the bottom of the page.

That should remove the MyPlesk buttom globally (I've logged in as a few different users, from different domains (after hiding it once) and it's no longer displayed for any of them).

Granted, this isn't a solution as we shouldn't have to go through the system and clean up their mess, but it's a patch until the provide the necessary functionality to disable these ads out of the gate.

Hope this helps.

 

[lnxmtl]

The solution ...

Here is how to get rid of this incredibly annoying virtuozzo ad in the top banner.

As root, do the following:
grep -n virtuozzo__promotion_top </usr/local/psa/admin/plib/locales/en-US/messages_en-US.php

That will give you the line number for it

Then

joe /usr/local/psa/admin/plib/locales/en-US/messages_en-US.php

Go to the line number you previously found end replace the shameless promotion text with an empty string.

The text, it's link and even the logo will be gone.

Will SwSoft sue me for disclosing confidential information ?

 

[SHGreg]

Hello Inxmtl,

As mentioned earlier in this thread, altering hundreds or thousands of files manually is not an option for most of us.

 

[lnxmtl]

Thousands of files ?

This is in the language file, the modification can be done once, and then the file is copied to all of your Plesk 8.1 boxes.

If you want an operation simpler than a one liner ... it's called doing nothing.

 

[awlane]

Re: The solution ...

Awesome!


Not that we should have to do this, but seeing as they are so desperate that they have chosen not to ever remove this stuff, we have to do what we gotta do, right ?

Originally posted by lnxmtl
Here is how to get rid of this incredibly annoying virtuozzo ad in the top banner.

As root, do the following:
grep -n virtuozzo__promotion_top </usr/local/psa/admin/plib/locales/en-US/messages_en-US.php

That will give you the line number for it

Then

joe /usr/local/psa/admin/plib/locales/en-US/messages_en-US.php

Go to the line number you previously found end replace the shameless promotion text with an empty string.

The text, it's link and even the logo will be gone.

Will SwSoft sue me for disclosing confidential information ?

 

[SHGreg]

Originally posted by lnxmtl
Thousands of files ?

This is in the language file, the modification can be done once, and then the file is copied to all of your Plesk 8.1 boxes.

If you want an operation simpler than a one liner ... it's called doing nothing.

Sorry, I didn't read your post properly and thought you were pasting the same code, to be removed from a template file, that other users had previously posted.

So this will remove the ad from all skins on the server? I guess this would need to be done for all other installed languages?

 

[breun]

I thought there also was a CSS fix for removing the top banner Virtuozzo ad (display: none; for that element). Seems easier and cleaner to me. You'll have to search the forums for it if you need the exact location of the file to edit.

 

[energylevel]

I think the only issue with the CSS fix is you have change the the appropriate css file(s) for every skin you have made available to your customers......

 

[lnxmtl]

So this will remove the ad from all skins on the server?

Yes

I guess this would need to be done for all other installed languages?

Obviously, but once it's done, you can batch copy ...

Sure enough, the same sh1t will be here again in the next version (unless they decide to make it even harder to remove).
I'm outraged we are forced to deal with such **** on PAID software !
A control panel vendor acquires full control of our machines, we thus need to trust them. Such despicable ans unethical behavior makes me wonder what's next ... stealing our customers's personal information from the database and sell it ?

 

[energylevel]

What I want to know is when are they going to stop taking the p*ss with the Dr Web stuff and make sure we can completely hide all trace of it if you want to use a free alterantive like ClamAV, it really does cause confusion with customers and it is clearly a cynical ploy to try an d force our hand into purchasing Dr Web licenses...

SWSOFT YOU WOULD SELL A LOT MORE PLESK LICENSES WITH USE CLAMAV/HIDE DR WEB OPTION ... CAN YOU NOT SEE THIS !!!!!!!

 

[SHGreg]

According to the battle going on between me and my sales rep, he states that I am the only one complaining about the virtuozzo banner I cant do it alone.

 

[energylevel]

That's just BS, ask him if he reads the forums ..........