Hey Guys, I have been through some of the How To's about how to host buzztouch on my own server. I just want to make sure only. I am using a Hostgator Hosting. And I am using a Windows Laptop. When I see the How To's, it says that Buzztouch Self Host cannot be done on Windows server. Do I need to use a Mac to do this? Can someone give me some advice?

First, find out your FTP info and then follow the how to. Many people on Buzztouch use Host Gator, so this is possible. Adam

Your laptop is a client, not a server. With respect to the client, as long as you can run the compiler of your choice, it shouldn't matter. Hostgator, while not 'my' hosting company, is the hosting company of choice for many BT'ers, so you should be able to get running with a minimum of trouble. The folks at Hostgator are quickly becoming 'BT Aware' and anything you need for your self hosted setup should be a snap. But read the tutorials, and ask questions if you run into problems. And don't forget Danny can setup your self hosted for you in a jiffy for a minimal fee. https://www.buzztouch.com/account/selfHostedInstallation.php and when you're going, stop by Mr David's place (www.buzztouchmods.com) for some cool modifications to make running your self hosted a bit easier. Cheers! -- Smug

Let us be quite clear here. You have a Windows laptop, so you can go to the Internet, use the browser and so on. So far so good. HostGator has two kinds of hosting, Linux hosting and Windows hosting. When ordering hosting, you can choose from Linux hosting OR from Windows hosting. The fact that your computer runs Windows has nothing to do with the type of hosting that you want to pay for. So, you have a Windows laptop and you may have a Linux hosting with Hostgator, or you may have a Windows laptop and Windows hosting with Hostgatore. The former is good, the latter is not so good, but may still be workable. I once tried to order Windows hosting from Hostgator because I wanted to run my Windows program unchanged. It was very difficult to work with Windows hosting, for instance, they did not let me install WordPress or Joomla, but had to put request to their technician, who "were happy" to install it for me. After seven days I requested a refund, and of course, it was honored withing a couple of weeks. What you really want is Windows on your computer AND Linux for hosting. 70-80 % of all Internet is hosted in Linux so you would be in a good company there. For server, Buzztouch self hosted software needs PHP, mySQL and Apache, which on Hostgator works right out of the bat. You would only need access to the cPanel, which is the backside of the sites that we see on the Internet, and you would actually have the instructions to enter the cpanel in the introductory mail that you've got from Hostgator already. The real downside of having Windows locally is that Apple will not let you publish an iOS app that was not created on some kind of a Mac. If you have a Mac, preferably some new machine that can run new operating systems from Apple, you can develop BOTH for Android and for iOS. If you have a Windows laptop, then it is Android only for you (and for me, by the way). In all probability, what Hostgator gave you is good enough to host Buzztouch self hosted server, which is where the true fun begins anyway.

Since you are an Android fan, most likely you will be creating Android mobile apps. Your Windows laptop computer is just fine for that purpose. However, if you ever decide to create an iPhone or iPad app, then you shall indeed need a Mac computer. At that time, you might be able to borrow a Mac from a friend or purchase one. They are all correct -- Adam, Smug and Dusko :-) With Hostgator, you can ask the Live Help or Request assistance by filling out their form. They are good at helping you understand the little things such as the FTP connection information, etc. -- Niraj

Thanks Guys for the guidance, I have check with my hosting company, I am using a Hostgator Shared Hosting with the Baby Plan, which is Linux based, supports LAMP. My hosting support also told me that my host is powered by Apache, MySQL and PHP. Hopefully, I am good to go to host buzztouch to my own server. Thanks guys! You make my day awesome!...