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As part of our ongoing cleanup of old (and new) web hosting control panel questions, we need a custom close reason for web hosting control panels which explains the issue, why we are unable to accept these questions, and points the user to further information.

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I propose that the following close reason be used. Until it is installed as a custom close reason, it can be pasted into the Other custom box:

Questions involving web hosting control panels are off-topic at [sf] because they customize their systems such that normal administration tools and methods no longer apply, and thus require support from the vendor or the web hosting industry. See Where can I ask questions about web hosting control panels?

Raw, for pasting:

**Questions involving web hosting control panels** are off-topic at [sf] because they [customize their systems such that normal administration tools and methods no longer apply](https://meta.serverfault.com/q/8055), and thus require support from the vendor or the web hosting industry. See [Where can I ask questions about web hosting control panels?](https://meta.serverfault.com/q/8094)
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    I'd be wary of using the phrase "our ability to support" because it makes us sound like we officially support other things, which we don't. If there's a way to rephrase it to remove that implication... Apr 17, 2015 at 1:35
  • How about "[...] customize the systems to the extent that reasonable business information technology management practices are no longer applicable"?
    – Jenny D
    Apr 17, 2015 at 8:15
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    I like Jenny D's suggestion, but I'm going to suggest "[...] customize the systems to the extent that the usual administration methods are no longer applicable...". Apr 17, 2015 at 15:20
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I've been using this as a close vote reason:

This question is being voted for closure because the question has made mention that a server control panel is installed on the system. Server control panels can and will modify aspects of a server (including but not limited to system tools, shells, and the kernel itself), that make any and all operations unpredictable. The ServerFault community is largely in agreement that standard and repeatable solutions are unlikely and inconsistent results are so common that we often choose to close questions sush as that.

Which could be re-written for a closure reason (as opposed as just a voting to close reason):

This question was closed because it involves, whether directly or indirectly, a server control panel. Server control panels can and will modify aspects of a system (including but not limited to default system tools, standard packages, shells, and the kernel itself), which makes any and all operations unpredictable. As a result the ServerFault community cannot offer standard and repeatable solutions to any problem, no matter how tangentially related.

Add links as necessary? There seems to be a metric-bazillion different FAQs, links, canonical answers, and the like that have been referenced concerning this topic.

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    There are specfic Q&As prepared for this issue within the last week, all of which you can find linked above. :) Apr 17, 2015 at 4:50
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    Also, I dislike the "server control panel" thing here. I'm trying to focus specifically on web hosting control panels, as there are plenty of "server control panels" which are quite professional and which we use all the time. If there are problems with particular ones, we can address those, but separately. Apr 17, 2015 at 4:52
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    @MichaelHampton would you mind clarifying in the question which panels this is intended to apply to, then? Not using any of them, I'm no expert at distinguishing between the good and bad panels.
    – MadHatter
    Apr 17, 2015 at 8:05
  • @MichaelHampton I haven't found any distinction in screwed-up-ness between anything calling itself a control panel (or rather, a whole-server control panel, not a web-based UI like say, VMware). When I was working with webmin, it'll pretty much screw your stuff straight up just as bad as cPanel.
    – Wesley
    Apr 17, 2015 at 14:06
  • @Wesley Strange, never seen that. The last Webmin install I saw did nothing of the sort and was quite well behaved. Apr 17, 2015 at 14:18

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