We use and offer Fantastico. Clients like the ease of installing scripts. I personally do upgrades through script sites as they are a little more up to date with security patches and bug fixes.

Almost everything i use on my websites were installed with Fantastico. Although i think the new CpAddon functions is useful, it doesnt hold a candle to Fantastico IMO

I have used fantastico several times and find it useful when testing the availaable packages as you can quickly install -test-uninstall.

For production environments I prefer manual installations.

I didn't know what fantastico was for the longest time. It wasn't until recently when I got my new host that I saw what it could do. I have heard bad things about it, and I have heard good things about it but I will have to try it for myself before making an opinion.

Fantastico makes my life so much easier, it only has open source scripts, but it is still very handy. It would be better if there were a 'super' deluxe version, with like the latest version of PHP Nuke, instead of the last version that was free, and their script update is a bit odd at times, but for the scripts they provide, with an easy 2-5 step installation, its amazing!

I REALLY like Fantastico ... BUT ... have never used it to install any new scripts or programs.

Before my current host ... I found the available packages were out of date so I would go to the softwares site to get the newest version and installed them manually myself. Admittedly ... that habit is now so ingrained that with my current host I've continued the habit.

BUT ... its been GREAT in giving me ideas of programs out there that I never knew were available. And I would use Fantastico, now that I think about it, to install a "test" site to check it all out. But ... always downloaded & installed the latest versions for a "production site". Sometimes there are "upgrades" & security updates that you don't know about in the install version offered by Fantastico.

JMHO
Peter

Fantastico is one of the best offerings that you can provide a client. It is definitely well-known and very easy to use. I remember just getting into web design and my host offered it, really fell in love with it ever since then.

I wouldn't get rid of Fantastico, it is definitely too useful to even think about it. Clients really enjoy this feature being included in their accounts. It definitely saves them time when looking for and installing a variety of different scripts.

Was there a reason for that double post? You could have edited your first one...

But as you said, when I first got into web dev, I fell in love with it.

Theres so many different type of installers now... Installatron is pretty good they work with Cpanel, Direct Admin, and Plesk =D