Sign up for JumpBox Cloud Gear to put over 50 Open Source applications at your fingertips using Amazon EC2.

• No upfront cost
• Nothing to download
• No virtualization software required
• No additional hardware or software required
• Managed entirely from your web browser
• Launch an instance of any JumpBox in minutes
• Pay only for what you use
• Run as many JumpBoxes as you want, for as long as you want
• Get instant access to the entire library of over 50 JumpBoxes

Cloud Gear makes using JumpBox faster and easier than ever.

Watch the Getting Started video to see how easy it is.

Just $0.20 per hour for each running JumpBox instance (EC2 usage fees included)*. Billing is handled by Amazon. Run as many JumpBoxes as you want for any development, testing or production usage. It costs nothing to signup.

To signup for Cloud Gear you'll need an Amazon account and an EC2 account. Both can be created during the signup process. All billing is handled by Amazon.

*Cost is per small instance hour in the US region. There are separate charges for bandwidth usage.

Frequently Asked Questions about JumpBox Cloud Gear

Why is Cloud Gear interesting?

Cloud Gear gives you instant access to a broad array of Open Source web applications with just a few mouse clicks. There's no upfront cost to use them and you only pay for your actual usage. The minimum time increment is one hour and that opens up all kinds of use cases that would normally be prohibitive. You can certainly use Cloud Gear and EC2 to host an application for production usage, but we see the real value being in more creative uses. Our goal is to enable you to think outside the box a little and see what you can do with this software when you can dial up a working installation with virtually zero effort.

Here are a few ideas for how you might use the Cloud Gear service. I'm sure you can come up with more and if you do, please share it with us.

General

• Experiment freely with Open Source software without the headaches of installation.
• Learn new applications and develop new skills.
• Try out the most current release of an application before deploying it in production.

IT Admins

• Get extended trials of applications before deploying them.
• Test compatibility of extensions or upgrades.
• Provide your users a broader selection of tools to use in their jobs.
• Demo applications to management.

Developers

• Test plugins on different versions of an application.
• Use it as a spike platform to test an experimental idea.
• Setup a test lab of instances to help with development.
• Test theme or plugin changes in an isolated environment.

Consultants

• Show clients work in progress on a live site.
• Show clients multiple versions of the same site.
• Stage servers for development.

What is Amazon EC2?

Here is how Amazon describes the EC2 service.

Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (Amazon EC2) is a web service that provides resizable compute capacity in the cloud. It is designed to make web-scale computing easier for developers.

Amazon EC2’s simple web service interface allows you to obtain and configure capacity with minimal friction. It provides you with complete control of your computing resources and lets you run on Amazon’s proven computing environment. Amazon EC2 reduces the time required to obtain and boot new server instances to minutes, allowing you to quickly scale capacity, both up and down, as your computing requirements change. Amazon EC2 changes the economics of computing by allowing you to pay only for capacity that you actually use. Amazon EC2 provides developers the tools to build failure resilient applications and isolate themselves from common failure scenarios.

Learn more about Amazon EC2

How is billing handled?

All billing is handled by Amazon. You're charged for each hour that you run a JumpBox and for the bandwidth used to transfer data to and from the JumpBox. Charges will be billed automatically to your credit card by Amazon. JumpBox does not have access to your credit card information.

Do I need an Amazon EC2 account to use Cloud Gear?

Yes, but if you don't already have one, it will be created for you when you signup.

Are JumpBox available in all EC2 regions?

JumpBoxes are available in both us-east-1 and eu-west-1. We will add additional regions as they are made available by Amazon.

What JumpBoxes are available through Cloud Gear?

Everything in the JumpBox Library is also available via Cloud Gear. As a bonus you also have access to historical builds of the JumpBoxes which can be really handy if you need to test something out with an older version of an application.

Are Cloud Gear JumpBoxes different than downloaded JumpBoxes?

The only differences are a few minor things related to how EC2 handles networking. Otherwise they're identical which is a really handy capability.

When should I use Cloud Gear and when should I signup for JumpBox Open?

If you want to run JumpBoxes really quickly without downloading, Cloud Gear is for you. If you want to download JumpBoxes and deploy them on your own network using your own hardware then subscribing to JumpBox Open is for you. Most JumpBox users will actually use both services as they're great complements for each other.

What is the difference between Cloud Gear and Hosting?

Cloud Gear is a unique service that gives you instant access to a broad array of different Open Source applications. The pay by the hour model encourages a set of use cases that are impractical with traditional hosting. However, if your intention is to run an application 24/7 then switching to a traditional hosted service will be more cost effective. We recommend this one. -> http://www.jumpboxhosting.com

How does Cloud Gear differ from the EC2 access included with JumpBox Open Plus and Premium?

Functionally there's no difference but the cost is different. With a JumpBox Open Plus or Premium subscription you're paying more upfront but there is no added cost on top of standard EC2 charges. You also have download access to the library, production instances, support and access to discounted hosting. If you use JumpBoxes regularly a Plus or Premium subscription is a very good thing to have.

How many JumpBoxes can I run with Cloud Gear?

As many as you want.

Are Cloud Gear JumpBoxes suitable for production deployments?

Yes, although you need to be aware of the unique attributes of EC2 when used as a hosting service. If you want a hosting alternative that costs less and doesn't have the quirks of EC2, we recommend signing up with one of our hosting partners.

Does the data in a Cloud Gear JumpBox get saved if I shut down the instance

They work in the same manner as any EC2 instance. As long as the instance is running they'll save data fine. You can reboot the instance, but if you shut the instance off you will lose the data. If you want to shut off an instance and save the data you can use the JumpBox backup system to backup to Amazon S3 or to download a copy locally. You can restore the data to any new instance of the same JumpBox. Can be on EC2 or could be anyplace else as well.

Note: if you make extensive system level modifications after logging in via SSH you must test your backups carefully to insure all of your changes are being captured.

Are there any limits on production or development instances?

No, run as many as you want for any purpose.

Are there any time limits to the Cloud Gear JumpBoxes?

No, run them as long as you want.

Are Cloud Gear instances shared with other users?

From an admins perspective they're a virtual machine instance just for your use. In most ways they're just like a downloaded JumpBox but running in the cloud. They are public though so you do have to be aware that users can visit the instance like any other web site.

Is it possible to save the state of a Cloud Gear JumpBox before shutting it down?

Yes, the JumpBox backup system is very handy for saving off the state. Just be aware that if you make extensive system level modifications to the JumpBox, the backup system may not capture all of your changes.

How do I migrate from a Cloud Gear JumpBox to a downloaded or Hosted JumpBox?

Simply use the built in backup system and restore to the same version of the JumpBox running someplace else.

What EC2 management tools can I use to manage my Cloud Gear instances?

You can use any management tool that allows you to launch instances from the list of public AMIs that Amazon provides. Currently this includes the Amazon EC2 web console and ElasticFox. Other services may work as well.

Will I have root access to the Cloud Gear instances?

The root account is disabled by default like any other JumpBox, but you still have full sudo access to run any command you need including enabling the root user.

Who should I contact if there is a billing problem related to my Cloud Gear account?

All billing is handled by Amazon and any billing questions should be directed to Amazon or emailed to application-payments@amazon.com .

How do I cancel my Cloud Gear account?

You can cancel your Cloud Gear account from your Amazon account.