Problem of choosing comet server

Question

I want to write a php site which uses the comet technology for real time update.

I have a few questions:

1. Is it better to use a comet server? Which comet server is good?

2. For comet server (e.g. orbited), I have to first install the python based orbited server and then write php file to create socket to connect to the comet server. Right? (Orbited.org does not have any tutorial about this.)

Answer 1

Orbited PHP Client can be found at Download page.

Direct link: http://orbited.org/raw-attachment/wiki/Download/php-orbited.php

Answer 2

1. Yes it's better to use a dedicated server. StreamHub Comet Server seems to be the most popular these days.

2. For a tutorial on how to get started with comet read this: Getting Started with Comet and StreamHub.

If you get stuck there is a Google Group to seek help.

Answer 3

Depending on your needs, you could check WebSync OnDemand - it works well for PHP apps, and the hosting is offloaded. If you're only looking for a few users (<=10) it's free too.