General CGI FAQ

To run our CGI scripts, your server needs:

Optional requirements depending on script:

• Sendmail: For scripts that send email
• SSI Support: For Server Side Includes
• Write Access: For scripts that save data

Follow these steps to upload CGI scripts:

1. Connect via FTP using a client like FileZilla
2. Set transfer mode to ASCII (not binary) for .pl files
3. Navigate to your cgi-bin directory
4. Upload the script file
5. Set permissions to 755:
   • In your FTP client: Right-click > Permissions
   • Or via SSH: chmod 755 script.pl

Different file types require different permissions:

Permission numbers explained:

• 7 = Read + Write + Execute
• 6 = Read + Write
• 5 = Read + Execute
• 4 = Read only

A 500 error usually indicates one of these problems:

1. Wrong permissions: Set script to 755
2. Wrong Perl path: Check the first line of the script:

   #!/usr/bin/perl

3. Syntax error: Test the script from command line:

   perl -c script.pl

4. Line ending issues: Upload in ASCII mode, not binary
5. Missing modules: Check if required Perl modules are installed

To find your server's Perl path:

1. Via SSH/Telnet:

   which perl

2. Ask your hosting provider

Common Perl paths:

• /usr/bin/perl - Most common
• /usr/local/bin/perl - Alternative location
• /bin/perl - Some systems

Update the first line of your script with the correct path:

#!/usr/bin/perl

Several ways to test your CGI scripts:

1. Direct browser access:

   http://yourdomain.com/cgi-bin/script.pl

2. Command line test:

   perl -c script.pl  # Check syntax
   perl script.pl      # Run directly

3. Check error logs: Look at your server's error_log file
4. Add debugging:

   use CGI::Carp qw(fatalsToBrowser);

To enable Server Side Includes:

1. Name your files with .shtml extension
2. Or add to .htaccess:

   AddType text/html .html
   AddHandler server-parsed .html

SSI syntax examples:

<!--#include virtual="/header.html"-->
<!--#exec cgi="/cgi-bin/script.pl"-->
<!--#echo var="DATE_LOCAL"-->

Yes! All scripts in this archive are free to modify. You may:

• Customize the output and appearance
• Add new features
• Integrate with other scripts
• Use for personal or commercial projects

We only ask that you:

• Keep the author credits in the script comments
• Don't redistribute modified versions as your own work
• Share improvements with the community if possible

Several resources are available for help:

1. Script-specific FAQ pages - Check the FAQ for each script
2. Readme files - Detailed installation instructions
3. Examples - Working demonstrations of each script
4. General FAQ - Common CGI troubleshooting

External resources:

• Your web hosting provider's support team
• Perl documentation at perldoc.perl.org
• Stack Overflow for programming questions

To check for updates:

1. Check the script's page on this site for the current version number
2. Compare with your version: Look at the version number in your script's header comments
3. Download the latest version if available

When updating:

• Back up your current configuration settings
• Upload the new script
• Re-apply your configuration changes
• Test thoroughly before going live

Follow these security best practices:

1. Use latest versions: Keep scripts updated with security patches
2. Proper permissions:
   • Scripts: 755 (not 777)
   • Data files: 644 or 666 only if needed
3. Configure referers: Limit which domains can access your scripts
4. Validate input: Don't trust user-submitted data
5. Protect data files: Store them outside the web root if possible
6. Use .htaccess: Restrict access to sensitive directories