Installation
[ TOC ]
[ TOC ]
To install and customize CGI applications requires that you have some basic
knowledge of how CGI works. Although this is a huge topic that is covered
well in many books, we will cover the fundamentals here as they apply to
using this application.
As a supplement, we also provide a host of free online tutorials that are
meant to be accessible to beginners. These tutorials cover the basics of
web application development and can be found at the following URL:
http://www.extropia.com/tutorials.html
The fact is that even if you hire someone else to install your applications
or fix your problems, you will still need a basic understanding of what is
going on just to explain to someone what your problem is or what you want
your application to do.
Please take some time to get the basics down. In the long run it will save
you a great deal of time.
[ TOC ]
The process of installing and customizing a CGI/Perl application can be
broken down into an easy-to-follow checklist of 12 items.
Here is what you'll need to do.
1. Prepare your web account for running CGI applications.
2. Obtain (download) application installation file.
3. Unpack the application installation file on your web server.
4. Set the permissions correctly for application files and directories.
5. Modify the Perl path line.
6. Configure the application.
7. Modify the look-and-feel.
8. Run the application from the web.
9. Debug the application if any debugging is required.
10. Review the security of the script.
11. Submit the application for user testing.
12. Register yourself as a user with the application author so that you
will receive important email updates such as bug reports, security alerts,
and new version announcements
Let's go over each of these points in greater detail.
[ TOC ]
Before you even download a CGI application for your website, there are
several things you must do in order to make sure that you will be able to
use the downloaded CGI application.
Specifically, you must:
1. Make sure that the web server environment is configured to permit the
use of CGI applications
2. Make sure that you understand the site-specific features of that
configuration. How have your system administrators configured CGI
functionality differently from other web sites?
The quickest way to make sure that your web server is configured to permit
CGI applications is to send an email to your administrator or check the
documentation that your Internet Service Provider (ISP) should provide.
Generally, your web server system administrator will respond by telling you
that CGI applications are allowed, but that they may only be installed in a
special directory such as cgi-bin.
NOTE: If the system administrator says that CGI applications are not
allowed, then you cannot run CGI applications. In this case, we
recommend that you change to an ISP that allows you to run CGI
applications.
NOTE: If you run the CGI application using a web browser and you get
the code of the application printed out to the browser window, or if
the browser application prompts you to download the "unknown file",
then it is likely that the web server is not recognizing your CGI
application or that it is not allowing it to execute. This is a
problem that your system administrator must address.
cgi-bin (or a similarly-named directory) is a directory used to store
``executable'' CGI applications. Keeping CGI applications limited to
specific directories is advisable since CGI applications may open security
holes. Therefore, most system administrators allow only files inside of a
special directory such as cgi-bin to be executed. Keeping all the CGI
applications in one place does not solve the problem of security, but it
does keep all the suspect applications in one manageable area.
The system administrator may also tell you that all CGI applications are
run through a CGI wrapper. CGI wrappers add another degree of security, but
can make installation a little more difficult.
There are several CGI wrapper products available on the web (such as
CGIWrap available at http://www.unixtools.org/cgiwrap/)
and many large ISPs use them. All our applications work in conjunction with
CGI wrappers but sometimes, installation may require some futzing around.
Typically, this will involve changing the lines that define file and
directory locations because one of the things that CGI wrappers do is to
modify what the web server sees as the root directory on a file system. In
order to find out what the real path a CGI application runs on when passed
through a wrapper, you should contact your system administrator.
Finally, the system administrator may tell you that you need to register
the CGI executable directory and/or CGI application by either running a
special CGI registration program, or by adding a special security access
file (such as .htaccess) to the directory where the application is
installed.
All of these factors will be specific to the web server that you are using.
Each system administrator will have her own way of setting up CGI on the
web server. Thus, there is no way to create an application configuration
that will run on your site by default.
Unfortunately, you are going to need to do some site-specific investigation
and modify the relevant configuration parameters in the distribution files
for an application to work on your site.
To make the process of investigating your local web server configuration
easier and because we understand that you may not know exactly which
questions you need to ask, we have provided a sample letter that you can
send to your system administrator. This letter should get you the
information you need.
|
|
Dear system administrator,
I would like to run a pre-written, open source CGI application on
my website. My website URL is __________ (eg. http://www.mydomain.com/).
My home directory is______________ (eg. /usr/home/....)
I downloaded the application from http://www.extropia.com/. The
application name is _______________. I have attached the application
to this email in case you want to review it.
[Don’t forget to attach the downloaded distribution TAR/GZ file]
Please answer the following questions so that I may continue with this
installation:
1. What web server software are you running? (eg. Apache, NCSA,
Netscape, IIS)
2. What platform is the web server running on? (eg. LINUX, Solaris,
Windows NT)
3. What is the path to the Perl 5 interpreter? (eg. /usr/local/bin/perl)
4. What is the path to an Internet mail program that I may use for CGI
applications? (eg. /usr/sbin/sendmail or C:/Mail/Blat/blat.exe)
5. Is your web server using a CGI wrapper? If so, how can I access the
documentation for the wrapper? Also, are there any special problems
reported by other users with using this CGI wrapper? How does the
wrapper affect how CGI applications see the file system?
6. Can I get access to the server logs in order to check for CGI errors
and/or hack attempts? If so, what do I need to do?
7. Do CGI applications need to be stored in specific directories? If
so, what must I do to create or use such a directory? (eg. directory
name, permissions, etc...)
8. Do I need to register my CGI application with the web server? (eg.
.htaccess file)
9. Is there anything else I should know about the environment, especially
where it affects security and scalability? (eg. use of Mod Perl, FastCGI,
Server Side Includes or backend database availability etc...)
10. Is there a relational database that I may use to store my data? If
so, what drivers/modules should I use to connect to it and how can
I create new tables?
11. I would like to make sure that client data remains confidential.
Hence, I might require the use of encryption such as PGP. Can you
point me towards documentation on the local encryption resources
that I may use?
12. What is the site backup policy? If any of my files are corrupted,
how can I rollback to the right versions?
13. In which directories are the standard Perl modules located so that
I can find out which I may use. If I require additional modules,
how can I install them?
Thank you very much,
[Your Name Here]
|
Building a good relationship with your system administrator will make both
your lives easier. A fluid communication flow will help build trust and
assure that you get support when you need it.
[ TOC ]
Once you have worked out all the specifics of your web server
configuration, you can go ahead and download the application. To do so, you
can go to any number of excellent CGI storehouses, many of which contain
free pre-written applications that you can use. If you need help finding
these sites, check out the Offsite Resources Page at the following URL:
http://www.extropia.com/support/offsitesupport.html
You can, of course, download any eXtropia applications from the eXtropia
website:
http://www.extropia.com/applications.html
[ TOC ]
All eXtropia applications are distributed as TAR/GZ files called
app_name.tar.gz (such as addressbook.tar.gz). TAR is a UNIX command that allows you to create a single archive file
containing many files. Such archiving allows you to maintain directory
relationships and facilitates transferring complex programs with many
separate but integrated parts that must have their relationships preserved.
TAR has a motley of options that allow you to do archiving and unpacking in
many ways. However, for the purpose of unpacking eXtropia applications, the
commands will be fairly simple.
[ TOC ]
Preferably, you can transfer the TAR file directly to your web server and
expand it there. If your web server is UNIX-based, you can expand the file
with the following command
|
|
tar xvfpz file_name.tar.gz
|
or
|
|
tar xvfz file_name.tar.gz (if "p" won't work)
|
If the file is not .tar.gz, use:
or
|
|
tar xvf file_name.tar (if "p" won't work)
|
TAR will go through the archive file and extract each individual directory
and file, expanding them into their appropriate places beneath the current
directory.
If tar xvfz did not work for you, try:
|
|
gunzip file_name.tar.gz (removes the .gz and decompresses)
|
Then:
|
|
tar xvfp file_name.tar
or
|
|
|
tar xvf file_name.tar (if "p" won't work)
|
NOTE: The "xvfp" letters in the TAR command above are parameters
that instruct the program to extract the files and directories out of
the ".tar" file.
|
|
Tar Extraction Parameters
Parameter Description
x Tells tar to extract the files.
v Tells tar to output information about the status of
its extraction while it is performing the work.
f Informs tar to use the ".tar" filename as the source
of the files to be extracted. The reason the "f"
parameter has to be used is that tar, by default,
archives files and directories to a tape
drive. TAR is actually short for "[T]ape [AR]chive".
p Notes that the original permissions should be maintained.
z UnZips the original file and removes .gz
|
When you perform unarchiving, the TAR file will expand into the intended
directory structure. You can then edit the files necessary to complete the
installation directly on your web server machine.
As we said earlier, it is preferable to expand and edit the application on
the web server itself. However, you can also expand and edit the
application files on your local workstation and then FTP the individual
files to the web server. This is explained in the next section. If you do
so however, you must make sure to transfer the unarchived files in ASCII
mode.
[ TOC ]
If you are not using a UNIX-based web server, or don't have command line
access (such as TELNET) to your UNIX-based web server, you will probably be
using Winzip (Windows) or Stuffit Expander (Mac) to expand the TAR file.
This will also work with any .tar.gz file without problems.
You'll also use some text editor to edit the application files. If you are
looking for a good text editor, we recommend Programmer's File Editor (PFE)
or Super Note Tab that are both available at http://www.shareware.com/ for Windows.
SimpleText and ClarisWorks are good editors for Mac. And, vi, emacs or pico
are good editors for UNIX.
If you use a Windows-based text editor however, you need to be very careful
about accidentally inserting platform-specific, invisible control
characters (like carriage return characters) into the files. If you are
editing the files on a Windows box, this is often a problem because Windows
programs are well-known for their desire to insert Windows-only characters
into files.
You will know that invisible characters have infected the files if you get
a 500 Server Error when trying to run the application from the web, and
error messages like the following if you run the application from the
command line:
|
|
Illegal character \015 (carriage return) at
app_name.cgi line 2.
|
or
|
|
Can't find string terminator " [some text here]"
anywhere before EOF
|
Generally, this problem can be solved either by choosing a text editor that
does not insert the characters or by setting your FTP program to upload
edited files to the web server machine using ``ASCII mode'' instead of
``BINARY mode''. You should be able to set the FTP program to transfer in
ASCII mode using the program's preferences. We recommend using WS_FTP that
has this functionality and is available at http://www.shareware.com/.
Note: The editors that come with windows such as notepad and wordpad
typically create files that contain hard carriage returns (\r)
characters. As mentioned before, there are other editors you can
download to edit program files. However, even with these you may need
to do some reconfiguration.
For example, with PFE (Programmer's File Editor), when you open an
application file, you should see the word "UNIX" in the 8th box to the
right on the status bar of PFE. If it says DOS, then you are in DOS
mode and must be changed. This can be done by going into the
Options/Current Modes menu item. Then select the Saving configuration
parameter and click the "Use UNIX Conventions" on.
However, if the files have already been sent over to a UNIX-based web
server, you can strip bad characters using:
|
|
$ perl -pi.old -e 's/\r//g' filename
|
To make the strip process recursive, combine it with the find command like
so:
|
|
$ find . -name *.pm -exec perl -pi.old -e 's/\r//g' {} ";"
|
This command renames the original files to the original name plus .old,
(eg. mlm.cgi.old). To get rid of these files (once you've checked that the
new ones work), you can use another find command:
|
|
$ find . -name *.old -exec rm {} ";"
|
WARNING: As you might imagine, doing recursive, mass deletes is
quite a dangerous thing to do. It is much better to solve the bad
character problem using one of the other techniques.
[ TOC ]
Unpacking will yield a fairly deep directory tree of application and
application support files. All eXtropia applications are distributed using
a standard directory structure as shown below:
|
|
app_root/ (eg. mlm)
app_name.cgi (eg. mlm.cgi)
HTMLTemplates/
Default/
AuthManager/
CGI/
LogonScreen.ttml
...
BasicDBTable.ttml
CSSView.ttml
...
AppName/ (e.g. MLM)
SomeView1.ttml (e.g. MLMTOCView.ttml)
SomeView2.ttml (e.g. MLMFindRecordFormView.ttml)
ActionHandler/
Default/
AppName/ (e.g. MLM)
Plugin/ (optional)
AppName/ (e.g. MLM)
Datafiles/
TemplatesCache/
Sessions/
AppName/ (e.g. MLM)
Modules/
CPAN/
CPAN modules that we distribute within
Extropia/
There are a whole heck of eXtropia modules.
|
Let's take a look at each of the major areas of this directory structure.
The Application Executable: app_name.cgi
app_name.cgi (eg. webdb.cgi) is the application executable that defines the configuration variables
used to modify how the application will run. You must modify this file if
you want to change the default behavior of the application. We will discuss
how to modify this file in greater detail in Step Six: Configuring the
Application.
You should be clear that there is no application logic in this file and
very little 'programming-like' things to worry about. The file is really
just for configuring the app and launching it from the web.
The HTMLTemplates Directory
All application views are defined as templates such as
HTMLTemplates/HTMLTemplates/Appname/TemplateName.ttml (e.g.
HTMLTemplates/MLM/MLMTOCView.ttml). Every template may include a number of other templates.
If the application doesn't provide its specific template, the default one
from the HTMLTemplates/Default/ directory is served instead.
For example here are some of the templates:
The Datafiles Directory
The Datafiles directory contains files that the application needs to write to and read
from. The following files automatically created on the first use of the
application.
|
|
Datafiles/AppName/app_name.count.dat
Datafiles/AppName/app_name.log
Datafiles/AppName/app_name.users.dat
Datafiles/AppName/app_name.dat
|
- app_name.count.dat
This file is used to assure unique row identification in file-based data
sources. This file will typically contain a single number that corresponds
to the last unique row id in the app_name.dat file. Note that if you modify
the application executable to use a Datasource other than DataSource::File,
you may not need this file. Note also that if the file is not included in
the installation by default, it will be created automatically the first
time the application requires it.
- app_name.log
This file contains log entries covering application usage. Note that if the
file is not included in the installation by default, it will be created
automatically the first time the application requires it.
- app_name.users.dat
This file records all authorized users if the application uses
authentication.
The fields in this data file will be specified by the authentication data
source configuration in the application executable. We’ll show you how this
is done later in this chapter. Note that if the file is not included in the
installation by default, it will be created automatically the first time
the application requires it. Note that if you use an authentication driver
other than File (such as LDAP), you may not require this file.
- app_name.dat
This file stores data for applications that use file-based data sources.
As we will discuss later in this chapter, all eXtropia applications use Extropia::File-based data sources because they are the most easy to use and the most
cross-platform. Thus, every application that requires a data source will
have an app_name.dat (eg. webguestbook.dat). However, if you use a
DataSource other than File (such as DBI that allows integration with
standard RDBMS systems such as Oracle, Sybase, or SQL Server), you may not
require this file.
The fields that a data source contains will be specified in the data source
setup section of the application executable. We will discuss this in much
greater detail later. Note that if the file is not included in the
installation by default, it will be created automatically the first time
the application requires it.
The Datafiles/TemplatesCache/ directory is used for cached templates. The Datafiles/Sessions/ directory is used for session files.
You won't really ever need to modify the files in this directory as the
application will do it automatically. Unfortunately, however, you will have
to make the files and directory writable so that the web server may write
data on demand.
The Modules Directory
The Modules directory contains the eXtropia and supporting modules used by
the application executable and the application object. You usually will not
modify the files in this directory. The directory, and all the files and
subdirectories it contains, are provided as tools for the application
objects.
It is unlikely that you will ever have to open these files. However, if you
do, you should consult the documentation for each module individually.
The ActionHandler Directory
The ActionHandler directory includes the default (Default) and application specific action handlers, which are invoked during
request processing and some of them prepare the data that is then served by
the templates. Usually you shouldn't mess with these, unless you want to
adjust the core functionality of the application.
For some applications, there is ActionHandler/Plugin directory which includes plugins, which are similar to actionhandlers in
functionality, but reused by many action handlers. Think of these as a
collection of re-usable functions. If you change the data structures used
by the application, they are the second place to adjust after the
application itself.
Expanding the archive file is only one part of the equation of installing a
CGI application and getting it to actually run. Frequently, the web server
needs to be given special permission to run your applications and have the
applications perform their job with the appropriate rights. (Only the case
for UNIX-based web servers)
The cardinal rule for setting up web server software is that the server
should be given only minimal capabilities. More often than not, it means
the web server is run as a user that has no rights to do anything
significant -- the user ``nobody''. By default, ``nobody'' usually does not
have permission to read any files in directories that you create. However,
when you download applications, you must make sure that the applications
can be read and executed by the web server software. In other words,
``nobody'' or more correctly ``anybody'', has to be able to get to the
files.
In UNIX, the magic command for performing this task is ``chmod'', that is
explained in detail in the Customization and Installation FAQ at the
following URL:
http://www.extropia.com/support/faq/
However, the following chart is provided here as a quick reference.
|
|
PERMISSION COMMAND NOTES
U G W
rwx rwx rwx chmod 777 filename Used only for directories that must
contain writable files. Use only with
extreme care.
rwx rwx r-x chmod 775 filename Appropriate for executable files and
directories being edited by you or
members of your work group.
rwx r-x r-x chmod 755 filename Appropriate for executable files and
directories being edited only by you.
r-x r-x r-x chmod 555 filename Appropriate for production executables and
directories.
rw- rw- rw- chmod 666 filename Used only for files that must be
writable. Use only with extreme care.
rw- rw- r-- chmod 664 filename Used for files being edited by you or by
members of your working group.
rw- r-- r-- chmod 644 filename Used for files being edited only by you.
r-- r-- r-- chmod 444 filename Used for non-executable production files
U = User
G = Group
W = World
r = Readable
w = writable
x = executable
- = no permission:
|
WARNING: You may be tempted to simply use chmod 777 on all the files
and directories since that assures the web server can do anything with
the files. However, it is strongly advised that you do not leave the
files in this state.
It is considered a major security risk to leave your applications
open to changes by the web server instead of being execute-only.
Anyone on the server could use another rogue CGI application to write
over your applications and make them do something completely
different.
There is still a risk involved in making the data directory
writable, but at least if someone is going to be messing with your
area, they will only destroy a bit of data and not your main
programs.
It is "OK" to set the applications to 777 if you are troubleshooting
a problem and want to rule out permissions entirely, but do not leave
the applications like this.
On another security note, if you are really concerned with the
security of your data, please do not use a shared server where other
people can write CGI applications using the same web server
configuration. It is much better to use your own server software or
purchase space on a "virtual server" which may be shared, but is set
up in such a way that each user's applications are shielded from each
other.
At the very least, you should move data files out of the web
document tree and use the Extropia::Encrypt module to encrypt your
data files. Further, if you can run the web server as a particular
user, change ownership of all the files to the account of the
webserver to restrict permissions even further. That is, writable
directories need only be chmod 700 instead of 777.
We recommend that after you initially test the application that you move
all non script files out of your cgi-bin. Do this such that:
- Datafiles is outside your web tree. You must change $GLOBAL_DATAFILES_DIRECTORYto match the ABSOLUTE path on your system. So if you are at: /home/you/Datafiles, that's what you put in your CGI. Do not confuse this path with your URL. They are not the same. No one should be able to access your Data with a URL. Ask your system administrator if you are having difficulty. This makes it difficult for crackers and hackers to casually steal your data.
- Move Images outside into an appropriate web directory so that your relative path from the webserver looks like '/Images/Extropia' and the URL called is "http://www.yourserver.com/Images/Extropia".
Finally, ask your systems administrator to double check your
installation.
NOTE: Not setting your permissions correctly is the number one
reason why installations fail. Take time to get this right.
The actual permissions required for the subdirectories and files used by
this application are shown below:
|
|
PERMISSION COMMAND NOTES
U G W
rwx rwx rwx chmod 777 filename Use only to test. Rarely required for Datafiles.
rwx rwx r-x chmod 775 filename Used for all directories (other than the
Datafiles directory) and for the
application executable.
rwx r-x r-x chmod 755 filename Suitable for most applications.
rw- rw- rw- chmod 666 filename Never use this.
rwx r-- r-- chmod 744 filename Used for files that you can change,
but anyone else can read.
|
An example of how to use the chmod command appears in the following figure:
NOTE: If you are looking to modify the entire directory structure in
one go, you might try the following commands from the UNIX shell
prompt:
|
|
$ chmod -R 444 *
$ find . -type d | xargs chmod a+x
$ find . -name *.cgi | xargs chmod a+x
$ find . -name "Datafiles*" | xargs chmod a+w
|
NOTE: If it is at all possible to restrict permissions you are
advised to do so. For example, if the web server runs as a particular
user, only that user should be given permission to use the files.
After you have placed all the files on the web server machine, you are
almost ready to try out the application. However, before you can run the
application you must make a special type of modification: Changing system
path values.
CGI applications written in Perl usually contain a magic first line that
expects to find the Perl interpreter in a particular directory. In
addition, some CGI applications may expect external programs such as
Sendmail to be located in a certain location on the server.
Most of the time, the default references to these locations will be
correct, because most servers are set up in a standard way. However, you
may run across a situation in which the external supporting programs used
by the applications are not where they are expected to be. One of the first
steps in setting up applications is to figure out the location of these
files so that the applications can be modified to reflect the new file
locations.
The classic example of a reference to an absolute path is the reference to
the location of the Perl interpreter on the first line of the application
executable (files that end in the extension .cgi):
NOTE: When we say 'first line', we really mean first line. You must
not have any other lines (including blank ones) before this command or
you will get an error.
This line instructs the server to run the ensuing application through the
Perl interpreter and indicates where to find the Perl interpreter. The Perl
interpreter is a program that reads your application and translates it into
a form that your server can run. In the preceding example, the server will
expect to find the Perl interpreter in the directory /usr/bin.
Although many servers contain Perl in /usr/bin, others may have installed it in other areas, such as /usr/local/bin, /opt/bin, or /usr/sbin.
If Perl is not in /usr/bin, your first bit of customizing is to find out where your local copy of
Perl is, and using a text editor, change this line to reference the correct
location.
Besides asking your system administrator, there are several ways of finding
files on your system.
If you are using a UNIX-based web server, the best command to try is
``which''. At the command prompt of your UNIX server, you type which perl
and receive the following reply:
In other words, Perl is located in /bin on this system. Thus, you will need to change the first line of your
application to the following:
For Windows or Mac web servers you can just email your system administrator
to get the right path for Perl or, if you have access, use the operating
system find feature.
NOTE: If you find that Perl is not installed or if a version of Perl
older than 5.003 is installed, you will need to ask your system
administrator to download Perl from http://www.perl.com/ and install
it.
Based on the experiences we have had with other readers, we imagine that
you have gotten this far without hitch and that you are excited to move on.
However, we recommend that you don’t start customizing yet!
It may very well be that if your ISP is configured in a similar enough way
to the one used by eXtropia, that you could actually run the application
now!
So instead of trudging on, why not skip ahead to Step Eight: Running the
Application and try it out? If you get errors, then you'll have to return
to this step and work through them. But hopefully, the applications will
fit nicely into your environment.
However, even if it does work, at some point, you will want to return to
configure the application to work in a way unique to your needs.
To do that, you will need to configure/customize the application. Because
the process of customization can be quite overwhelming at first, we have
separated out the discussion into a separate chapter on
Customizing eXtropia applications.
Modifying the look-and-feel of the applicaiton can be as simple as
modifying the view parameters discussed in the section on customization or
as complex as writing new view files.
Whichever the case, you should read the look-and-feel section of this
documentation for more information.
If all goes well, you should be ready to run the application. Try it out by
pointing your web browser at the application on your web server with a URL
such as the following:
http://www.mydomain.com/cgi-bin/app_name.cgi.
Hopefully the application will load just fine. If it does not, perhaps the
following list will help you identify the problem.
|
|
Error Message Diagnosis
Not Found You probably have the URL wrong and the web server
cannot find the application.
Server Error 90% of all users will have gotten their permissions
wrong. Are you sure you got them right? Go back to
Step 4.
Another 5% will have gotten the Perl path adjustment i
wrong. Go back to Step 5 and check that you are
not in that group.
Another 4% will have introduced an error into the
application executable (eg. webguestbook.cgi) while
editing it. Go back to Step 6.
The final 1% will have a genuine web gremlin at work. If
you are sure that you are part of this group, try posting
the problem to the free discussion forum at
http://www.extropia.com/support/bbs.html
|
|
|
Script The web server is not set up correctly to execute CGI
displays
as text in the
application's
browser window.
|
|
|
The browser The web server is not set up correctly to execute CGI
pops up a
'Save applications
As' dialog
complaining
about unknown
application
file type.
|
Note that you might also try running the application from the
command line if you have shell access to the web server.
Hopefully, your application will work just fine. If not, you are going to
have to do some debugging. The debug section of this guide has some useful
tips that will help you debug the problem.
Security is paramount. Please read security section of this guide
before you make any application public!!
Finally, you should submit the application to thorough testing by a
selected group of beta users. Testing is covered in Chapter 2 so we will
only add is a checklist of typical debugging problems that you might run
across with eXtropia applications in particular:
By default, eXtropia applications tend to disable emailing by default
because of compatibility issues. Generally, we leave it up to you to
configure mail in the application executable (eg. webdb.cgi) after you get
it working. You may have to configure a different email driver for your
application.
Are the files in the Datafiles directory being updated (such as the data
file, counter file, or users file)?
Try entering invalid emails for example.
You should also register with eXtropia so that we will be able to send you
bug fixes and security announcements. To register, simply send an email to
register@extropia.com.
[ TOC ]
[ TOC ]
[ TOC ]
|
Master Copy URL: http://www.extropia.com/support/docs/adt/
Copyright © 2000-2001 Extropia. All rights reserved.
|
[ TOC ]
|
Written by eXtropia. Last
Modified at 11/27/2001 |
|