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"Creating a Guestbook"

I'm trying to configure a guestbook but need guidance on where to upload files and chmod settings. Your documentation states:

Full URL To CGI Script:
Your web address with '/cgi-bin/' added to the end (e.g. www.bob.spursfans.com/cgi-bin/).

Uploading CGI Scripts
CGI scripts must be placed within your 'cgi-shl' directory in your web space account otherwise it will not work. The file MUST be transferred in 'Text' or 'ASCII' mode and NOT in 'Automatic' or 'Binary' mode.

How can it be that files are uploaded to the cgi-shl directory but to access them you type www.bob.spursfans.com/cgi-bin/

My Guestbook Installation and Configuration: (I tried the following using chmod 755 and 777 but when I tried accessing the install.cgi it doesn't exist. Are the instructions wrong for a freeola set-up.

1. Upload files and folders

+ Upload all files and folders to the cgi-bin directory

+ Files and folders to upload in ASCII-Mode:
- install.cgi
- fpg.cgi
- asimg.cgi
- fpg_ascii (and all files inside)
+ Files and folders to upload in BINARY-Mode:
- fpg_binary (and all files inside)

2. Chmod (set access permission - only applicable on Unix hosts)

+ Skip this step if your server is running on a Windows machine
+ All files and folders: chmod 755
+ It means:
Owner: read, write, execute
Group: read, -- , execute
Other: read, -- , execute

3. Installation

+ Open your browser and point it to the file install.cgi
(for example: http://www.you.com/cgi-bin/install.cgi)
+ In the installation window, fill in all fields to continue
+ During the instalation, the installer will:

- make the guestbook working directory (fpg_files) in your cgi-bin
- make sub-directories in the working directory:
+ configs
+ languages
+ skins
+ restrictions
+ session
+ antispam
- make the public directory (fpg_public) in your document root
(for example: http://www.yoursite.com/fpg_public)
- copy the ascii-files (configs and template files) to the sub-directories
- copy the binary files (image files) to the public directory

+ Directory tree after the installation:

+ cgi-bin/
+------ + fpg_files/
+ +------ + configs/
+ +------ + languages/
+ +------ + skins/
+ +------ + restrictions/
+ +------ + session/
+ +------ + antispam/
+ + your_existing_files_and_folders
+ fpg_public/
+-------+ your_binary_files

+ After the installation is complete, log in as administrator
and configure your new guestbook

4. Configuration

+ Follow the screen guide to configure your guestbook
+ Use the forum if you have a question or want to share your experience

5. Note
+ If the public directory cannot be created, FPG will use external links
for displaying your icons and loading javascripts:

http://www.vitinh.de/fpg_public/

In this case you can manually create a non-cgi directory and upload
the icons and javascripts to help vitinh.de save bandwidth.

+ To change the layout of the guestbook, you may edit all .tpl files in the
directory fpg_files/skins.

+ If you disable an input field, you must remove its place holder in the file
"sign.tpl" too.

to update events, i eventually spotted my mistake:
my $fpg_public = "/freeola/users /9/5/sr0940379/fpg_public";
should have been:
my $fpg_public = "/freeola/users /9/5/sr0940379/htdocs/fpg_public";

this got me further but i had to manually create the fpg_public folder and copy files to it. The guestbook is still under construction and i'm pondering whether to embed it within my website or as a pop-up window http://www.inverness-apartment.com/cgi-bin/fpg.cgi

on the sign page i had to disable BB Code images because the javascript doesn't work using firefox and safari on a mac, well the codes where you select a piece of text just produces a pop-up window saying please select some text, whereas clicking on new line etc pastes the code ok into the textarea.

Garin wrote:
> Just had a look at the install script. Do as Hmmm... suggests,
> create fpg_public in your document root and chmod it to 777 (755
> might be enough depends on server config though). Then comment
> out line 693 from install.cgi
>
> mkdir($dir, 0755) or die "Cannot create guestbook folder
> $dir! $!";

how stupid am i
i edited the absolute paths in the comments part of the 3 script files instead of the proper place ie.

# my $dir = "/freeola/users /9/5/sr0940379/cgi-shl/fpg_files"; #
# my $fpg_public = "/freeola/users /9/5/sr0940379/fpg_public"; #
# my $libdir = "/freeola/users /9/5/sr0940379/cgi-shl/fpg_ascii"; #
# my $bindir = "/freeola/users /9/5/sr0940379/cgi-shl/fpg_binary"; #

should have changed the following:

my $dir = "fpg_files";
my $fpg_public = "fpg_public";
my $libdir = "fpg_ascii";
my $bindir = "fpg_binary";

but now getting the following error:

Cannot create guestbook folder /freeola/users/9/5/sr0940379/cgi-shl/fpg_files! Permission denied at /freeola/users/weblinks /www.inverness-apartment.com/cgi-shl/install.cgi line 693.

i tried manually creating the directory fpg_files and commented out line 693 but it then tries to rename the directory, ive asked on the guestbook forum if its possible to manually create the installer steps.

Just had a look at the install script. Do as Hmmm... suggests, create fpg_public in your document root and chmod it to 777 (755 might be enough depends on server config though). Then comment out line 693 from install.cgi

mkdir($dir, 0755) or die "Cannot create guestbook folder $dir! $!";

That may well get your further along the path.

thanks, its a pain finding an alternative script which is flexible and looks good but i think i'll need to.
yep i know text after # are comments and dont affect the script

Looks like a problem of file permissions to me. To be honest though, I think you're better off finding a different script. Its trying to do things its clearly never going to be allowed to do like creating directories in the document root. So I presume that instruction to chmod all files and folder really does mean EVERY file and folder if your hosting. And this is an incredibly silly thing to do.

Yeah its fixable, but I think your time is better spent finding one that does work (in a more secure manner).

Btw, those lines starting with # are comments changing them does nothing.

your help is much appreciated, actually my initial posting was probably asking too much but any help was a start to get me thinking. Will i have to contact freeola support to see if the script is compatible or will it be confirmed on here.

Leakest_Wink didn't write:
> Thanks for your help, Hmmm... much appreciated :¬P
> I followed the freeola path guidance and believe its correct, i
> did reverse the sr digits.
>
> the script says:
>
> #####FPG on a Windows Machine with IIS ######
> # Use absolute path for the 4 variables below if you want to use
> FPG
> # on a Windows Machine with IIS
>
> the guestbook comes from a german site so maybe IIS is a bad
> translation, the site does have pages in english
> http://www.vitinh.de/cgi-bin/download_guestbook.cgi?lang=en
>
> (guestbook v2.03)


Hopefully Freeola will be able to say it that script works with their setup...





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its likely i created the bin directory in the past.

I followed the freeola path guidance and believe its correct, i did reverse the sr digits.

the script says:

#####FPG on a Windows Machine with IIS ######
# Use absolute path for the 4 variables below if you want to use FPG
# on a Windows Machine with IIS

the guestbook comes from a german site so maybe IIS is a bad translation, the site does have pages in english http://www.vitinh.de/cgi-bin/download_guestbook.cgi?lang=en

(guestbook v2.03)

You should only physically see/have an 'cgi-shl' directory when you FTP to your web space - that's how all my domains are anyway.
Perhaps you manually created the 'bin' directly yourself in the past?

Yes - I would try manually creating the 'fpg' files.

I take it in your actual code you have the correct naming convention for the path where you reverse the digits in your sr number?

Your code sample also mentions:
"FPG on a Windows Machine with IIS"
Freeola don't run IIS servers - is that just a typo from the script comments?

You might be better saying what script you are trying to run and asking Freeola if it is compatible with their set up...

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like you suggest i could try manually creating the installation steps.