setting up cgi scripts on apache2

jabberwok · 07-11-2009, 10:13 PM

I have configured two virtual hosts on my apache2 server but neither can execute cgi scripts

I can navigate to the script (cgi-bin lies outside web root) using mysite.com/cgi-bin/test.pl but it just displays the code

here is my httpd.conf section for one of the two sites, they are both the same.

<VirtualHost *>
# Basic setup
ServerName mysite.com

DocumentRoot /usr/local/apache2/htdocs-sa/

# HTML documents, with indexing.
<Directory />
Options +Includes
</Directory>

# CGI Handling
ScriptAlias /cgi-bin/ /usr/local/apache2/cgi-bin/
<Location "/usr/local/apache2/cgi-bin/">
Options ExecCGI
AddHandler cgi-script cgi pl
</Location>

# Logfiles
ErrorLog /usr/local/apache2/logs/error.log
CustomLog /usr/local/apache2/logs/access.log combined
ServerAlias www.mysite.com
</VirtualHost>

In httpd.conf I have commented out everything else to do with cgi except

<IfModule cgid_module>
#
# ScriptSock: On threaded servers, designate the path to the UNIX
# socket used to communicate with the CGI daemon of mod_cgid.
#
#Scriptsock logs/cgisock
</IfModule>

I have tried chmod 755 cgi-bin and chmod a+x test.pl but no luck

I really need help with this one, thanks for any help

jabberwok · 07-11-2009, 11:16 PM

Hi thanks for looking at this for me

I have now got it to the point where if I change the test file extension to .pl the browser tries to save the file localy.

this tells me apache does not know how to serve it.

it will execute on the command line though

any ideas

routers · 07-13-2009, 05:14 AM

use this sample

Code:

<VirtualHost  *:80>
        ServerName rou.tprsb.com
        ServerAdmin  noc@tprsb.com
        DocumentRoot /home/routers/www
        TransferLog /home/routers/logs/access-log
        ScriptAlias /cgi-bin/ /home/routers/www/cgi-bin/
</VirtualHost>

and check your syntax with

apachectl configtest

and make sure you have perl installed

jabberwok · 07-13-2009, 11:31 AM

Quote:

[error] VirtualHost *:80 -- mixing * ports and non-* ports with a NameVirtualHost address is not supported, proceeding with undefined results
Syntax OK

this is what I get from apachectl configtest after including the above code in httpd.conf

If I run apachectl configtest w/out the above code I get

Quote:

Syntax OK

bathory · 07-13-2009, 12:02 PM

Quote:

# CGI Handling
ScriptAlias /cgi-bin/ /usr/local/apache2/cgi-bin/
<Location "/usr/local/apache2/cgi-bin/">
Options ExecCGI
AddHandler cgi-script cgi pl
</Location>

You don't need a <Location ...> directive here. Replace it with <Directory ...>

jabberwok · 07-13-2009, 12:19 PM

Code:

<VirtualHost example.com>
        # Basic setup
	ServerAdmin admin@example.com
	ServerName example.com
        DocumentRoot /usr/local/apache2/htdocs/
	ServerAlias www.example.com

	# HTML documents, with indexing.
        <Directory />
        Options +Includes
        </Directory>

        # CGI Handling
       ScriptAlias /cgi-bin/ /usr/local/apache2/cgi-bin/
          <Directory "/usr/local/apache2/cgi-bin/" >
          Options +ExecCGI +SymLinksIfOwnerMatch
          AddHandler cgi-script .cgi .pl
          </Directory> 

        # Logfiles
        ErrorLog  /usr/local/apache2/logs/error_dog.log
        CustomLog /usr/local/apache2/logs/access_dog.log combined
        TransferLog /usr/local/apache2/logs/access-log-dog

</VirtualHost>

This is what my httpd.conf currently looks like, there is a second virtualhost identical to the first except for example.com becomes example2.com

cgi still does not work

also I am getting this error

Quote:

[warn] NameVirtualHost *:0 has no VirtualHosts

my 000-default file is empty

bathory · 07-13-2009, 12:33 PM

Quote:

also I am getting this error

Quote:
[warn] NameVirtualHost *:0 has no VirtualHosts
my 000-default file is empty

In general to setup vhosts you need a

Code:

NameVirtualHost *:80

and later on in the vhosts definition you should use the same syntax:

Code:

<VirtualHost  *:80>

not

Quote:

jabberwok · 07-13-2009, 12:47 PM

I got rid of the NameVirtuaHosts error by removing the NameVirtualHosts * from my httpd.conf. thanksfor the help.

I am still not able to execute cgis

I have discovered that on startup apache is complaining that the /etc/rc.d/init.d/functions dir does not exist. I have looked and in fact /etc/rc.d does not exist

do you think this has a bearing on the problem?

I do have /etc/rc0.d through /etc/rc6.d and /etc/rcS.d

I am using a debian etch server

bathory · 07-13-2009, 12:57 PM

Quote:

I have discovered that on startup apache is complaining that the /etc/rc.d/init.d/functions dir does not exist. I have looked and in fact /etc/rc.d does not exist

No, it only affects the apache startup. How did you installed apache and you missed the init scripts?
Regarding the cgi scripts, do you get any error, or it still prompts you to save the script?

jabberwok · 07-13-2009, 01:10 PM

yes .cgi files output their code onscreen
and .pl files are opening a box to download

I have a custom install of apache2 in /usr/local

I tried to install an apache-perl package hoping that might help my problem but it installed apache-2.2 with it into the default location

I had to replace the apache2 init script with the backup to get my original server booting again

bathory · 07-13-2009, 01:27 PM

It should work by now!
Could you post the contents of test.pl?

jabberwok · 07-13-2009, 01:39 PM

Code:

#!/usr/bin/perl
print "Content-type: text/html\n\n";
print "<html><body><div>Hello world!</div></body></html>";

I can execute it on the comand line, is it possible I need an apache perl extenxion module

bathory · 07-13-2009, 02:12 PM

It works on my apache.
Remove the ScriptAlias line and use the following in the <Directory ...>section:

Code:

AllowOverride Options
Options +ExecCGI +SymLinksIfOwnerMatch
SetHandler cgi-script

Why you need "+SymLinksIfOwnerMatch"? Is this test.pl a symlink to a different location?

jabberwok · 07-13-2009, 02:41 PM

I made the above changes and restarted apache
but no joy.

it seems if it works for you, there must be something wrong with my apache setup.

I just wish I new what

bathory · 07-13-2009, 04:38 PM

Looking back at your posts, I think that you've mixed the apache that came with debian, with the one you've compiled from source in /usr/local/apache2.
Stop apache and then run

Code:

/usr/local/apache2/apachectl start