############################################################################## # Cliff's Message Board Script Version 1.52 # # Copyright 1998 Shaven Ferret Productions # # Created 6/4/98 Last Modified 10/1/2000 # # Available at http://www.shavenferret.com/scripts # ############################################################################## # COPYRIGHT NOTICE # # Copyright 1998 Shaven Ferret Productions All Rights Reserved. # # # # This script can be used\modified free of charge as long as you don't # # change this header, the parts that generate the return link, or the parts # # that mention me in the e-mail. If you really need to change these parts, # # go to http://www.shaveneferret.com/scripts/register.shtml . By using this # # script you agree to indemnify me from any liability that might arise from # # its use. In simple English, if this script somehow makes your computer # # run amuck and kill the pope, it's not my fault. # # # # Redistributing\selling the code for this program without prior written # # consent is expressly forbidden. # ############################################################################## Hello. These are the instructions for how to install the message board. You should have the following files... * message.cgi ----- the script that handles everything * admin.html ------ the administrative page * index.html ------ the main page * readme.txt ------ the file you're reading now While this script does take a while to set up, it's not to difficult to do. I suggest you make sure that you know the following things before you begin: * where perl is on your system * what the path to your page is (NOT the same as your URL) * where your mail program is * where you plan on putting everything (I suggest creating a directory named "message" for the main page and forums, and another directory in message name "posts" for the posts. If you don't know any of the above, you can probably find out by asking your system administrator. Okay, the first thing to do is to open message.cgi in a text editor. If perl is not located at /usr/bin/perl on your system, change the first line of message.cgi to #! followed by the location of perl (no spaces). Now scroll down to line 27. Change /server/path/to/message to the server path of the directory which will hold the main page and the forums. Scroll down to line 32 and change /server/path/to/message/posts to the server path of the directory which will hold all the posts. Now scroll to line 36 and change /server/path/to/admin.html to the server path of the admin.html file. Scroll down to line 44 and change http://www.yourdomain.com/message to the URL of the directory which will hold the main page and forums. Scroll down to line 46 and change http://www.yourdomain.com/message/posts to the URL of the directory that will hold the posts. If you don't want the main page to be named index.html, change index.html to whatever you want it to be named in line 51. If the uploaded script cannot be found at /cgi-bin/message.cgi, change this to the URL of the script once uploaded in line 54. Scroll down to line 61. If the path to your mail program is not /usr/lib/sendmail (it probably is), change this to the path to your mail program. Scroll down to line 65, and enter your e-mail address. Make sure you put a backslash before the @, so clifftm@shavenferret.com would be entered as clifftm\@shavenferret.com . If you don't want to be notified by e-mail whenever someone posts a message, put a # in front of line 69. Scroll down to line 77, and change shavenferret.com to what you want your password to be. Change My Message Board to the title of your message board in line 80, and if you want to lock out HTML, change the 1 to a 0 in line 85. Congratulations, your done configuring the script! Now upload message.cgi, admin.html, and index.html as ascii. Set message.cgi's permissions to 755, and both of the .html file's permissions to 777. Create the post directory, and set its permissions to 777. You're now done. You'll probably want to add some forums, background music, and icons. To do so, go to the uploaded admin page. Everything will be explained in plain English there. ****************************************************************************** * Troubleshooting * If you're having problems with the script, please read the following before * asking me for help. ****************************************************************************** * Script returns 500 Internal Server Error * Make sure you've changed the first line of message.cgi to #! and then the path to perl on your system * Make sure you've uploaded message.cgi as ascii, not binary. * Make sure you've set the permissions for message.cgi to 755. * Make sure that you've put a \ in front of the @ in your e-mail address * Main page is not updated * Make sure that you've entered the server path (not the URL) to the main page in message.cgi * Make sure that you've set the main page's permissions to 777. * Admin page is not updated * Make sure that you've entered the server path (not the URL) to the admin page in message.cgi * Make sure that you've set the admin page's permissions to 777. * Script says messages are posted, but they aren't. * Make sure that you've entered the server path (not the URL) to the post directory in message.cgi * Make sure that you've set the post directory's permissions to 777. * Script doesn't send e-mail. * Make sure that you've entered the correct path to your mail program. ****************************************************************************** If you still need help, go to http://www.shavenferret.com/scripts/help.shtml