Why Arent You Using CGI?

The very name CGI used to send chills up my spine. Foryears I put it in the 'too-hard-basket'. But like mostthings in life, CGI is not as scary as it seems. Ifyou have a cgi directory on your website and you knowhow to FTP files, chances are you can have a CGIscript up and running in less than 20 minutes.

CGI (Common Gateway Interface) is not a programminglanguage but a standard that allows visitors tointeract with your website. CGI scripts can be writtenin a number of different languages but most arewritten in Perl (Practical Extraction and ReportingLanguage).

This article gives you details of five free CGI scriptsthat will do the following:

1. Mail out your Newsletter from your server 2. Track the number of times your free E-Book is

downloaded 3. Rotate banners on your website 4. Create your own auto responders 5. Allow visitors to recommend your website to friends

At the end of this article are details of where todownload these 5 free scripts. But first, here aresome basic guidelines on how to configure and installCGI scripts:

1. CGI programs usually come in a zip file. Unzip thefile and open the README file. This document will giveyou instructions for configuring the program file.

2. Open the program file using a text editor such asNOTEPAD (the program file will usually have the fileextension .cgi but may have other extensions such as.pl).

In most CGI programs you will have to configure thefollowing 4 items:

(a) the path to perl

This is where the perl program resides on your server.The path will usually be:

#!/usr/bin/perl

but could be:

#!/usr/local/bin/perl

If you're unsure what your 'path to perl' is, checkyour web host's online 'manual' or FAQs. If you can'tfind it there, simply ask your web host.

(b) the path to sendmail

Most CGI programs notify you when your visitors havecompleted a particular action, and for that, theprogram needs to know where the 'sendmail' programresides on your server. The path to your UNIX sendmailprogram will usually be: /usr/sbin/sendmail

But it could also be something like this:/usr/lib/sendmail

Again, check the documentation on your web host'swebsite, or simply ask your web host.

(c) the absolute path to your CGI directory

The absolute path tells the CGI program exactly whereto find the file (or files) that it needs to open.Unfortunately, the absolute path to your CGI directoryis not something you will be able to guess or deduce -it is completely arbitrary and depends entirely on howthe system administrator at your web host haspartitioned your host's hard drive.

The easiest way to find out your absolute path is toask your web host. Another way is by using telnet -just type in pwd (print working directory) and thatshould give you your absolute path.

(d) Your email address

This is the address that the CGI program will use tonotify you when an action has been completed.

3. Uploading

Upload the program files to your cgi-bin (or adirectory off your cgi-bin) using ASCII mode. Neveruse BINARY mode, as this will play havoc with theline-breaks in the script.

4. Set the File Permissions using CHMOD

CHMOD (changing mode) is the term for setting securitypermissions on files. The README file will usuallytell you the permissions that you need to set for eachfile. The script file will need to be set to 755. Thisallows the file's owner to read, write, and executethe file; anyone else can only read and execute it.

You can set the permissions using telnet, but theeasiest way is to use the built-in option in your FTPprogram.

5. Calling the Script

Now that you've configured the script, uploaded it andset the permissions, it's time to try it out! You dothis by 'calling the script' using a URL in an HTMLdocument. This is what the URL for calling your scriptwill normally look like:

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

Again, the README file should have specificinstructions on how to call the script. In addition,most CGI programs are accompanied by a web pagethat contains the form your visitors would use tocall the script.

And now here are the details of the 5 free CGIscripts I mentioned earlier:

-----------------------Subscribe Me Lite-----------------------

Subscribe Me Lite is a program that allowsprospects/customers to automatically subscribe and/orunsubscribe themselves from your mailing list. It hasa built-in mass mailing form for sending out yournewsletter or updates.

More Information:http://www.cgiscriptcenter.com/subscribe/index2.html

-----------------------Rob's File Tracker-----------------------

Rob's File Tracker is a perl script that counts filedownloads or click-thrus to any file. Very useful ifyou want to know how many people are downloading yourfree E-Book.

More Information:http://www.robplanet.com/cgi/tracker/

-----------------------AdRotate Pro-----------------------

AdRotate Pro is an ad rotation program that's easy tosetup and easy to use. Features include unlimitedrotations, expiry by date, views or clicks, defaultads for when all ads are expired, and customerreports.

More Information: http://www.vanbrunt.com/adrotate/

-----------------------MasterRecommend---------------------- -

This script allows visitors to recommend your websiteto a friend by sending an email, without leaving yourwebsite. The program will also send you a copy of yourvisitor's message (nice to know what your visitorsthink about your website).

More Information:http://www.willmaster.com/master/recommend/MasterRecommendmanual.html

------------ -----------Master Auto-Responder-----------------------

This is a standard auto-responder program. Thescript allows you to set the "From:" and "Subject:"lines for your auto-response.You can also choose toreceive a copy of each email that the auto-responderreceives.

More Information:http://mastercgi.com/howtoinfo/howautoresponderswork.shtml

If you need more help installing your CGI scripts, hereare two excellent free tutorials:

http://spider-food.net/install-a-cgi-script.htmlhttp://www.stefan-pettersson.nu/scr ipts/tutorials/installcgi.html

------------------------------------------------------------
Michael Southon has been writing for the Internet for over 3
years. He has shown hundreds of webmasters how to use this
simple technique to build a successful online business. Click
here to find out more: http://ezine-writer.com/
------------------------------------------------------------

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Google News Updated : Sat, 11 Oct 2008 23:50:53 GMT World is united to tackle financial crisis, IMF says - MarketWatch BBC News World is united to tackle financial crisis, IMF says MarketWatch - 2 hours ago By Rex Nutting WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) -- Financial policymakers from 180 nations around the world are united in their resolve to tackle the financial crisis, Youssef Boutros-Ghali, head of the International Monetary Fund's policy committee, ... G7 nations face going cap in hand to China guardian.co.uk Finance officials comments at IMF meetings Reuters AFP - BBC News - Bloomberg - New York Times all 579 news articles Publ.Date : Sat, 11 Oct 2008 21:23:46 GMT GOP Officials Hope for Stability From McCain - New York Times Voice of America GOP Officials Hope for Stability From McCain New York Times - 1 hour ago By ADAM NAGOURNEY and ELISABETH BUMILLER Republican leaders across the country said Saturday that they were worried that Senator John McCain was heading for defeat unless he brought stability to his presidential candidacy and settled on a clear message ... Antiwar Protestor Disrupts McCain Iowa Rally Washington Post Obama needs 75 percent turnout in Philadelphia, says Rendell CNN Political Ticker The Weekly Standard - Summit Daily News - USA Today - WNCT all 1,087 news articles Publ.Date : Sat, 11 Oct 2008 22:23:47 GMT Got $700 Billion? Sweat the Details - New York Times Telegraph.co.uk Got $700 Billion? Sweat the Details New York Times - 3 hours ago The bailout plan gives Henry M. Paulson Jr., the Treasury secretary, three broad choices in buying assets. By ALAN S. BLINDER THE House of Representatives was against the bailout bill before it was for it. US firms up plan to buy into banks to stem crisis Reuters Paulson Indicates Need to Purchase Bank Equity `Soon as We Can' Bloomberg Los Angeles Times - Washington Post - The Miami Herald - International Herald Tribune all 2,358 news articles Publ.Date : Sat, 11 Oct 2008 20:39:07 GMT Gay Marriage Is Ruled Legal in Connecticut - New York Times Boston Globe Gay Marriage Is Ruled Legal in Connecticut New York Times - 5 hours ago In Hartford, Crystal Pretzman of Willimantic, Conn., celebrated the State Supreme Court's decision to legalize same-sex marriage. Video: Connecticut Court Allows Gay Marriage AssociatedPress Marriage ruling not the end of debate in Conn. The Associated Press Newsday - Washington Post - Reuters - NECN all 1,711 news articles Publ.Date : Sat, 11 Oct 2008 18:13:08 GMT YouTube to play full TV episodes with ads - Afterdawn.com Vancouver Sun YouTube to play full TV episodes with ads Afterdawn.com - 2 hours ago Google has announced that it will begin offering full-length TV episodes through its YouTube platform beginning this week, thanks to a content deal with CBS. YouTube to Offer TV Shows With Ads Strewn Through New York Times YouTube beams up Star Trek for long-form video, prominent new ads CNET News Wall Street Journal - eFluxMedia - Silicon Alley Insider - Bizjournals.com all 109 news articles Publ.Date : Sat, 11 Oct 2008 21:13:12 GMT US space tourist set for blast-off - Reuters Canada.com US space tourist set for blast-off Reuters - 40 minutes ago By Maria Golovnina BAIKONUR, Kazakhstan (Reuters) - US video game magnate Richard Garriott will blast off into space aboard a Russian spaceship on Sunday watched by his father, a NASA astronaut who went into space at the height of the Cold War. US space tourist set for launch BBC News Russian space chief reassures US partners The Associated Press Times Online - USA Today - Spaceflight Now - RedOrbit all 287 news articles Publ.Date : Sat, 11 Oct 2008 23:10:50 GMT Nobel Peace Prize winner wants jobs for the young - International Herald Tribune Times Online Nobel Peace Prize winner wants jobs for the young International Herald Tribune - 10 hours ago AP HELSINKI, Finland: Nobel Peace Prize winner Martti Ahtisaari said Saturday that finding jobs for more than 1 billion young people in the Middle East and Asia will be a major challenge to peacebuilding in the next decade. Video: Ex-Finland President Wins Nobel Peace Prize AssociatedPress Nobel Finn Wall Street Journal Voice of America - Times Online - Burlington Hawk Eye all 1,453 news articles Publ.Date : Sat, 11 Oct 2008 13:12:07 GMT Make Money With Blogs Add RSS Feeds to My Website

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