I am having serious problems with installing this. Every time I try and access the db.cgi, it gives me the CGI error (I turned debugging on). All files are chmodded correctly, and all files are in /dbman subdirectory in the CGI-Bin. My server is running at Perl 5.004.

Is that the problem? In the default.cfg I left things alone except for the beginning part...I typed in the full path and it gave me an error (the full path is correct). In db.cgi I did what the script said (if I had problems set the thing to the full path to the dbman directory, which I did). So it gave me an error about not finding the file home/blah/public_html/cgi-bin/dbman/home/blah/public_html/cgi-bin/dbman. It listed it twice. So in default.cfg I changed the path to the files to be "/default.cfg" only, while setting the full URL.

Please help, I've worked for days on this thing, and I gave up last time because I couldn't get it to work.

Let's start over.

Use the scripts as they come, only changing the URL to dbman in the default.cfg file. (And, if you need to, changing the path to perl in db.cgi.)

You said you got a CGI error and you have debugging turned on. The debugging code starts with a line "CGI error," even if there isn't an error. Did you get the login form?

If you didn't, what did the CGI error message say the first time you ran it?

Once you re-upload the files, if you have any problem, come back here and let us know what the problem is. Be sure to include any message that is connected to the CGI error. We'll work it through together.


------------------
JPD

Okay, I think I got it working now, it shows the login screen.

I created my first account...would this be the admin? I did List All, and it already had stuff in it! How would I delete it (I selected delete and it brought up the search engine. How would delete everything in the database?

...Also, do I have to have the "validated" and Popular things on the database?

The easiest way is to now use an empty database file. It is wise to use the default database file for initial installations. When you are able to add, delete, modify records, as well as add, delete, and modify users...You can go ahead and delete all the records in the default.db file. Just use a text editor to delete all the records from the default.db file. Make sure that you save the original so you can refer to it later.
After you have deleted all the records via a text editor, save the file as default.db, then upload the file back to your web server.

Does this make sense?

Also, the Validated and Popular fields are Example fields derived from an earlier version of the LINKS program that Alex produced. They are in the default install for example purposes ONLY. You can either delete them or add in different field value for these fields.

Regards,

------------------
Eliot Lee
Founder and Editor
Anthro TECH, L.L.C
http://www.anthrotech.com/
info@anthrotech.com
==========================
Coconino Community College
http://www.coco.cc.az.us/
Web Technology
Coordinator
elee@coco.cc.az.us

[This message has been edited by Eliot (edited August 10, 1999).]

Sorry for asking for so many questions.

I deleted all the files from the default.db. I want it to be a members list, and am having trouble configuring the things that I want available. I want it to have a list of members, show a homepage, description, and you can select what games/hobbies they play. I changed Title to the member name, would I change the NAME="Title" VALUE="$rec{'Title'}" also? Would it mess up the script?

Do I have to update the db.cgi so the changes will take place?

Nope...You can configure the default.cfg file to your liking. Make sure that the values you have in db-def array match with what you have in the html_record_form and other parts of your html.pl.

Regards,

------------------
Eliot Lee
Founder and Editor
Anthro TECH, L.L.C
http://www.anthrotech.com/
info@anthrotech.com
==========================
Coconino Community College
http://www.coco.cc.az.us/
Web Technology
Coordinator
elee@coco.cc.az.us

Thanks a bunch Eliot and JPDeni...I'll come back here if I have anymore questions...I've been looking and trying to set up so many databases and finally I got one to work.

What I would do, Nick, is set up the fields in your database first and then set $db_autogenerate = 1; in the default.cfg file. Run the script and add some records. Then modify them. Search for them. Delete them. Mess around as much as you can with the fields to make sure everything does what you want it to do.

Only after you have the fields set up properly should you worry about editing sub html_record_form and sub html_record.


------------------
JPD

My guess is that the problem has something to do with your key value.

Did you start over with an empty .db file after you made changes to the field definitions?


------------------
JPD

I've customized everything, but there's 1 problem. While trying to modify my record, it gave me search results 0 matches, even though I've included the precise words from my account (i'm checking if everything works right now.)

I tried pressing Modify -> List all, and it still doesn't work. Delete --> List all doesn't work either (0 matches). I can never get the search features to work EXCEPT with View record, or list all, but the search feature with Delete and Modify do not work. I didn't edit the html.pl drastically, all I did was change the look and the things I needed to change (added ICQ, email, webpage, games and such).

Yes, I cleared the database and added a new one. Could it be that I just don't know how to search well?

I have ID, Name, E-mail, URL, Date, Description, and Games (a bunch of boxes you check).

For searching I pressed List All, 0 records found, so I filled in my ID number, name, e-mail, ect. because I want to modify it/view it and stuff.

I think I'm going to need to take a look at your files.

Please copy your default.cfg file to a web-accessible directory -- one where you would place html files -- and rename it to default_cfg.txt. Then come back here and let me know where I can see it.

Are you using the autogenerate feature? If not, you'll also need to copy your html.pl file to the same directory. Rename it to html_pl.txt.


------------------
JPD

http://knightsofd.virtualave.net/here/default_cfg.txt


http://knightsofd.virtualave.net/here/html_pl.txt


Thanks.

xxNickxx,

Some problems I saw in your 1) default.cfg file is that you have the following variable set to the wrong field number:

You have:


It should be:


2) Another thing that I would do until you have the database functioning properly is to active the de_bug variable, so that you can any possible problems. This is not affecting your modification problem, but it is a nice tool to use when setting up databases.

Change:


TO:


In your html.pl, I could not identify any problems...May be Carol or others have some ideas.



Hope this helps.

Regards,

------------------
Eliot Lee
Founder and Editor
Anthro TECH, L.L.C
http://www.anthrotech.com/
info@anthrotech.com
==========================
Coconino Community College
http://www.coco.cc.az.us/
Web Technology
Coordinator
elee@coco.cc.az.us

I did what you said and it only works with "View" (the search thing. It fails to find records when I do Delete, Delete --> list all, Modify, Modify --> List All).

http://knightsofd.virtualave.net/cgi-bin/dbman/db.cgi

I did what you said and did the debug thing, but I dont see anything wrong.

BTW, login is:
DarkDragon
truekoddd

I think I deleted the thing with creating a new login or something...oh well, that isn't a problem, my problem is getting it to work.

[This message has been edited by xxNickxx (edited August 11, 1999).]

I didn't have any problem with the "List All" in the delete or modify. I got the one record returned that was added by DarkDragon. Possibly things are working better for you now. (I would have been on sooner, but I had to take my cats to the vet. )

I did notice that the Userid field was blank in the other record on your database. That could cause a problem.

------------------
JPD

what exactly is the Userid and what does it do? How can it cause a problem? I had a friend try doing adding something, it seems that he works, but trying to modify/delete my own record (darkdragon) brings back a no matching error.

btw, I need it so that everyone has to create an account so nobody else can tamper with their own record. Is that possible with this script and I juss have messed it up somehow?

[This message has been edited by xxNickxx (edited August 11, 1999).]

That is possible. I believe when I looked at your default.cfg file, the permissions in the "authentication" section were set up they way they should be to allow your Record Owners to add, modify, and delete records.

What you need to do is ensure that you have set the $auth_user_field variable to the 8, so that your userid (that you create in the Admin Console, or give to your users) match with this field in their record.

The Userid field is automatically generated when the user accesses their records.

Regards,

------------------
Eliot Lee
Founder and Editor
Anthro TECH, L.L.C
http://www.anthrotech.com/
info@anthrotech.com
==========================
Coconino Community College
http://www.coco.cc.az.us/
Web Technology
Coordinator
elee@coco.cc.az.us

Admin console? I was wondering about that. Plus, when I entered the DarkDragon thing, I notice that when I do list all from the main menu thing that it does not have a userid...I think that is why it doesn't show up in the searches I do for it.

So if a random person on the internet wants to be part of the member list, he would go into db.cgi and create their own login? Or what I have to give them my login and they create it through DarkDragon? Then the UserID would always equal DarkDragon, and people will be able to delete/modify other people's records.

Databases are very hard to set up =P

Wait a minute. Let's start from scratch here. Eliot, I appreciate your help, but I think it's best if I handle this one on my own. Too many cooks, even if they're good ones.....

Nick, exactly what do you want to do with your database? Tell me what you have in mind.


------------------
JPD

Well, this is what I want. A database full of members, and I want it to have a list which will be alphabetical. Each member will have to create their own login and password, then create a new record to the member list. They can only modify/delete their own record.

I don't mind 2 people helping me =)

Nick, the only reason I suggested that I do this on my own is that different people have different ways of going about things and it can be confusing for both you and me.

Do you want your members to only have one record each?


------------------
JPD

Yes, I want each member to have only 1 record.

Okay. Here's how to set up your database.

Delete the "ID" field. Make sure you have a "UserID" field. (You can call it anything you want, but that's the name I'm going to use in my example.)

Make these settings in default.cfg:
$db_key = 'UserID';
$db_key_track = 0;
$auth_no_authentication = 0;

(I didn't ask if you want a default user to be able to view. If you do, use the following --)
$auth_allow_default = 1;
@auth_default_permissions = (1,0,0,0,0);

(If you don't want a default user to be able to view, use --)
$auth_allow_default = 0;
(The permissions line won't matter.)

$auth_signup = 1;
@auth_signup_permissions = (1,1,1,1,0);
$auth_modify_own = 1;
$auth_view_own = 0;
$auth_user_field = the number of your UserID field;

After you make these changes, upload a new, blank file for default.db, so you are starting from scratch.


------------------
JPD







[This message has been edited by JPDeni (edited August 12, 1999).]