This is driving me nuts!

Database contains approx 1500 links. Recently when I validate links they show up in validate with the first 2 or 3 just fine then there is the next will contain no id and sometimes no date and sometimes neither and links following the no id will start at id=1. When I look at links.txt it's at the new number.

I'll repair my database with chg_id.pl and then everything will be ok for the first few links and then this starts again.

What's really weird is everything will be fine on the first few links and then no id ...

Any help at all would be greatly appreciated.

Jody

Looks like you are being hit by auto-submitter web sites.

Regards,

Eliot Lee

Thanks, although I thought I had insured post from my site only it turns out (from another post)

There is a bug in the referer check in add.cgi. It says:


# Check the referer. if (@db_referers and $ENV{'HTTP_REFERER'}) {
The problem is, a lot of external submissions do not have a referer set, so the initial test fails and none of the rest of the code is executed. Thus, submission proceeds even though it is not from your site. It should read:


# Check the referer. if (@db_referers) {
That way, the referrer is always checked to be sure it matches what is set in links.cfg. A blank or empty referer will not match unless, of course, @db_referers itself is empty.

I hope this helps. If not, I have additional code you can try.

- Bobsie
bobsie@orphanage.com
http://goodstuff.orphanage.com/

I'm giving this a shot.

None of the above has helped. Still, with more than 3 or 4 links to validate only the first 3 or 4 will have id's and dates. The following links will have no id or date and I have to rebuild the database. Almost daily.

Any ideas?
Thanks

Again...you are probably being hit by an auto-submitter. What you need to do is simply rename the add.cgi file to something like add_links.cgi. Then change the build_add_url variable in the links.cfg and all references to add_links.cgi from add.cgi in your template files.

This has worked for MANY other Links users.

Regards,

Eliot Lee

Thanks Eliot

I was hoping to avoid this. But...
My thinking is they'll get this URL and then I'll have to do it all over. I was just hoping for a solid "Block Referrer" Fix.

I don't understand why the script block doesn't work.

At least this is better than having to fix it almost daily.

Jody

Well...some "auto-submitter" sites can mask their IP address, which would by-pass the $db_referer settings. There are MANY other suggestions posted and I have posted a lot of them in the Perl/CGI.

Here are some other suggestions (AGAIN):

1) Add the Add Confirmation Mod located in the Resources section.

2) Install codes (located in the Perl/CGI) that will check the ID and also URL submitted and prevents people from re-loading the "success" page, which is another cause of blank IDs and other blank fields.

3) Add the Password Modify Mod that forces people to add resources with a Username (Contact Name) and new field password, which is virtually impossible to "break".

Regards,

Eliot Lee

1) Add the Add Confirmation Mod located in the Resources section.

This has been in place for some time now.

2) Install codes (located in the Perl/CGI) that will check the ID and also URL submitted and prevents people from re-loading the "success" page, which is another cause of blank IDs and other blank fields.

Are you talking about the "Block URLs" list. This too is in place.

What do you mean in the Perl/CGI? Add-on/Customization scripts?

Thanks, you've been a big help

Jody

Uh...sort of, not really.

Sorry...I MEANT the Perl/CGI Forum!


Regards,

Eliot Lee