While this isn't pertinent to webhosting, this is the best place I know of to find a bunch of RaqMasters that can help me. I don't work on Raqs that much at all. I host on Linux boxes and do web design for select customers.

Here is a problem I am having with a design client who is hosted at a local ISP on a Cobalt Raq 2.

I set them up with YABB (Yet Another Bulletin Board - see yabb.org) a few months back. They're currently running Yabb 1.111. I could never get the darn bbs to email notifications. But that's another story.

When "Yabb Final" came out a week or so back, I thought I'd upgrade my client and win some stars. Bad idea.

First I backed everything up (that was the only good idea I had). Then I followed the upgrade instructions. Well, I got an error. It said

"Software error:
(Maybe you didn't strip carriage returns after a network transfer?)
For help, please send mail to the webmaster (admin), giving this error message and the time and date of the error. Content-type: text/html "

Strange message, Never run across one of these before anywhere. Checked all my transfers, all permissions. Everything was fine, but it still wouldn't work.

So I created another directory and did a full install of Yabb Final, not an upgrade. Same error, same problem. So it's not like I messed up the upgrade of my client's existing BBS. Can't figure it out.

I use a Windows 98 PC, on which I downloaded the new Yabb, unzipped it, and then FTPd it onto my client's site on their Cobalt Raq2.

I see the new Yabb.pl has a "use CGI" statement in it, while the old one doesn't. I can't vouch that the Perl on this Raq has any extra modules in it like CGI.pm.

Is there anyway around this? (If it's the problem at all)

I posted this problem at the YaBB support forum. See

http://www.yabb.org/cgi-bin/support/YaBB.pl?board=unix&action=display&num=72

and all I got was a reply from someone with the same problem. He says it is NOT because of the carriage return differences between *nix and Windows files, but must be something else. Seems there is some problem with YaBB Final on Raqs.

I figured I can't be the only one here with this problem. And YaBB is a pretty popular BBS. Have you guys run across this problem before.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thank you.

Funny how my message waited unanswered on the YaBB board for 9 days and then six hours after I post my question here I get an answer from one of the YaBB developers.

Here is what he had to say:

------ Start of Reply ------

It doesn't matter what hardware you put it on, it's the software.

Most cobalt raq's run redhat (or the reseller's own release of linux).

Linux is linux, the only major difference is how the kernel is compiled and the name of the release.

So, ignoring the fact that it's a cobalt raq (which makes no difference), here's what you should do.

1) NEVER EVER USE NOTEPAD OR ANY OTHER WINDOWS EDITING TOOL.

Unless it has the option to SAVE AS UNIX (ie: Allaire Homesite).

If you look at a file under notepad and save it, it looks nice. However, if you look at it under a shell editor like joe, you'll notice lots of strange M's with underscores. These are windows control characters and are the BANE OF UNIX USERS!

2) ALWAYS UPLOAD CGI FILES AS ASCII AND ALWAYS CHMOD THEM LESS THAN 777.

remember that CGI isn't a language, it's the just the Common Gateway Interface, under which you can run things like Perl, Tcl, C... and so on. CGI files are NOT executables, they are plain text scripts. And also, anything you put under the cgi-bin directory cannot be chmod'd 777 unless it's a directory.

3) FOLLOW THIS LINK IF YOU HAVE PROBLEMS

http://www.perl.com/CPAN-local/doc/FAQs/cgi/idiots-guide.html

------ End of Reply ------

Personally, I've installed hundreds of Perl cgi-scripts over the years and this is the first time I've had this problem installing a software package.

And yesterday I installed YaBB Final on an Linux/Apache Intel-based machine at AIT (aitcom.net) for a non-profit organization I'm donating a website to and edited the files using Notepad and DID NOT have this problem.

Still, I have no choice but to find a Unix-friendly editor. I have no intention of purchading Homesite for this purpose. Anyone have any recommendations for a Unix-friendly editor?

Sean

I suggest NoteTab Light for editing cgi, perl files. Then save as dos text files.

I have yet to have any problems with it, furthermore, I have also used notepad and Wordpad (saving as text dos files) and never encountered any problems.

It's when you save as a different format that these problems occur.

Your best bet is to look into the servers log files and see whats going on.


You'll have to contact the server admin to find out where the error log files are on the raq2, im on a raq3, so im not sure if it's the same nor if they lend permissions on a 2 to access the error logs.

Now if your servers admin is nice enough to configure the server so that all errors go into each users log directory, then your all the more lucky.

The error that you get in a browser from a raq is a very generic error, and may actually not even give a slight glimpse into what is causing the problem. Some times the error log is better sometimes it's pretty generic too.

I have found that cgi-wrap is usually the culprit for not making cgi script files work on the raq's. Turning off cgiwrap in the particular directory where the scripts reside using an htaccess file usually does the trick.

We use a support system that is known not to run on a cobalt raq system, we turned off cgiwrap in that directory and the scripts run perfectly.

A lot of times it really is the cgiwrap, which is more of a pain than not, since an individual user can turn it off in their own directory, im not even sure anymore why it's being used. I mean if i can turn it off for my scripts directory, whats the purpose of having it on in the first place.

Anyway, try turning off cgi wrap using an htaccess file and see if that allows the scripts to run properly, if not, then check the servers error log file.

Bbox

Can you give me an example of an .htaccess file that disables cgi-wrap?

Thanks in advance,

Sean

Yup sure can, I had to search back to my post on a support forum to find it, since it's been a month or so since I wrote on that forum, so sorry for the slow response.

--------------------------------------------------
Here is how you turn off cgiwrap, telnet into your server, and create an .htaccess file in the directory that holds the cgi files, and inside of that put the following:
Options +ExecCGI
AddHandler cgi-script .cgi
AddHandler cgi-script .pl

That will turn cgi-wrap off for that directory, I know that this works on a raq3i as that's what I have and now the scripts function properly.

---------------------------------------------------

Now my terminology may not be correct about turning off cgiwrap, but I believe that the above either disables it for that directory, or over rides it.

Good Luck,
Bbox

You might also try using DOS editor. You can still use the mouse, and it does use control characters.

From start/run type "edit" and click ok.

I know this might be off topic, buy I tested out a new board called Ikonboard.com the other day. It was a breeze to install and it's loaded with features that YaBB doesn't have.

Just a thought! :)

Unfortunately, my client's sales force has already started posting a considerable amount of messages to the YaBB 1.111 board. Most hope is to upgrade and keep all those messages intact. Migrating to another board system three months after beginning the BBS would not be good for me or my client at this point.

I'll look into that IkonBoard in case I can use it for other clients. Thanks anyway. Greatly appreciated.

Sean

no prob spcover. You might want to see if they have a conversion script for yaBB. They had one for UBB free and UBB full version.

You might want to try TextPad. It has a save as unix option when you save files. I do all of my php coding in it and really like the way it handles files. Can't beat it for $27 and they have a fully functional demo for download. The only difference between it and the registered one is that it pops up an annoying dialog box every 10 or 15 saves.

http://textpad.com