[Tallahassee-pm] long time no mail

[Hector Holguin]

> If you have something in mind already, what info should I try to
> gather, assuming I haven't already started on a new server?  :o)

1- Run one of your scripts and look for entries on the server error log.
2- Check to see if you are able to run any other Perl script from the same 
directory.
3- How about from a different location?
4- Check the configuration file (httpd.conf) or the Plesk 7 version of it to 
see if execution of cgi scripts is permitted (Options ExecCGI) on the 
location/directory of your scripts.

There is more I could look for in the configuration file, but I don't know 
how deep you want to go since it is a production environment and I don't 
work for the company.  Alternatively, you could read more about it at 
httpd.apache.org and go from there.

Oh, btw, sorry about the tutorials.  I didn't know you had tutorial issues 
=)

Hector

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "It's me." <geekwraith at gmail.com>
To: "Hector Holguin" <holguinh at homesandland.com>
Cc: <tallahassee-pm at mail.pm.org>
Sent: Friday, December 17, 2004 6:56 PM
Subject: Re: [Tallahassee-pm] long time no mail


> Forgot to cc this last time...
>
> On Wed, 15 Dec 2004 15:23:01 -0500, Hector Holguin
> <holguinh at homesandland.com> wrote:
>> Hi, Rebekah,
>>
>> Lets see what can we do about this...  But, remember, I am not a 
>> sys-admin
>> "guru" =) and most of what I do is programming...
>>
>> From reading your message and thinking of previous experiences, I get the
>> feeling that the problem is actually happening on the web server before 
>> the
>> scripts execute.  Problems in the configuration might prevent the web 
>> server
>> from running certain scripts, although they run fine from the console. 
>> So,
>> with that said, I suggest we change our focus from the scripts to the
>> configuration of the web server.
>
> I spent some time Wednesday on the phone with the hosting company's
> tech support.  The guy I talked to basically went through everything
> that had already been tried, and then said that when they rebuilt
> their server they had problems too and rolled back to a previous linux
> kernel.  I had actually noticed the problems because a php script on
> that server suddenly started misbehaving... turned out the regex was
> ignoring the (i).  Anyway, it seems I'm just going to have to put
> together another server.  Still, can't help trying...
>
>> Assuming you are using Apache on a development environment,
>
> It's a production environment.  It was supposed to be a simple
> transfer of the site from one server to another.  Ha!  lol
>
> . I suggest you
>> check to see if it is using the suEXEC module to control setuid 
>> operations
>> (for more on this read:
>> http://www.linuxplanet.com/linuxplanet/tutorials/1445/1/) and disable it
>> temporarily as follows:
>>
>> - Look for a file named 'suexec' (over here on Fedora C3 is under
>> /usr/sbin/) and rename it.
>> - Restart the web server via Plesk 7 or by running '/etc/init.d/httpd
>> restart' as root.
>
> I read the tutorial, being a compulsive tutorial reader, and by the
> way damn you for making me bookmark far too many other tutorials, and
> found the following:
>
> Up until Apache version 1.3.11, there was no way to be sure where a
> compiled Apache server is going to be looking for the suexec binary.
> As of 1.3.11, though, it's part of the 'compiled modules' report
> displayed by the '-l' switch:
>
>    % /usr/local/web/apache/bin/httpd -l
>    Compiled-in modules:
>      http_core.c
>      mod_so.c
>    suexec: enabled; valid wrapper /usr/local/web/apache/bin/suexec
>
> I called in and had someone do that for me, and the compiled modules
> report didn't return any info on suexec at all.  Since plesk uses its
> own directory structure and rewrites conf files on the fly, I'm not
> entirely sanguine about the accuracy of the results, but since the
> report was generated it's probably the right one.  I wasn't about to
> try to walk anyone there through looking elsewhere for it or anything.
> I'll just have to wait till next time I go in, which might not be
> till after the kids are back in school.  :o\
>
>> If you can't find suEXEC or disabling it doesn't make a difference, then
>> we'll need more info to keep going.
>
> If you have something in mind already, what info should I try to
> gather, assuming I haven't already started on a new server?  :o)
>
> Thanks much!
>
> Rebekah