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can't run scripts

I have experience using a unix type system, but never as an asministrator. I installed Mandrake(Red Hat) 6.0 on my system so I could test perl cgi scripts before ftp-ing them to my host server. But I can't run any scripts from the command line. I chmod all scripts to 0755. If I try to run them, I get:
test.cgi :command not found
if I remove the .cgi extension, I won't get an error, but the script does nothing. It just returns me to the prompt again. (the same is true for regular shell scripts). I chose to install apache web server as one of the options in the install program, but i don't know how (or if I have to) configure it.

Thanks

jlevie

Did you copy the scripts from a windows system in binary mode? If so they have embedded carriage returns that must be removed. Do the scripts include a "magic token (with no leading whitespace) as the first line of each file, something like "#!/bin/sh" or "#!/usr/bin/perl", etc.? The target of the magic token must exist for the script to be runnable.

gshocker

ASKER

I did copy some scripts from windows, but i also wrote some in pico on that system. Same result. I did use a shebang line (magic token?). I typed whereis perl at the promt and got /usr/bin/perl, so I think that's correct.

Thanks

mcrider

It is possible that your command search path does not include the "current directory...

Try this to start your CGI script:

./test.cgi

Cheers!®©

mcrider

gshocker, You still there??

tadams

mcrider is most likely right. As for renaming your script to test. Test is a predefined command, and since the system searches your path, and the current directory is not in your path, you simply end up running test which does nothing for your purposes.

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mcrider

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