CGI scripts and web forms?????

[Laird Mobi]

Hi i need some help and advice with installing a CGI script?? onto my website for a webform, i have seen hundreds of websites offering this yet still i am a simple person that needs an idiots guide and a premade script!!!! If you can steer me in the right direction it would be appreicated!!!!!!

Please help!!!

I hope :santa: comes along!

[Rocket2Uranus]

The absolute easiest way to do this is with Microsoft Front Page - be sure you can install frontpage extentions on your server.

Then all you have to do is insert the form, fill in a few variables, and you are all set.

[Laird Mobi]

I suppose that means i have to buy yet more software!!! I've already spent a bit on a web designing cdrom which i wish i didn't! What i am looking for is a free solution to my troubles!!!! (because i am a cheapskate!)

[Rocket2Uranus]

you get what you pay for...

[Laird Mobi]

you get what you pay for...

Yeah suppose so!

[David G]

Agree with Aggieuk it should not ne neccesary to buy even more software to figure out the mechanics of cgi scripts, php and webform, and other stuff. In addition, especially with FrontPage there is a steep learning curve involved (read time).

Plus, when I tried using FP some yrs ago it did a lot of 'funny' things including creating zillions of duplicate files for some odd reason, and also from what I recall somehow interfered with the htm file rankings in the SE's, though I don't remember how or why. Also read that said by others too.

Another negative about FP is that say you have perhaps 200 files in your website, every time you make a change (even very minor - like a typo correction) it required that all 200 files be re-written to the disk and then re-copied using ftp to the server, even though all I did was fix a spelling error. That is the main reason I stopped using FrontPage long ago.

I now know webforms, cgi and php is actually relatively simple to install and run, and complete usage instructions (even for a newbie) could be put on a page or 2 and not need a book or buying more software to figure it out. I have also been thru literal hell involving very simple php and cgi issues. It always seemed like no one ever understood the questions or issues, though they were very simple and basic. Anyone here know an easy tutorial on this?

[Rocket2Uranus]

RN, I believe your perceptions of FP are dated. I think you are leading our friend down a road of great frustration... but to each his own.

He is looking for the easiest way to get his foot in the door, and in my years of doing this, I have yet to see an easier way.

[MediaHound]

Go with matts Formmail http://www.scriptarchive.com
do you know how to chmod?

[Laird Mobi]

I know nothing about anything really except fixing seaking helicopters! Cheers for the link MH

[MediaHound]

Yes, but it wont work for you unless you can set the permissions via chmod
Good luck.
May I suggest Script Lance - join that site and ask someone for help. You can spend five or ten bucks and get an awesome form for your site.

[bidawinner]

Yes, but it wont work for you unless you can set the permissions via chmod
Good luck.
May I suggest Script Lance - join that site and ask someone for help. You can spend five or ten bucks and get an awesome form for your site.

Nice Link Media..I had them bookmarked at one time,I'll certainly use them..I have the worst time finding the right script and getting them installed

[David G]

RN, I believe your perceptions of FP are dated. I think you are leading our friend down a road of great frustration... but to each his own. He is looking for the easiest way to get his foot in the door, and in my years of doing this, I have yet to see an easier way.

That may be so, I used FP circa 97-99 and it must have changed since then hopefully for the better. Still such a purchase should not be needed simply to learn how to use basic webforms and cgis', IMO.

[theparrot]

Go with matts Formmail http://www.scriptarchive.com
do you know how to chmod?

whatever you do, please do not use matts scripts...

I will try and find some urls about this later, but they have major problems

[theparrot]

here is just one of the many problems with them:

3. Matt Wright Formmail attack

The Formmail package has become a favorite tool of spammers.

Formmail allows a website to email form submissions to an email account. If left unpatched a malicious user can send spam simply by including the list of target email addresses in an HTTP request to Formmail. This behavior makes tracking down the origin of the spam difficult because the only place the spammers IP address is saved is in the Web logs of the affected site.

FormMail is a widely-used web-based e-mail gateway, which allows form-based input to be emailed to a specified user.

When the form is submitted, the commands will be executed on the host, with the privileges of the webserver process. This might be leveraged by the attacker to gain local access to the host.

[MediaHound]

here is just one of the many problems with them:

3. Matt Wright Formmail attack

The Formmail package has become a favorite tool of spammers.

Formmail allows a website to email form submissions to an email account. If left unpatched a malicious user can send spam simply by including the list of target email addresses in an HTTP request to Formmail. This behavior makes tracking down the origin of the spam difficult because the only place the spammers IP address is saved is in the Web logs of the affected site.

FormMail is a widely-used web-based e-mail gateway, which allows form-based input to be emailed to a specified user.

When the form is submitted, the commands will be executed on the host, with the privileges of the webserver process. This might be leveraged by the attacker to gain local access to the host.

The exploits have been corrected in Matt's new version.

Also, if you guys need scripts, check out my forum http://forum.free-templates.com
It's got a lot of links to goodies!

[theparrot]

There are other exploits, somewhere I have a mailing list post from Matt himself saying not to use his scripts.... should I dig some more?

[theparrot]

ok, a couple of more links

http://nms-cgi.sourceforge.net/ (better replacements for matts scripts)

http://www.perl.com/pub/a/2002/01/23/cgi.html

note that many of the scripts I have seen people get from the $10 - $20 free lancer script sites have many of these flaws in them. While you can find good help , that is inexpensive, many of the coders are not very good, and depend on the buyers not knowing how to do a code review.

[Laird Mobi]

What i cant figure out is, that i need two scripts, one is the perl/cgi script to put onto my Hosting package, and the other to place on my webpage for the form, i just cant find anyone to supply both with simple explainations to upload to my webpage. It may be that my web designer doesn't really explain it properly, but i'm stumped been on this for two days now and i'm getting a little confused to say the least! I may just get one of the cut and paste, html ones and have to retreive the submissions from a third party. Although i dont get the contents to my inbox at least it looks more professional having a form rather than asking for an email to be sent.

Cheers anyway guys, you've given me a few pointers etc thanks for the feedback.

[theparrot]

What i cant figure out is, that i need two scripts, one is the perl/cgi script to put onto my Hosting package, and the other to place on my webpage for the form, i just cant find anyone to supply both with simple explainations to upload to my webpage. It may be that my web designer doesn't really explain it properly, but i'm stumped been on this for two days now and i'm getting a little confused to say the least! I may just get one of the cut and paste, html ones and have to retreive the submissions from a third party. Although i dont get the contents to my inbox at least it looks more professional having a form rather than asking for an email to be sent.

Cheers anyway guys, you've given me a few pointers etc thanks for the feedback.

Well, you don't need two scripts. It seems to be a common beginners problem to assume one solution to all problems. Often the right solution is not known till the larger system it is plugging into is also known, which makes forum answers not always so accurate. This can be done with one .html form that submits to one cgi program or say a php script. It can be done as one program that both outputs the form and processes it depending on how it is called, or it can be done with two programs. Which is best can depend on the rest of the system it is being used with.

I am sure you can find someone to supply this, but maybe not for free

cdrom which i wish i didn't! What i am looking for is a free solution to my troubles!!!! (because i am a cheapskate!)

You said you spent two days on this now, do you value your time at zero? If you are willing to pay for professional help, I can put you in touch with someone who does this type of work, competently, at decent rates, but not for free.

[Rocket2Uranus]

I reiterate... one more small investment in front page would solve your problem, and empower you to take control of your future (at least on this subject)