Enabling CGI Script from Apache's htdocs directory

monkfan has asked for the wisdom of the Perl Monks concerning the following question:

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Re: Enabling CGI Script from Apache's htdocs directory by ww (Archbishop) on Apr 06, 2007 at 15:05 UTC
Slightly OT, but (further derby's comment), here's a side consideration for you, monkfan The reason 1.x Apache versions conventionally put the `cgi-bin` in the directory above `htdocs` is for your protection. While not a v2.x user, I suspect this is still true, unless there's a new security mechanism. If your `cgi-bin`(s) are in or below `htdocs`, the contents are accessible to those with evil intent... in many cases, even if you attempt to restrict access with the usual methods such as `.htaccess`. This is not a-good-thing if your scripts have sensitive content, as many (perhaps not yours, but many) do. IMO, the usual "good" reason for creating a `cgi-bin` in user-space is when you don't have the necessary rights to put your scripts in the site's root (note: "site," not "server.")	[reply]
Re: Enabling CGI Script from Apache's htdocs directory by derby (Abbot) on Apr 06, 2007 at 13:49 UTC
Normally cgi-bin is not within the htdocs directory. Can you copy your script to /usr/local/apache/cgi-bin? If so, will it run from there? It all depends on your apache configuration (/usr/local/apache/conf/httpd.conf). -derby	[reply]
Re^2: Enabling CGI Script from Apache's htdocs directory by monkfan (Curate) on Apr 06, 2007 at 14:08 UTC
Hi, I've copied my hello.cgi to this directory `/usr/local/apache/cgi-bin`. And it works, thanks. But my intention is to really access the cgi-bin from my htdocs/ directory. Like this: `htdocs-- \|_Test \|_cgi-bin/ \| \|_Webap1 \|_ cgi-bin/ \| \|_Webap2 \|_ cgi-bin/` [download] Because there will be many webapps I need to build (hence many subdirectory other than "Test"). I've tried to modified the following httpd.conf entry: `#ScriptAlias /cgi-bin/ "/usr/local/apache/cgi-bin/" # into ScriptAlias /cgi-bin/ "/usr/local/apache/htdocs/cgi-bin/` [download] But still unable to get it working. How can I enable it from this httpd.conf below? Read more... (17 kB) Regards, Edward	[reply] [d/l] [select]
Re^3: Enabling CGI Script from Apache's htdocs directory by derby (Abbot) on Apr 06, 2007 at 14:24 UTC
Check out the howto. -derby update: I'm not a apache 2.2 expert by anymeans but I think you're going to want something like this in your httpd.conf: `<Directory /usr/local/apache/htdocs/*/cgi-bin> Options +ExecCGI </Directory>` [download] That being said ... I think one of the drawbacks to your approach is your exposing way too much of your underlying architecture. User's are going to see something like this: `http://bioinfo-z.comp.nus.edu.sg/Test/cgi-bin/foo http://bioinfo-z.comp.nus.edu.sg/WebApp1/cgi-bin/bar http://bioinfo-z.comp.nus.edu.sg/WebApp2/cgi-bin/baz` [download] I think a better approach would be to either use virtual servers: `http://test.comp.nus.edu.sg/cgi-bin/foo http://webapp1.comp.nus.edu.sg/cgi-bin/bar http://webapp2.comp.nus.edu.sg/cgi-bin/baz` [download] Or something like CGI::Application `http://bioinfo-z.comp.nus.edu.sg/cgi-bin/test?mode=foo http://bioinfo-z.comp.nus.edu.sg/cgi-bin/webapp1?mode=bar http://bioinfo-z.comp.nus.edu.sg/cgi-bin/webapp2?mode=baz` [download]	[reply] [d/l] [select]
Re^3: Enabling CGI Script from Apache's htdocs directory by shmem (Chancellor) on Apr 06, 2007 at 14:39 UTC
Because there will be many webapps I need to build (hence many subdirectory other than "Test"). I've tried to modified the following httpd.conf entry: `#ScriptAlias /cgi-bin/ "/usr/local/apache/cgi-bin/" # into ScriptAlias /cgi-bin/ "/usr/local/apache/htdocs/cgi-bin/` [download] Note that there's the ending quote missing. But this modification would allow you to access scripts in `/usr/local/apache/htdocs/cgi-bin/hello.cgi` as `http://bioinfo-z.comp.nus.edu.sg/cgi-bin/hello.cgi` [download] Try `ScriptAlias /Test/cgi-bin/ /usr/local/apache/htdocs/Test/cgi-bin/ ScriptAlias /Webap1/cgi-bin/ /usr/local/apache/htdocs/Webap1/cgi-bin/ ScriptAlias /Webap2/cgi-bin/ /usr/local/apache/htdocs/Webap2/cgi-bin/` [download] inside your `<IfModule alias_module></IfModule>` block. You could also omit the `cgi-bin` part `ScriptAlias /Test/ /usr/local/apache/htdocs/Test/cgi-bin/ ScriptAlias /Webap1/ /usr/local/apache/htdocs/Webap1/cgi-bin/ ScriptAlias /Webap2/ /usr/local/apache/htdocs/Webap2/cgi-bin/` [download] to access e.g `/usr/local/apache/htdocs/Webap1/cgi-bin/hello.cgi` as `http://bioinfo-z.comp.nus.edu.sg/Webap1/hello.cgi` [download] --shmem _($_=" "x(1<<5)."?\n".q·/)Oo. G°\ / /\_¯/(q / ---------------------------- \__(m.====·.(_("always off the crowd"))."· ");sub _{s./.($e="'Itrs `mnsgdq Gdbj O`qkdq")=~y/"-y/#-z/;$e.e && print}	[reply] [d/l] [select]
Re: Enabling CGI Script from Apache's htdocs directory by MonkE (Hermit) on Apr 06, 2007 at 14:13 UTC
In your httpd.conf shouldn't that be: `ScriptAlias /cgi-bin/ "/usr/local/apache/htdocs/Test/cgi-bin/` That's where you're putting your CGI script afterall isn't it?	[reply] [d/l]
Re: Enabling CGI Script from Apache's htdocs directory by gloryhack (Deacon) on Apr 06, 2007 at 14:10 UTC
For some reason the domain you reference won't resolve for me right now so I can't answer my first question, which I'll present to you: What do you mean by "unable to see it working"? What is the failure indication? If, as I suspect, the failure indication is what appears to be an empty web page but no errors logged by Apache, it's possibly because your content-type is text/html but there's no HTML in your output. Try changing the content-type to text/plain and see what happens. If that's not it, what's the failure indication?	[reply]