Perl script shows source code

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

Replies are listed 'Best First'.
Re: Perl script shows source code by Joost (Canon) on Oct 27, 2007 at 14:56 UTC
Do you get the HTML source or the source of the script itself? If you get the HTML source, you must make sure you send the right content-type header. If you see the perl source code, probably either the script's file extension is wrong (or at least, your webserver doesn't recognize it as a cgi script) or your webserver does not have execute rights to the script. Take a look at the server's error log. "What should it profit a man, if he should win a flame war, yet lose his cool?"	[reply]
Re: Perl script shows source code by graff (Chancellor) on Oct 27, 2007 at 15:14 UTC
Your question is not very clear. When the hoster says the server is "configured right", what are the particular features of the configuration that should be relevant to your task? (For example, does the config involve allowing scripts to be executed from directories other than "cgi-bin", and/or does it involve scripts to be executed if their file names end with a particular extension such as ".cgi" or ".pl"?) If the web server config is "right" in terms of allowing your script file (in its current location, with its current file_name.extension) to be treated as an executable script -- and if this web server is a unix or linux OS -- you still need to check a couple things about the script file: Are the permissions on the file set so that it is executable? (See the "chmod" shell command, which is similar to the perl chmod function.) Does the first line of the script file (the "shebang" line) correctly identify the path to perl (and does the file use unix-style line termination -- line-feed only -- as opposed to dos/windows-style "CRLF")?	[reply]
Re: Perl script shows source code by Cody Pendant (Prior) on Oct 27, 2007 at 20:53 UTC
If you can't get perl working outside the cgi-bin folder, another approach is to have an HTML file which contains an include like `<!--#exec cgi="/cgi-bin/yourscript.pl"-->` that facility may not be turned on either, and it won't be ideal if you want to do anything with headers, like set a cookie for instance, but otherwise it's a useful workaround. Nobody says perl looks like line-noise any more kids today don't know what line-noise IS ...	[reply] [d/l]
Re: Perl script shows source code by andyford (Curate) on Oct 27, 2007 at 14:55 UTC
Please show us the smallest possible bit of working code so that we can give specific advice. The answer right now would be, "It Depends". non-Perl: Andy Ford	[reply]
Re: Perl script shows source code by snopal (Pilgrim) on Oct 27, 2007 at 14:18 UTC
Your output needs to lead with: `Content-Type: text/html` [download] followed by a blank line. The truth is this is the most basic of issues in CGI development and is supplied in every article or book regarding the issue.	[reply] [d/l]