Previous Question August 6, 2001

In the TWiki Installation notes it is stated "Note: Below installation steps assume that you have control over the web server configuration files. In case you don't (i.e. if you are installing it on a hosted server) follow the steps but use these directories instead: "

I am running on a hosted server, do not have access to the *.conf files, but can follow the logic of the table that follows this note and create something comparable on my account.

1) The cgi-bin directory is already there and operating. I get "Forbidden. You don't have permission to access cgi-bin/twiki on this server" message. So much so good.

2) the twiki pub directory should be already set to be visible as a public URL because it is in the httpdocs directory. Good.

3) I am unable to add a ScriptAlias for /twiki/bin & Alias for /twiki because I do not have access to the *.conf file.

4) I am unable to 3execute a command at the shell level, so restarting apache is not much of an option.

Nevertheless, the quote above suggests that the installation is still do-able? How is it done?

When I try to execute the testenv script from the browser, I get an internal server error message.

What should I do?

Any suggestions, help, or ideas would be most appreciated. Very respectfully yours - -- MatthewSimpson - 06 Aug 2001

Answer

You should be able to do that but you need to have shell level access to set the file permissions. You di not specify the server platform and web server used, below steps assume you are using Apache on a Unix server.

• Copy the TWiki scripts into your cgi-bin directory (not a subdir)
• Set the file permissions of the scripts to be executable.
• Run the testenv script.
  • In case you get a fatal server error look at the error log of Apache. Alternatively set the following at the beginning of the 01 Dec 2000 TWiki scripts (is already in the newer Beta versions) :
    use CGI::Carp qw(fatalsToBrowser);
use CGI;
use lib ( '.' );
    
• Copy the twiki/pub dir to any directory under your htdocs tree. Check the file permissions for the pub dir and files.
• Copy the twiki/data and Copy the twiki/template dirs to any place you want. Check the file permissions for the data dir and files.
• Set the wikicfg.pm to reflect your directories, use testenv to test is this is correct.

-- PeterThoeny - 06 Aug 2001

Follow up

Thanks!!! This was most excellent advice. I'm so happy. I put all the scripts in the cgi-bin directory directly, as you said, taking them out of the subdirectory. All permissions were executable on those. I the ran the testenv script, this gave me more information. It turns out that the server platform is Apache/1.3.14 Ben-SSL/1.41 (Free BSD. There was no fatal server error. The rest was simply walking through setting the paths correctly. I did initially have some trouble finding the file system paths (not being able to brouse above my /home/)... But then I saw that this information was being reported by the testenv script. Very very helpful.

Now comes the real fun of customizing! Step 1, authentication... Many thanks!!!

-- MatthewSimpson - 08 Aug 2001

Next Previous Question

Hey everyone, I installed twiki ok, after some issues with apache and all that, but everything is running smooth. My problem is I don't know what the heck to do now, the installation instructions say to point my browser to http://my.domain.com/twiki/bin/view and go for it. So, I do that, and it comes up with a basic green page with a bunch of stuff like {percentsign}HTTP_EQUIV_ON_VIEW{percentsign} {percentsign}WIKIWEBLIST{percentsign} and {percentsign}WEBCOPYRIGHT{percentsign}. Also the page that comes up says that the topic does not exist yet and I have to create it ( TWiki . Main . WebHome )

So I also do not know where to go to edit the TwikiPreferences topic in the Twiki.Twiki web and stuff.

Waaa! can someone pleeeease help me out? It's 1am here, I'm still at work and pulling my hair out, I'm sure I've missed something so very very simple.

Maybe somewhere someone has written up a step by step thing that shows what they did to get this stuff working? No offence intended but I find the install doc skips bits and pieces. Of course it could just be my brain messing up after being awake for a long time

Thanks in advance.

• TWiki version: Dec 2000
• Web server: apache_1.3.19
• Server OS: Linux (slackware 2.2.16 kernel)

-- PeteGoldsmith (I think I created an account, but it don't seem to work)

-- TWikiGuest - 26 Jun 2001

Answer

It looks like TWiki can't find the data directory because the preferences variables are not expanded. Some stuff to check:

• Run the testenv script to see if you have any wikiwcfg.pm setting issues.
• Make sure $dataDir in wikiwcfg.pm is set to the file path to your twiki/data directory (not the URL path)
• Your Perl version might not expand the variables, check VariablesNotEvaluating.

Once you have topics show up correctly in your browser you can go to the TWiki web and make changes to your TWikiPreferences topic.

BTW, filling out the download form does not create an account on TWiki.org, you need to register at TWikiRegistration.

-- PeterThoeny - 26 Jun 2001

Reaction

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! IT works IT WORRRRRKS!!!!!

All it took was me to trash the install I had, make a twiki user (which I had not done) and unzip the file. Edited the wikicfg.pm, fiddled the permissions and bada boom, bada bing, it worked!

Its such a great feeling when a plan comes together, I just ran up and down the hall hoopin and hollerin. Good thing its 9pm and everyone has gone home.

Don't know what happened last night with my username, I thought I registered but it didn't seem to work, tried again today and all is well.

Let this be a lesson to everone, don't install twiki at 12am after a long day at work ;P

Thankyou Thankyou Peter, you da MAN!

-- PeteGoldsmith - 27 Jun 2001

Next Question

Im new to TWiki so I apologize if this comment is in the wrong place. I am trying to install TWiki on NT 4.0 w/ PWS. I have PERL working fine and I think my TWiki installation went well, but I am getting this error message when I try to browse /bin/view...

Can't locate wiki.pm in @INC (@INC contains: F:/Perl/lib F:/Perl/site/lib . .) at f:\Inetpub\wwwroot\twiki\bin\view.pl line 22. BEGIN failed--compilation aborted at f:\Inetpub\wwwroot\twiki\bin\view.pl line 22.

I've added the PERL5LIB system variable via the Environment tab in Control Panel/System but it doesn't alter the results of this message.

Here is the variable I am adding to the system env:

PERL5LIB=F:\Inetpub\wwwroot\twiki\bin

i've also tried

PERL5LIB=F:/Inetpub/wwwroot/twiki/bin

I just tried moving twiki/bin/*.pm to perl/lib/site (which is included in the @inc var above) and i CAN load view.pl but it opens to a blank white screen.

-- TWikiGuest

Answer

Try looking at TWikiOnWindows

-- MartinCleaver - 24 Jul 2001

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