WEBSITE DOCUMENTATION (Starter, Adv, Elite, Commerce, Traffic, Enterprise)

index

TRANSFER OF FILES

Note: FTP is the best and most foolproof way of transfering files. Our server will update all FTP'ed files. Files are automatically made ready for internet use and viewing (unless otherwise specificied by you).

USING CGI

NOTE: Users with STARTER, STARTERplus accounts do not have CGI script support (except for counter and image maps). These users must upgrade to a higher level account to take advantage of CGI scripts.

BUILT-IN ACCOUNT CGI SCRIPTS

OTHER CGI SCRIPS (INSTALLING YOUR OWN SCRIPTS)
Where do I put my USER-CREATED CGI programs?
First of all, you must have an ELITE account or higher in order to run custom CGI programs.

There is a directory under your public_html directory called cgi-bin. If you have a Vanity or Real Domain, the cgi-bin directory is specially set up to be used for CGI scripts only, and any program put there should run without difficulty.

If you have a non-virtual setup, however (ie, http://our domain name/yourname/), the cgi-bin directory has no special meaning.

In order to run CGI programs, two conditions must be met:

  1. The script must have an extension of .cgi or .pl. The first can be used for any type of CGI program, while the second is normally used for Perl scripts.
  2. The script must be marked as executable. This is done with the chmod command. If you are logged in via Telnet, use chmod 755 ~/public_html/cgi-bin/scriptname.cgi. If you are logged in via FTP, use quote site exec chmod 755 scriptname.cgi in the appropriate directory. This may not work well with all FTP clients; if you have trouble, please log in via Telnet to change the permissions manually.

    3. A note for users of Frontpage:  If you use FP you must chmod files and directories with 775 instead, to avoid conflicts.
How do I see the errors from CGI programs?
Errors from CGI programs normally go into the Web server's error logs, or sometimes they go nowhere at all. They do not normally go to your Web browser. The error messages given for the failure of a CGI script are very generic and distinctly unhelpful.

You can work around this through the use of the cgiwrap script, however. One of the benefits of this script is that it has a debugging mode which redirects all standard error output of your script to the Web browser. If using cgiwrap does not help, however, chances are good that your CGI program is not executing at all. Check that the script is world-readable and executable, and that it can be interpreted properly. For example, if you have a Perl script, you can run the Perl interpreter on it by manually running your script from the command-line. If you get errors from Perl itself, fix those first.

Using my Email Account

    An email box is provided with every website hosting account free of charge.  You may access your email account in the following manners:

    (2) WITH A SHELL LOGON : Your primary account mailbox can be accessed through your telnet or SSH shell logon, by using the pinecommand inside the shell. Note: Starter accounts do not have telnet access.  All secondary mailboxes cannot be accessed with telnet.
    (2) WITH AN POP EMAIL PROGRAM : This is the preferred method of getting and sending email with your account.  Your primary account mailbox as well as any secondary mailboxes may be accessed from any internet hookup using a mail program such as Eudora Mail, Pegasus, Outlook,NetscapeMail, ExplorerMail.  POP programs automatically retrieve email from your account and allow you to send and store email with ease.

Setting up email for Eudora Email Software version 3:
  • On the top of Eudora, select SPECIAL and then scroll down to settings.
  • Your POP retreival setting should look like: username@mail.your_domain.com.

    • For instance ours is webster@mail.webcs.com.
  • Your SMTP server setting controls your outgoing email (see above for details) was included in your initial startup email.
  • Your return address should be your proper email address, for example username@yourdomain.com.
  • Under the CHECKING MAIL SECTION, make sure the "Leave Mail on Server" option is not chosen.  The "Send on check" option should also not be chosen.
  • Alright, Eudora should now be configured to reach your mailbox here at WEBster.
  • Note: If your email mailbox came with your dialup account please refer to that account's documentation, not ours.
    • Setting up email for Eudora Email Software version 4 or later:
  • On the top of Eudora, select TOOLS and then scroll down to OPTIONS.
  • Your incoming email server setting should look like: mail.your_domain.com.

    • For instance ours is mail.webcs.com.
  • Your username is simply your mailbox username.
  • Your SMTP server setting controls your outgoing email (see above for details) was included in your initial startup email.
  • Your return address should be your proper email address, for example username@yourdomain.com.
  • Under the CHECKING MAIL SECTION, make sure the "Leave Mail on Server" option is not chosen.  The "Send on check" option should also not be chosen.
  • Alright, Eudora should now be configured to reach your mailbox here at WEBster.

    • Note: If your email mailbox came with your dialup account please refer to that account's documentation, not ours.
    Setting up email for Outlook, Netscape and Microsoft:
  • Your incoming email server setting should look like: mail.your_domain.com.

    • For instance ours is mail.webcs.com.
    The type of mail server is POP3 or if that does not work just POP.
  • Your username is simply your mailbox username.
  • Your SMTP server setting controls your outgoing email (see above for details) was included in your initial startup email.
  • Your return address should be your proper email address, for example username@yourdomain.com.
  • Note: If your email mailbox came with your dialup account please refer to that account's documentation, not ours.
    • Further Information on Email System Options:
    For further information on subjects such as forwarding, aliases, mailing lists, box creation, autoresponders, etc, visit the new email control center documentation located here.
    PINE: Sending Email Directly from your account Shell::
    Pine is a special email program built into your account shell (telnet of SSH logon).  It is accessible via the lowecase command pine after you logon to your shell.  Its best use it to delete old email or spam that may clog up in your main mailbox.  But you can also send email direcly from it in case of emergency when normal POP programs may fail.

    Pine will access your main mailbox, none of your secondary boxes.  To send, receive and delete mail follow the straightforward commands that appear on the screen when you activate the pine command.  For details information on pine, visit this website.

    Changing your email and return addresses in pine:

    Before sending email with pine it is important that you set the email address you want your receivers to see, otherwise pine will default to an return email address that is 99% of the time not what you want.  To do this, enter pine.  Press S for setup and then C for Config.

    You will see a list of a lot of options.  Most should not be touched.

    1. Select personal-name, press return, enter your name and then press return again
    2. Select user-domain, enter your domain name minus the www (example: webcs.com), and then press return
    3. Scroll along way down the options (very long way) and you will see an item called customized-hdrs.  Select it by pressing return and then enter the following corresponding to your real name and the email address you want receivers to reply to::: For example we will assume your return address is bunny@ears.com and your name is Peter Rabbit:

      4.  

       

      From: "Peter Rabbit" <bunny@ears.com>

      Now press return

    4. Select E for exit and your configuration should be setup properly.  You are ready to send email with pine.
    Setting up a signature via pine:

    Press S for setup and S agian for signature.  Enter your signature which will appear at the bottom of all emails send through pine.  Press control-E to exit when you are done.