Net Announcements 1.2 Documentation Rev 02.05.98 CGI World http://www.cgi-world.com/ For technical support, please visit: http://www.cgi-world.com/support.html ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Files included: * Net_Announcements_v1.2.cgi - Net Announcements Script * Install_v1.2_Net_Announcements - plain text version of documentation ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Installation Directions: 1) Create 2 directories in your home directory of your website. One to hold the files of your public lists, and one for the files created for public lists. These must be two directories, not just one for both. Change the two directories you create to mode: 777. In telnet you can do this by typing: chmod 777 DIRECTORY_NAME The latest versions of CuteFTP and wsFTP have this ability. Under custom commands look for change file access. 2) After extracting the Net Announcements compressed file, (.zip/.tar/.tar.gz) open the file Net_Announcements_v1.2.cgi using a plain text editor. 3) Edit the top line in the script to point to perl5 or the latest version of perl on your server. If you are not sure where perl is located, at your telnet prompt type: whereis perl5 or whereis perl This will tell you the location of perl. Usually located in: usr/bin/perl 4) Now under the "Variables:" section, edit all variables listed. Each variable is self explanatory or has a description under it for you to understand what each is for. For the username and password variable please read below (Using Net Announcements: Changing Username & Password). Remember when you edit a variable, if you for any reason need to put an extra quotation (") inside the variable, you must escape it by putting a backslash (\) in front of it. For Example: $variable = "This is \"Net Announcements\" by CGI World"; The variables $base_dir and $hidden_dir must be the >FULL< server paths to the two directories you already created. (Step #1). Remember to enter them as FULL server paths, not URLS, not /public_html/private_lists/ An example of a full server path is: /home/web/users/YOUR_DIRECTORY/net_announcements/ 5) After you have edited all variables to your liking, save the file/script with a name you would like to use on your server. Then open your FTP Client and upload the Net Announcements file in ASCII mode. Do not use Binary mode, this will result in the script returning an error. You may set the upload in your FTP client to ASCII under the option "Transfer Type". After you have the script uploaded, change its mode to 755 in telnet by typeing: chmod 755 filename.cgi - filename being the name you saved the Net Announcements file as. Some FTP Clients now have the option to change file modes through the program. Under CuteFTP and wsFTP, check under Custom Commands --> Change File Acccess. With the file highlighted in the FTP Programs window, change the mode to 755. 6) You may now test the script by viewing the file you uploaded through your web browser. If the script runs, and displays an HTML page, everything is running smoothly. If you get an error, in telnet type: perl -c filename.cgi - with filename.cgi being the actual name of the Net Announcements script. Read what the screen says after hitting enter. If you can understand whats wrong, try to fix it and re-upload untill you get it to work. If you are still having problems visit our support request page at http://www.cgi-world.com/support.html. If the script is running and displaying a html page, continue below. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Using Net Announcements: - Change Username & Password: If you have the script up and running and would like to change the password used to enter the admin area, load the Net Announcements script in your browser, with a question mark and the word "new" and an equals sign, then the password you would like to use after the = sign. For example: To get the crypted password to use in $coded_password in the Net Announcements file to be Jason I would load my browser to: http://www.cgi-world.com/net_announcements.cgi?new=Jason I would then be taken to a page which shows me how the variables should look using the new password Jason. When you first recieve the script, the settings are: Username: Jason - Case Sensitive Password: NetBoard - though its encrypted. ---------------------------------------------------------- - Creating/Deleting Announcement List - Public & Private Lists. To create and delete lists load the script in your browser, with an question mark (?) and the words "admin" added on the end of the file name. Example: net_announcements?admin On the first screen, enter your username and password which you set in the script. After entering the correct information, you will be sent to an admin section of the script. Here is where you can create and delete lists. To create a list, enter the name of your choice for the list, and click on the bottom below. If you would like the list to be a private list, check the private list box. The new list should now show up under the Active Lists or under the private lists if you checked the Private List checkbox. To delete a list, enter its name exactly how it appears in the Active or Private list area. If it is a private list, check the private list box so it deletes the list from the public list group. ---------------------------------------------------------- - Editing names in your lists. To edit ppl who are subscribed to a list you are running, select it by filling in the radio button on the left of the List name. Then press the Edit button below the list of active and public lists. You will then be taken to a page with a textarea formbox displaying all email addresses and names subscribed to that list. One on each line, with the email address and their name seperated by a (:) You may enter users into a list you're editing by putting their name on a seperate line, with the email address first, a : , then their real name. If you need to remove a email address from the list, just delete the whole line. After you're done making changes, click the button at the bottom of the screen, this will update the lists file with the email addresses you left in the edit box. A user may also remove themself from a list by entering in their email address they subscribed as on the main subscribe area (script.cgi) and then by pressing the bottom (edit) button. This will present them with all the lists they're subscribed to, and the opportunity to be removed from the list. ---------------------------------------------------------- - e-Mailing A Group: To email a group, fill in the subject box for the subject of the email, then select a group to email below, choose either a public list, private list, or select the option to email *ALL* groups. Type in your message for the email body text and then press the email button. If you have all fields filled in, the email will be sent. If not you will be presented with text saying an email was not sent. ---------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------- We hope you enjoy our product! Thanks! CGI World Fax #: 410.877.9521 Email: contact@cgi-world.com Web: http://www.cgi-world.com/ ----------------------------------------------------------------- Technical Support Visit: http://www.cgi-world.com/support.html ------------------------------------------------------------------ This documentation is copyright (c) 1997-98 CGI World. All rights reserved.