• Introduction
• CGI Functionality on the Server
• Web Server Settings
• Browser Support for JavaScript

INTRODUCTION

Generally speaking, setting up your BBS should be very easy. All configuration settings on the client side are contained in the component property list in the NetObjects Fusion property palette.

CGI FUNCTIONALITY ON THE SERVER

Regardless of whether you're publishing the Perl5 script files (Publish to Unix) or the binary executables (Publish to Windows), two server requirements must be met regarding CGI in order for the BBS to function correctly.

• The server must be able to execute CGI programs (binary executables or text scripts) from any user-defined cgi-bin directory. In particular, the server must be able to directly execute the CGI scripts (programs) placed in the BBS's cgi-bin directory.
• The server must be able to execute CGI programs (scripts) that have an extension of 'cgi'. The default PERL extension is PL. Some servers expect an extension of PL5 for Perl5 scripts and an extension of PL or PL4 for Perl4 scripts.
• The server must not implement any kind of proprietary CGI environment or any kind of CGI (or Perl) wrap. CGI wrap schemes will prevent the BBS from working. A CGI wrap scheme is where the server allows CGI scripts to run from multiple directories, but it accomplishes this by including the user's script into a master script. In a CGI-wrap scenario the server actually only executes CGI scripts directly from it's system cgi-bin directory. The server creates the illusion that cgi scripts execute from anywhere, when in fact they execute from the system cgi-bin directory.

WEB SERVER SETTING (DIRECTORY PERMISSIONS AND VIRTUAL DIRECTORY SETTINGS)

Considering the wide selection of web server software and the innumerable number of configurations for a particular web server package, this particular category is beyond the scope of this document. Web server settings required by the BBS component are no different from other standard scripts with the following exceptions:

• CGI scripts execute in user-defined cgi-bin directories without any kind of CGI-wrap or proprietary CGI schemes.
• Server recognizes 'cgi' as an extension of CGI programs (scripts).

BROWSER SUPPORT FOR JAVASCRIPT

The browser must fully support JavaScript. Internet Explorer 4.0x and NetScape Navigator 4.0x versions fully support JavaScript.