I cannot load my Actinic to streamline.net

[Always a noobie]

Hi Guys and Gals,

I could do with some help if possible. I am having trouble uploading my site using Actinics' in house ftp. Details below of my current settings.
When I put the information below in and run a 'test' the program appears to crash (stop responding) and the flash by text that appears at each step will stop on what appears to be the third or fourth step, this text says 'testing normal settings' and 'testing normal settings' at this point it freezes and I have to 'End Task' the program. All help appreciated! Not sure if it matters but my cgi-bin is inside a folder called htdocs on the ftp site.

Catalog URL: http://www.photomedia-uk.co.uk/acatalog/

CGI-BIN URL: http://www.photomedia-uk.co.uk/cgi-bin/

CODEBASE:./

Path from CGI-BIN to Catalog Directory: ../acatalog/


CGI Script ID number: UNKNOWN possibly 1
Extention: (.pl or .cgi)?
Website URL: http://www.photomedia-uk.co.uk
Path to the Perl Shell: /usr/bin/perl

Server Host: ftp.photomedia-uk.co.uk

Username: KNOWN

Password: KNOWN

Path to CGI-BIN: UNKNOWN

Path from CGI-BIN to Catalog Directory as viewed by the FTP Server[Leave blank unless advised]
I LEFT BLANK

SMTP Server: UNKNOWN (Can I use my pop virgin account?...smtp.virgin.net)

Cheers Steve.

[Always a noobie]

Hi, The more I look at this the more I notice:

The test in the network settings sticks on 'testing write permissions'

I've just been looking into the '755' thing with folder permissions, as I'm new to this I have very little idea about what they are but I've set them up as:

X X X
X X
X X

That shape anyway...so much to learn to upload a site....

Looking forward to suggestions...

Kind regards,

Steve

[pinbrook]

755 is

X - X - X
X ----- X
X ----- X

in other words

Read Write Execute
Read ----- Execute
Read ----- Execute

[Always a noobie]

Hi Pinbrook,


I did put it as you did but the post changed it. Thanks. Any body any suggestions on the settings I first mentioned?

Thanks,

[wjcampbe]

Try using Web | Configure and allow Actinic to create new settings. Let us know how you get on with that.

[Always a noobie]

Thanks Bill, the following happened...

I used the 'web configure' (which I believe is the same as the 'wizard' in network settings) to no avail. This is with all options followed ie. each different variation on tickboxes. passive ftp etc.

What is does say is 'The wizard received an error while verifying the web server. Error sending request'. Does this mean it couldn't talk to MY ftp page or my hosting service?

As mentioned above it does appear to stick on 'testing write permissions'

I'm sure it is something simple but my knowledge is lacking at this early stage.

Thanks, Steve.

[wjcampbe]

Have you used a standard ftp package (or your webhosts control panel) to visit your site and set the permissions on the cgi-bin folder to 755? Actinic needs this to be able to write to the folder.

[Mike Hughes]

Two additional things you can try:

1. try setting the acatalog folder permissions to 777 (everything selected). Actinic may need this to create some of the sub folders it makes.

2. try enabling passive ftp. If actinic hangs mid ftp then passive ftp often solves it.

Mike

[Always a noobie]

Hi, Thanks for the replies.

I set the permissions to 777 - no joy
Passive has always been selected....no joy

I have the two settings below, as acatalog and the cgi-bin is inside htdocs on the ftp site...is this correct? Either way, with or without the htdocs in there it doesn't work :-(

Catalog URL: http://www.photomedia-uk.co.uk/htdocs/acatalog/

CGI-BIN URL: http://www.photomedia-uk.co.uk/htdocs/cgi-bin/

Cheers Steve

[Pneumatus]

Try:

Catalog URL: http://www.photomedia-uk.co.uk/acatalog/
CGI-BIN URL: http://www.photomedia-uk.co.uk/cgi-bin/
Path from CGI-BIN to Catalog Directory: ../acatalog/
Path to CGI-BIN: /htdocs/cgi-bin

This assumes that when you ftp in to your webspace you have the following folder layout:

/htdocs
/htdocs/cgi-bin
/htdocs/acatalog

[Always a noobie]

Hi Pneumatus,

I have tried those settings - no joy.

my web space is laid out thus:

/htdocs/acatalog
/htdocs/cgi-bin
/logfiles
/private

still freezes on testing write permissions - even when all permissions selected.

do you think it is worth taking a snapshot then reinstalling Actinic 7 lite This is the free 25 version. It shouldn't make a difference...should it?

My hosting company gave me this for the Path from CGI-BIN to Catalog Directory: /home/fhlinux203/p/photomedia-uk.co.uk/user/htdocs/cgi-bin

It won't work. In fact only if the cgi path is htdocs/cgi-bin will it work.

sigh...

Thanks Steve

[Always a noobie]

Quick note:

While trying the wizard...it says it has a problem verifying the web server...error sending request...

Regards,

Steve

[Nadeem]

Hi Steve

One thing to check, is to see if the scripts are executing. To do this, you can do a helloworld perl test. All you need to do, is open notepad and copy and paste the following into there


#!/usr/bin/perl
# simple Hello World script
print "Content-type: text/html\n\n";
print 'Hello World!';

Now save this as helloworld.pl

Once you have done that, simply ftp the helloworld.pl file into your /cgi-bin/ folder, set the permission to 755. Now open internet explorer and go to: http://www.photomedia-uk.co.uk/cgi-bin/helloworld.pl

If you get an error message, then it seems you webserver cannot either run the helloworld file or it there is a problem with the path to perl.

Please check

Kind Regards

[Always a noobie]

Hi,

What does that script do? I went to the link and got:

Internal Server Error
The server encountered an internal error or misconfiguration and was unable to complete your request.
Please contact the server administrator, webmaster@photomedia-uk.co.uk and inform them of the time the error occurred, and anything you might have done that may have caused the error.

More information about this error may be available in the server error log.

I looked in the server log and this was there...

Premature end of script headers: /home/fhlinux203/p/photomedia-uk.co.uk/user/htdocs/cgi-bin/helloworld.pl

Does this mean that the script is incorrect?

Kind regards,

Steve

[Nadeem]

Hi Steve

The script should just print the word 'Hello world' but its not doing that. So it might be an idea to ask you hosting company why does a non actinic script - helloworld not work. If you can sort out that issue, then you should be able to use the Actinic store.

Kind Regards

[Always a noobie]

Hi Nadeem,

I also had some advice to upload a script that is not an actinic script but when runs shows the server configurations. This did not work, I told streamline this and this was their detailed and exhaustive relpy....

Unfortunately we do not provide scripting help, we suggest searching on google for scripting help sites.

Unbelievable!

It's not the Actinic programme or the scripts it's their server...Message to all...avoid!

Now I throw my self on the mercy of the Actinic Forum:

Can anybody reccomend a hosting company that will work and keep the prce below £100 a year?

I'm off for a cry now....but not before I've thanked all those who replied and tried to help. Your kindness is so much appreciated!

Kind regards,

Steve

[wjcampbe]

I'm on 1 and 1, prices are slightly above the 100 pounds a year, but plenty of space, good bandwidth allowance, and enough help available on here that it does not matter that their support take 48 hours to answer difficult questions like "What is the time?".

Worth noting they have some special offers running til 31 aug.

[pinbrook]

You have to be careful when selecting a cheaper host, as these tend to be the ones who don't offer scripting support or any other features, and have next to no support.

The hosts who charge abit more, charge for a reason ie to offer support, to offer webspace that will run cgi, also spam filtering, site stats etc etc. All of these extras require better servers, better comms, less bandwidth contention, more staff and support - hence the cost.

[Nadeem]

Hi there

We actually have a page on our website which has a hosting company sections. Here it is: http://www.actinic.co.uk/services/ecommerce-hosting.htm. You can see some of the hosting company also answer questions on these forum.

Kind Regards

[pcrich]

I have got my site hosted with streamline.net. I used their trial hosting first to make sure it works and it does. I had no problems with the trial

Im now on the power user account and I have had quite a lot of problems setting it up, most of which has been down to their very poor customer service and not actually answering a question when it is asked. I found the best way to set it up is to allow the wizard to fill in all the bits. I had a problem with the scripts myself, so I turned off scripts on the site then turned them stright back on and it worked :)

The point im am making though is actinic does work on streamline.net servers and all for under £25 a year. (but with crap customer/helpdesk service

[Always a noobie]

Hi PC Rich,

I can now (thanks to the help on this forum) believe that. All of my trouble was down to my router having the MTU at 1458 instead of 1500.

Never mind I'm geting some useful free software from 1and1 and I'm only tied in for 6 months.

Mind you learnt alot because of it. :D

Regards,

Steve