Wot, No Form Support?

[Form Problems]

How the heck do I get advanced forms to work on sites hosted by you?!

 

To be specific, I need something that will allow me to gather information from forms. - I know that I cannot use .asp because you do not use Windows servers, but I cannot find any information ANYWHERE on configuring FrontPage extensions. - All I can find is that is easy, easy, easy but no-one actually knows how!

 

.cgi is another answer, apparently, but I am finding using .cgi on the TCH sites to be a major pain in the u-know-what (is it this weird NT variant?), + I do not want to use Formail because of the extreme security vulnerabilities (could I use Pegasus Mail + how would I configure this to collect the information?).

 

Can anyone help, because this is driving me nuts?! - Usually solving problems is just a case of studying things, taking things apart to see how they work, etc. + ultimately finding something that works; but that simply ain't happening with this Mad!!! !

[TCH-Dick]

I have no idea why it isn't working, as several users here have working FrontPage forms. You can try reinstalling the FP extensions via cPanel. I have tried but don't use FP, I just don't like the code it produces. As for FormMail, take a look at Ultimate Form Mail Script it is easy to use and very secure. That script was created by one a TCH member/customer. Other than that advice, I'm not much help when it comes to FP but someone will be along soon.

[Form Problems]

Thanks for that, + my apologies about Formail. - It looks to be a different script to the one I was thinking of, which is very accommodating when it comes to spoofing attacks + spamming attacks, etc..

 

I've got to admit that I am not keen on FP. - I hate the way that it writes the page code in a way that makes it virtually impossible to modify things without screwing the whole thing up. - Notepad rocks!!

[Form Problems]

Probably going to get into trouble here for multiple posts or something , but I should have added to my last reply-post that I need to know what to add AND how to add whatever it is to my form.

 

To explain a bit more clearly:

 

I have <form name="" method="post" action=""> (with a couple of values missing, that I can put in later), so what do I do now to make those nice FrontPage extensions take whatever information someone puts into my form + email it to me or the mail-server in my cPanel?

 

I know that you can also use mailto in forms, but this is now being deprecated + can no longer be relied on.

 

BTW: Thank-you to all who have replied so far + my thanks to anyone else who replies.

 

Usefully Useless Info: The <button> tag for HTML 4.0 sucks.

[TCH-Dick]

Thanks for that, + my apologies about Formail. - It looks to be a different script to the one I was thinking of, which is very accommodating when it comes to spoofing attacks + spamming attacks, etc..

That is FormMail that is included in cPanel.

http://www.totalchoicehosting.com/forums/i...183&hl=formmail

[woesap]

I have to agree with Dick.

Try Ultimate Form Mail

 

It's easy to configure, very secure because e-mailadresses are hidden and it's also got anti-spoof.

There is a free version but also commercial versions at reasonable prices. (I hope it's allowed to say that here )

 

But maybe more important. He's got his own support forum and his support is comparisable with the one you can get here..

I think it will work with frontpage but you could ask the author for that..

 

Good luck

[Form Problems]

I think I have now got the FP side of things sussed now, but it would require re-writing my pages using FP, which I do not want to do.

 

As for form scripts, I have looked at about a dozen today + (put simply) they will not work on TCH servers. - Very dissapointing.

 

In the past I have had no problems getting .cgi to work on all kinds of servers, but all I can ever get from the TCH servers are a 500 internal server error (which could mean anything) + a 404 not found (which is caused by having no custom error pages setup on my account).

 

So until I can figure out what the servers have against .cgi scripts (apart from the pre-configured stuff) I think that any attempt to install scripts is going to be totally pointless. - I am working on attempting to 'take-over' a pre-installed script for something else, which I think may just work (that is IF the pre-installed script will actually work... ).

[TCH-Dick]

In the past I have had no problems getting .cgi to work on all kinds of servers, but all I can ever get from the TCH servers are a 500 internal server error (which could mean anything) + a 404 not found (which is caused by having no custom error pages setup on my account).

Did you upload it in BINARY or ASCII mode? What are you setting the permissions to?

[Form Problems]

Have now discovered why I cannot run my own scripts on the server.

 

a:) I do not have access permissions to do this! (TCH, what the HELL is the point of this?!)

 

This is just totally crazy. - Even my FREE ISP offers support for 3rd party scripts!!!

 

Form Mail does NOT work, either. - It is (guess what) not allowed (+, yes, I DID CHMOD it, + ensured that the upload was in binary). - I'm going to find a different host, because this is ridiculous. - Your help + service is excellent (apart from the online help not being accessible when it is indicated as being online), but the setup sucks. - I need a service I can use!!

 

Mad!!!

[MikeJ]

As for form scripts, I have looked at about a dozen today + (put simply) they will not work on TCH servers. - Very dissapointing.

What scripts are you looking at? TCH uses the most common hosting environment out there.... Linux operating system with apache web server, and PHP and Perl as your primary available scripting languages.

 

If you have a script in particular that you have a problem with, give us more details and we may be able to help you. Are you putting the script in your cgi-bin directory? What language is the cgi program written in? Do you have the correct path to the interpreter (like #!/usr/bin/perl)? There are lot of simple reasons why a cgi program might not work that are relatively easy to fix.

 

Without details of what cgi scripts you are trying to run, we can't be of much help.

[MikeJ]

Have now discovered why I cannot run my own scripts on the server.

 

a:) I do not have access permissions to do this! (TCH, what the HELL is the point of this?!)

You're allowed to run your own scripts. The only thing we disabled is the cPanel systemwide Formmail script because it was to easily abused when people would install it and not configure it properly (and we recommend you use more secure versions that you can install in your account, such as the Ultimate Form Mail script mentioned above).

 

You have all the permissions you need to run your own installed scripts. If your scripts are not working, you likely have them configured incorrectly. If you do not believe that's the case, feel free to submit a help desk ticket and someone will verify your account is working correctly.

[borfast]

You know, I think you should really try a bit harder to make things work before coming to the public forums saying that you can't do something everybody else here has already done.

 

You're the first person I've seen complaining about not being able to use forms on TCH. Actually, I think you're the first person I've ever seen complaining about not being able to use forms on *any* hosting service. Well, of course I'm not counting with those people who didn't know how to do it but then again, they didn't blame it on the hosting service either.

 

Just one question: if you think have there is something wrong with the server or your account (I'm not putting that possibility asside), why didn't you submit a help desk ticket and ask them to take a look at the problem?

Or even me! Heck, I'm willing to give up some of my time and try to help you out, just to see what's the problem with the scripts you're trying to install.

 

Oh, by the way, not having a custom (with "custom" meaning "created by you instead of the hosting service") error pages setup in your account means exactly that: you didn't create them. If you didn't create them, they won't simply appear as they would in a magic act.

Edited August 30, 2004 by TCH-Raul

[Form Problems]

OK, a brief list:

 

@-form, Soupermail, Mail Form, + Mail To to name a few.

 

In all cases I have checked the path in the Perl files, ensuring that is #!/usr/bin/perl -or- #!/usr/local/bin/perl + have saved the files making sure that they have been saved in ASCII format.

 

The uploaded .cgi files have been uploaded to my cgi-bin folder in binary + I have also tried having them in the scgi-bin folder. I have then used CHMOD on them to 755.

 

I have changed any variables that had to be changed to reflect my site setup, matched any form fields that had to follow a certain criteria, + deleted any fields that could not be supported.

 

In theory the above is perfect textbook + usually makes the damn things run perfectly every time but won't on your servers.

[taznumber1]

You can try to use PHP since that is installed on the servers. It is pretty much the linux version of asp.

[TCH-Andy]

What's the domain name? I'll take a quick look (you can always PM me if you don't want a link on the forum)

[Form Problems]

I am not really up-to-date on .php but that sounds like a good idea, especially if it can do for me what .asp can.

 

I have been trying to get .cgi going for 3 days now on TCH + it is beginning to annoy me a little, 'though a number of people are trying to help on this (thanks).

[TCH-Dick]

The uploaded .cgi files have been uploaded to my cgi-bin folder in binary + I have also tried having them in the scgi-bin folder.  I have then used CHMOD on them to 755.

Most CGI scripts should be uploaded in ASCII format.

[Form Problems]

Seems I was trying to use a wrong version of Form Mail (got about 50 scripts at the moment, including some of my own stuff) that I have been trying to get to work on the TCH servers with no success.

 

Anyway, the UFM that everyone here has been going on about (the CORRECT one ) DOES work + does NOT involve any .cgi setup. - Excellent!

 

All I need to do now is work out how to get something (hell, ANYTHING) working through the .cgi setup on the TCH servers + I will be very happy indeed...

 

Thank-you everybody!

[Form Problems]

If anyone else is looking at this subject, there is a .cgi script that will actually work!

 

If you are not using Front Page + absolutely NEED form collection, then use cgiemail. - Goto: http://web.mit.edu/wwwdev/cgiemail/ for more details + to download the binaries (they download as text files, but don't worry + DON'T append/remove anything from their name or their extension!).

 

The binaries then go into your .cgi folder + you just need an email template to match your form + you're about sorted. - The above site gives you all the info you will need.

 

PM me if you are struggling or need more help with this. woooot

[TCH-Don]

Glad you found a cgi form script you like.

I hope its up todate, as most cgi form scripts are very old and may not be secure.

Which I suppose is why most are using a php form script.

I think they are easier to modify to my own needs.

 

If you change your mind and decide to try php form,

let us know and we will try to help.

Anyway glad you are all set with a form.