Moblog Scrit Help.

[henrooo]

Hi all,

I'm looking to install a script (MTpop2blog) to enable my to post entries into my MovableType blog via email. I have a general understanding of what the script does, and know(I think I know) of the variables I need to change in the script in order for it to work on my POP account.

 

I've had TCH install the required perl modules needed for the script to work. I'm now at the stage where I'm uncertain of a few things:-

 

1. Where the script is placed on the server (cgi-bin or scgi-bin?)?

2. Will the scripts file extension need to be changed from .pl to .cgi?

3. Will the script require a cron job?

4. Could I use the Email Filter (Redirect to script) instead of a cron job to run/call the script? Meaning I'd have a designated email address I use to activate the script.

 

Sorry to ask all these questions here, but the author of the scripts hasn't asnwered any questions on his forum lately.

 

MTpop2blog.zip

[LisaJill]

Well, the instructions are here.

 

It can remain .pl.

 

It says it gets uploaded to your home directory. I'da thought that was alongside mt.cgi but home directory technically means the root of your site, sort of. It's confusing.

 

Yes, it requires a cron job to execute.

 

4) I do not believe so.

 

Hope that helps. =)

[henrooo]

Changed the variables, uploaded the perl script to the server and the ran the script.

 

No luck, didn't work, getting an error message:-

 

>The server encountered an internal error or misconfiguration and was unable to complete your request.
Please contact the server administrator, webmaster@veryfewwords.com 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.


Additionally, a 404 Not Found error was encountered while trying to use an ErrorDocument to handle the request.

 

The first time I ran the script I got a browser debugging message indicating an error on line 65. Corrected it, ran it again, and nothing but the error message above.

 

Can confirm all the modules have been loaded.

 

Any help would be appreciated.

Edited November 12, 2004 by henrooo

[LisaJill]

Well, three things.

 

1) I'm not sure that this script is meant to be run from the browser - some are not and will return a 500 error even if they'd work when run with cron. So you may be troubleshooting this for no reason; however. =)

 

2) Try changing the permissions to 755.

 

3) Go to cpanel and check out the error log and see what it's saying to you. =)

Edited November 12, 2004 by TCH-Lisa

[henrooo]

hi Lisa,

 

 

1) I'm not sure that this script is meant to be run from the browser - some are not and will return a 500 error even if they'd work when run with cron. So you may be troubleshooting this for no reason; however. =)

 

2) Try changing the permissions to 755.

 

3) Go to cpanel and check out the error log and see what it's saying to you. =)

 

1) I wasn't aware of that, how am I supposed to test the script. ( excuse the lack of knowledge)

 

2)the permission is a 755

 

3) error log is full with:-

 

>Fri Nov 12 14:50:22 2004] [error] [client 81.152.240.148] File does not exist: /home/demubrni/public_html/500.shtml
[Fri Nov 12 14:50:22 2004] [error] [client 81.152.240.148] Premature end of script headers: /home/demubrni/public_html/MTpop2blog.pl

[LisaJill]

You can get that error when trying to run a script from the browser that won't runn; I know because I had a similar problem with a script. =)

 

The only way to test it then is to see if it works - send an email to it and set it to check every 5-10 minutes while you're troubleshooting it. Make sure that cron has your email address as it will email errors (it will NOT email on success without errors).

 

Hope that helps!

[TCH-Rob]

I have to run out for a bit but you did upload that script in ASCII mode right?

[henrooo]

Hi Lisa,

 

thanks for all the help, really am greatful.

 

I set up a cron job, and got this message via my email:-

 

Can't open perl script "

": No such file or directory.

Use -S to search $PATH for it.

 

(since deleted the cron, waiting to figure out what to do next)

 

Hi Rob,

I uploaded the file using Cpanel's file manager uploader. Is that a bad thing? :Nerd:

[LisaJill]

Insofar as file manager goes for uploading; I don't use it because I find it is terrible for managing scripts. If you have an ftp program I'd use that and make sure that it's uploading in ASCII mode.

 

That's not a bad thing, but that's not an error with the script, per se - it just means that the cronjob can't FIND the script to execute it.

 

So, if you want to paste what you put in for the path in your cronjob, and where you actually uploaded the script, we can help you troubleshoot from there.

 

At a guess from your previous errors it's probably something like /home/username/public_html/MTpop2blog.pl

 

where username is your cpanel name.

Edited November 13, 2004 by TCH-Lisa

[henrooo]

Hi Lisa,

 

the suggestion regarding ftp'ing the script to the server instead of uploading it in file manager seems to have helped. The script is not quite running smoothly yet, but at least I'm getting the emails with the error messages.

 

The latest error messages is indicating that a perl module needs to be updated.

<h1>Software error:</h1>

<pre>MIME::QuotedPrint version 3.03 required--this is only version 3.01 at /usr/lib/perl5/site_perl/5.8.1/MIME/Words.pm line 86.

BEGIN failed--compilation aborted at /usr/lib/perl5/site_perl/5.8.1/MIME/Words.pm line 86.

 

I guess I'll have to put in a help ticket request and see what happens.

 

Thanks again.

Henry.

[LisaJill]

Well you definitely reached the limit of my knowledge in this area. Let us know if you get it worked out, and how. =)

[henrooo]

Hi Lisa,

 

finally got it working Thumbs Up . Once the latest modules were loaded, thanks to Liz at support, everything now works smoothly.

 

Thanks for taking the time out to help.

bye,

Henry.

[LisaJill]

Excellent, glad you got it working! I know that script has been problematic in the past (since I followed/follow the MT forums; there was a multi page thread about it at one point) so I'm glad you got it going without too many hitches. =)

[TCH-Bruce]

Henry, glad you got it working.

 

Maybe you should write a tutorial explaining how you installed it for others that may be interested in doing the same thing.

[henrooo]

Hi Bruce,

 

good suggestion, I think I'll do that...because as you know, the comments/documentation in some scripts aren't always clear to non-programmers like myself.

 

On a quick note though, the only real difficulty in using the script is knowing exactly what perl modules are needed, and if they're loaded on your server or not.

If you find you need a module thats not loaded on the server, simply fill out a ticket at the help desk and ask nicely.

Anyway, I'll put together a little tutorial and post it here.

 

Thanks to all that helped; Lisa, Rob and TCH tech support. Rock Sign