error 500 (I don't think it's misconfigured)

[dan501]

running under linux 2.4.23 with abyss 1.2.3.0

I've read every topic here pertaining to error 500. they all seemt to be perl/path/permission/etc configuration problems or non-html output or missing headers.

mine's not that.
I have a statically linked compiled program I wrote. it works about 85% of the time. sometimes, when it should be run, the webserver does an error 500 instead.

it's not that it launches my program and the program crashes, doesn't output, or whaetver.

the first line in my program spawns a shell to do this:
/bin/date > /tmp/cgi.log 2> /tmp/cgi2.log &

the second line outputs the content type meta http thing.

when it doesn't work, /tmp/cgi.log hasn't been created.
usually, whenI get the 500 error, if I refresh 2 or 3 times, it will work.
when I get the 500 error, there's no entry in cgi.log

from the way it acta and how fast it generates the 500 error, I'd guess that it was like I had the program chmod'd unexecutable. but I know I don't. I've double checked it - and if that were the probelm, it would never work and never be helped by refreshing.

the problem is worse right after I copy a program update of the .cgi program. I'd say that about 90% of the time, after I update the program, the next time I click a cgi link, I'll get the 500 error.
but then I refresh a fwe tmes and it's fine.


what info shold I get you to help figure it out?

thank you

[aprelium-beta]

dan501,

If you send to support@aprelium.com the code of your CGI program, a support guy will have a look on it and may find what's wrong.
_________________
Beta Testing Team
Aprelium - http://www.aprelium.com

[dan501]

the post is here:
http://www.aprelium.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=29917&start=0

I don't think that you're going to want to look through the code of my cgi program as aprelium-beta suggested... the source code is a little over 200K.

however, I whittled it down and came up wtih a VERY simple program which will still duplicate the problem. the problem doesn't duplicate as frequently... like I'll have to sit there for 30 seconds and click refresh every couple of seconds to duplicate it, but it happens.

stuff I should have mentioned in the post but forgot...
I'm having the problem with version 1.2.3.0. up until yesterday, I was having the same problem wtih 1.2.1.0 - this problem is why I downloaded the update. everything else is great.

think my abyss.conf is the default. if it's not, it's really close to default. (I've attached it and you can see for yourself)

I tried running my program from the shell. I set the QUERY_STRING environment variable and ran it. I ran it HUNDREDS of times. it didn't crash once and it never had no output. that, combined with duplicating the problem with my simple attached program makes me think the problem isn't in my proram (I'm not saying that it's an abyss bug).

FILES INCLUDED IN ATTACHED APRELIUM_SUPPORT.ZIP:
(I've uploaded the same aprelium_support.zip at http://www.bobafett.net/aprelium_support.zip it's 8k)

abyss.conf
dan.css (the css file called in index.shtml)
index_original.shtml - the original index.shtml
index_small.shtml - this one is interesting. I wanted to get my index.shtml as small and simple as possible to send to you. so I took most of it out. I COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM WITH THE SMALL VERSION OF INDEX.SHTML. I cannot understand it... but I've attached both
gc4repl.c - the source code for the cgi program that can duplicte the problem.
gc4repl - compiled version. if you ahve any questions about gc4repl, just ask.

when I run the attached index_original.shtml and gc4repl and duplicate the error, there is no entry in /tmp/gc4r.run. like I'll hit refresh, in two spots on my page, I'll see "Some Stuff!" and a third I'll see the ssi internal error. when I get the ssi error, there are two entries in /tmp/gc4r.run instead of the normal 3. that leads me to believe that my program isn't being launched when the error occurs.

the symptoms are exactly the same when I click an html link that runs the cgi and I get an error 500 insetad of the ssi error. I am pretty certain it's the same problem.

I expect you'll want a bunch of information about my system or my methods or something... tell me what you'd like to know and I'll be more than happy to get it.

if I should be paying for this support, just let me know how I should go about that - I didn't see anything on your webpage about sending you money. if you really really really don't take money, do you have a favorite charity or something to which I can donate in your name? eff perhaps?

thank you

PS - I posted a copy of this email as a followup in the forum. when the problem is solved, everybody can benefit.

dan