EXEs won't work

Skit3000 · - Joined: 19 Apr 2003 Posts: 25

Hello all,

I'm trying to run some EXE files as CGI files. On another server it works, but with Abyss it doesn't... :( I downloaded some pre-made EXEs, which did work. Any idea of what I'm doing wrong here?

Thanks,

Sjoerd van der Hoorn

jmper · Posted: Sun May 11, 2003 11:32 am Post subject:

make sure that your EXE is not a 16bit one
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Skit3000 · - Joined: 19 Apr 2003 Posts: 25

I can't make it more 32-bit than it already is... :wink: Btw. the other server where it works is OmniHTTPd...

jmper · Posted: Sun May 11, 2003 1:19 pm Post subject:

have you correctly configured the server, I think you should set Resolve interpreter using the Windows Registry option and put the exe in /cgi-bin directory, try this
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Skit3000 · - Joined: 19 Apr 2003 Posts: 25

Doesn't work... :cry: Maybe you can see what's wrong if you look at it?

http://skit3000.dyndns.org/cgi-bin/test.exe

Thanks

Skit3000 · - Joined: 19 Apr 2003 Posts: 25

Maybe I should set a new MIME Type or something? Cause I don't think exe is listed...

jmper · Posted: Sun May 11, 2003 1:25 pm Post subject:

can you send me the file at test.exe csoroiu@mymail.ro?
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There was nothing like tomorrow, and there will be nothing like yesterday.

killermist · - Joined: 10 May 2003 Posts: 19

What programming language and/or compiler did you use? I've had problems in the past where I tried to run GUI applications (dispite the fact that they had no interface) and they wouldn't run. As long as the program is compiled as a Console application and used standard input and output, it 'should' work.
As a side note, I've never had to add an 'interpreter' for exe console applications before in order to get them to work. The only problem I've had with Abyss is that my scripts hang when trying to do a disc write. No problems reading, just writing.

killermist · - Joined: 10 May 2003 Posts: 19

Skit3000 · - Joined: 19 Apr 2003 Posts: 25

That's because my server was online... :wink:

killermist · - Joined: 10 May 2003 Posts: 19

Oh! Just thought of something (which that error reminded me of).
If doing EXE's you have to add a 'content-type' line at the very beginning of the program in order to tell the browser what kind of data is following.

for example:
"Content-type: text/html"
(without the quote marks, of course)

Skit3000 · - Joined: 19 Apr 2003 Posts: 25

I have that too... :( That's why I don't know what to do anymore...

Btw. I'll start the other server now, so you can see it... (Same URL)

Skit3000 · - Joined: 19 Apr 2003 Posts: 25

Btw. The error you'll get is a fake error. It was just to test some code.

killermist · - Joined: 10 May 2003 Posts: 19

Everything appears fine except that it's reporting an error and not reporting what kind of error. Is there really an error?

Skit3000 · - Joined: 19 Apr 2003 Posts: 25

No, it's just something like this in the code:

killermist · - Joined: 10 May 2003 Posts: 19

ok, the script appears to work. Where's the problem?

Skit3000 · - Joined: 19 Apr 2003 Posts: 25

Now there isn't a problem anymore, because it is now on another webserver (without PHP and MySQL). The problem is that I can't run it on Abyss... (Which is now on the air again)

killermist · - Joined: 10 May 2003 Posts: 19

Skit3000 · - Joined: 19 Apr 2003 Posts: 25

Like I said, that was with another server, not with Abyss... :wink:

killermist · - Joined: 10 May 2003 Posts: 19

Ah. May I take a look at the EXE myself?

Skit3000 · - Joined: 19 Apr 2003 Posts: 25

Sure, you can download the code of it at
http://skit3000.dyndns.org/test.dsc (It's Visual Dialog Script code, but if you don't know it you should still understand it)

You can download the exe itself here
http://skit3000.dyndns.org/test.exe

killermist · - Joined: 10 May 2003 Posts: 19

Could you try something for me? I have a diagnostic script that I use when testing forms and such. Would you be interested in using it and see how it responds?
From my server it's http://killermist.d2g.com:85/cgi-bin/second.exe It displays whatever command line parameters the server passed, the get or post data passed, and the environment as passed by the server.
If you'd like to load it on your machine, http://killermist.d2g.com/binaries/second.exe is the actual download link.

Skit3000 · - Joined: 19 Apr 2003 Posts: 25

Doesn't work... :cry: But if I open it just from Windows I'll get a popup message real quick... :)

Btw. The link had to be http://skit3000.dyndns.org/cgi-bin/second.exe :wink:

I'm going to get some sleep now, if you have any more suggestions I'll try them out tomorrow.

killermist · - Joined: 10 May 2003 Posts: 19

Did you make sure to set your cgi-bin directory as executable? I'm getting the same 404 error from second.exe

Skit3000 · - Joined: 19 Apr 2003 Posts: 25

How can that be done?

killermist · - Joined: 10 May 2003 Posts: 19

That first is on the aliases page

that second is on the CGI parameters page

aprelium · - Joined: 22 Mar 2002 Posts: 6800

killermist · - Joined: 10 May 2003 Posts: 19

Well, as a comparison, here are the 2 links. Both point at the same EXE.
http://killermist.d2g.com:85/cgi-bin/text.exe That's it on Tinyweb.
http://killermist.d2g.com:86/cgi-bin/text.exe That's it on Abyss.
Tiny reports an internal server error.

That's probably why.
But, Abyss just reports a 404 error. Both servers use the same directory structures for serving out of.

Skit3000 · - Joined: 19 Apr 2003 Posts: 25

The error you get is because I forgot to send you the runtime dlls... :oops: Please E-mail me when you're reading this, so I can send them...

skit3000@hotmail.com

aprelium · - Joined: 22 Mar 2002 Posts: 6800

Skit3000 · - Joined: 19 Apr 2003 Posts: 25

aprelium · - Joined: 22 Mar 2002 Posts: 6800

Skit3000 · - Joined: 19 Apr 2003 Posts: 25

It tries to download the program... :( And the other program just runs and sends feetback to the server...

killermist · - Joined: 10 May 2003 Posts: 19

Skit3000 · - Joined: 19 Apr 2003 Posts: 25

My computer is only online when I am online... I'll try both the content-type declarations you mentioned....

aprelium · - Joined: 22 Mar 2002 Posts: 6800

steveseymour · - Joined: 18 May 2003 Posts: 3

I think I've found the problem.
I write my CGI executables in Delphi using CGIExpert - which work great on all the other Windows servers I've tried. But I think Abyss will only treat DOS (non GUI) exe's as CGI programs. This is a shame as it means that any CGI written with the excellent CGIExpert controls for Delphi will fail :cry:

I hope this can be fixed very soon in Abyss - or - it will have to be another server for me :roll:

aprelium · - Joined: 22 Mar 2002 Posts: 6800

Skit3000 · - Joined: 19 Apr 2003 Posts: 25

Isn't it possible to make an external CGI program which acts like a gateway between my EXE and Abyss?

steveseymour · - Joined: 18 May 2003 Posts: 3

This is not a bug. This is a by design. We tested the use of GUI CGIs and we had a lot of stability problems with them especially on Win95/98/Me. We prefer stability to features.[/quote]

If this is a "feature" of Abyss then it is a bad feature that should be dropped. A badly written GUI program that fails to close after execution is the problem - not the fact that it is a GUI program. A Console program that dosn't terminate cleanly after execution will lock abyss - just the same as a GUI program that dosn't close. - I've experimented and written both. I think Abyss should be 'allowed' to run any executable on the cgi-bin path. It is up to the executable creator to make sure it terminates after execution.
This is one weakness of the Abyss server that is a shame - because it is amoung the most stable of servers I have tested - and I have tested lots.
Please give the user the choice.

Regards
Steve.

aprelium · - Joined: 22 Mar 2002 Posts: 6800

steveseymour,

The dev team had a discussion today about GUI CGIs and we're thinking about adding a switch to enable/disable GUI CGIs support.

Thank you for the suggestion and visit us soon to get the newer version.
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Aprelium - http://www.aprelium.com

Skit3000 · - Joined: 19 Apr 2003 Posts: 25

Any idea when this new version can be expected? :)

steveseymour · - Joined: 18 May 2003 Posts: 3

8)

Thank you for your consideration.
I look forward to the updated version.

Regards
Steve Seymour
Software Design
http://www.steveseymour.net

aprelium · - Joined: 22 Mar 2002 Posts: 6800

Skit3000 · - Joined: 19 Apr 2003 Posts: 25

Thank you for your respond! :)