FG Guestbook - README - Mar|25|2003 http://fgguestbook.sourceforge.net/ - felix.gertz@epost.de INSTALLATION 1. Extract the zip-file! I think you have do it already.. :) 2. Adjust the Perl-files Open the files gbadmin.pl and guestbook.pl in a texteditor of you choice. Change the first line, that it refers to your Perl-interpreter. On most systems the default-path is ok. Now configure guestbook.pl that the options are similar to your wishes. The options are described in guestbook.pl 3. If you want to use the badword-filter, then edit the file 'badwords' in the gdata directory. You've been warned! :) 3. Create or adjust the design templates If you do not want to use the default design, then you must adjust the design templates now. In path 'gdata' is the default template. In path 'sample-templates' are other sample templates. If you want to use it, copy they to 'gdata'. There are 4 different template-files: header_template - head of the guestbook.. Title, maybe inputformular, etc. body_template - Is under the header_template.. number of entries, pagebar, thanxmessage, the entries, etc. write_template - the design of an guestbook entry footer_template - foot of the guestbook body_template and write_template are managed with design patterns. A pattern is a word with a function, which is in the template. The guestbook replaces the pattern with a function, when the template was read. So you can better adjust the guestbook to your whishes. Patterns for body_template: %THANXMSG% : The Thanxmessage, if somebody have done an entry. %PTHANXMSG% : The same as "

%THANXMSG%". %NUMBERENTRIES% : Number of entries %PAGE% : Actual page %PAGEBAR% : The pagebar ( .. 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 .. ) %BEGINLBACK% : Begin of the link to the page before. Must end with %ENDLBACK% ! %ENDLBACK% : End of the link to the page before. Sample.. %BEGINLBACK% « back %ENDLBACK% %BEGINLNEXT% : Begin of the link to the next page. %ENDLNEXT% : End of the link ti the next page. %DATA% : The guestbookentries! The most important pattern.. :) Patterns for write_template: %NUMBER% : Actual number of the entry. %DATE% : Date of the entry. %NAME% : Name of the person. %EMAIL% : Email of the person %EMAILNAME% : Same as "%NAME%" If there's no email, the link won't be set. %HOMEPAGE% : URL of the persons homepage %LHOMEPAGE% : Same as %EMAILNAME% %TEXT% : The message.. %COMMENT% : Will be replaced with the comment of the guestbook admin. Without this pattern no comments possible. %BRCOMMENT% : Same as "

%COMMENT%" The patterns are case sensitive! 4. Upload to the server Start a FTP-program of your choice and log into the server. Change to the directory 'cgi-bin' now. If there's no 'cgi-bin' directory, you aren't able to use this guestbook. Oh you are sure, that the directory has another name. Now create a subdirectory in 'cgi-bin'. For example 'guestbook'. Copy the files gbadmin.pl and guestbook.pl in this directory. And copy the complete 'gdata' directory with all files in it to 'guestbook'. Now you must make the files gbadmin.pl and guestbook.pl executable. Do this with a 'chmod 755 gbadmin.pl'. If you want to use the emoticons, upload also the 'emoticons' directory on the server. It must outside the cgi-bin dir, but inside the webserver dir. In the file 'usedemoticons' you can add more emoticons. 5. Adjust the inputform In guestbook.html is the inputform. Don't change the form! Of course you can put the form in a HTML-page or the header_template of your choice. Be sure that the action-path directs to guestbook.pl. For example action="/cgi-bin/guestbook/guestbook.pl" 6. Test the guestbook Make a testentry. If all is right, be happy! That was it, you can use the guestbook now! But maybe on some servers it won't work. Probable the guestbook can't write into the gdata directory. Now you must do a 'chmod 777 gdata'. That's not fine, because everybody who have access to the server can write into gdata now! This is a complaint to your systemadministrator. I can nothing for it.. :) If the guestbook still doesn't work you must do a 'chmod 777' to following files in 'gdata'. count,data,log,passwd 7. Change GB Admin password Start gbadmin.pl in your browser and change the password. The default password is 'fbill98'. If you have done a 'chmod 777 passwd' before, you must do a 'chmod 644 passwd' now. 8. Smoke a cigratte and enjoy! If something still doesn't work, take a look at the FAQ. http://fgguestbook.sourceforge.net/faq.shtml What the FAQ didn't help? OK Send me an email! LICENSE FG Guestbook stands under the GPL. Take a look at LICENSE. For all that,you shouldn't remove the copyright notice in the footer_template. That would be nice. :) To remove the copyright-notice you can send me an postcard or you can pay a little amount of money (write me an email). I would be very very happy! Please write your email-adress on the postcard, so I can answer. Felix Gertz Weidkamp 7 25355 Barmstedt Germany