matangdilis - 2003-05-17

hello classweb users,

I recently tried to install classweb 2.03 on a debian linux 3.0 system locally and here are some of the problems I encountered that might help others having the same experience.  I still have problems and questions perhaps you can help me in return.

bugs: may 16,2003

0. Initially tried to set it up in another file rather web root. made a
mistake when config for /home/classweb did not work. images where not found as well as example classes. solution: reinstalled in web root
/var/www for classes and classweb-docs and /home for classweb.

1.rpl - For debian users there is no need to compile rpl utility, a stable package can be downloaded from debian.org.

2. installation - /classweb-docs/install.htm says to rpl (replace with
user values) $dbname = "classweb",$username = "root" & $password = ""  in /home/httpd/html/classes/registrar/phplib
(debian equivalent = var/www/classes/registrar/phplib) but rpl output: A Total of 0 matches replaced in 52 file (s) searched.

Solution: Found variables $dbname etc. in /classes/registrar/REG*.php3 files. But $dbname etc. are set to "classweb_2.03". So I used the following rpl instructions instead:

root# cd /var/www/classes/registrar //(debian web root)

root# rpl -v '$dbname = "classweb_2.03";' '$dbname = "{databasename}";' *

root# rpl -v '$username = "classweb_2.03";' '$username =
"{databasename}";' *

root# rpl -v '$password = "classweb_2.03";' '$password =
"{databasename}";' *

10 matches were replaced for each.

Corollary: I don't know if this is necessary but i changed setttings in
/var/www/classes/registrar/phplib/db_mysql.inc  as well (I found them
empty):

/* public: connection parameters */
var $Host = "localhost";
var $Database = "classweb";
var $User = "{user}";
var $Password = "{password}"

There is also a file /var/www/classes/registrar/phplib/local.inc with
the following settings (should that be changed as well??):

var $Host = "localhost";
var $Database = "example_database";
var $User = "example_user";
var $Password = ""

3. user/password authentication -- no user/password authentication. 
tutorial  says a window will pop-up, no window popped up. But classes site, registrar, webtech and classadmin are accessed.

I thought it needed an ssl module in the apache so loaded mod_ssl. Nope that did not work.  Look for help forums instead. Perhaps it require apache authentication configuration instead?

Found that each directory has .htaccess.  will try to allowoverride all
in httpd.conf.

3.1 set allowoveride all in httpd.conf

authentication pop up starts but can't get in with user:1 and password: demo

3.2 will try to comment out the directory directives for classes and classweb.

authentication still do not work for user:1 and password: demo

3.3. will try to reset with htpasswd.

did not work! bad username pass still.

3.4. look at /var/log/auth.log and apache log...it seems that pam is doing the authentication. tried to comment out other authentication modules that may be interfering with basic authentication.

commented out in httpd.conf the ff:

pam_auth_module
mod_auth_plain
mod_auth_shadow
mod_auth_sys

it worked! username 1 and pass demo is authenticated.  there are other ways to turn these off but it would require editing the .htaccess files for each directory.

3.5 I saw that the /classes/admin/.htaccess file has a line:

AddType text/x-server-parsed-html .htm

I decided to load the module mod_includes in apache. And turned XBitHack on.
I wonder why the file need server parsed html?

4. statsdb.pl - cron of statsdb.pl sends error of no interpreter found:
problem with pl scripts are looking for perl at /usr/local/bin/perl
while in debian it is in /usr/bin.

solution: temporarily create symlink to usr/bin/ perl in /usr/local/bin.
I wonder if the pl scripts in classweb all point to /usr/local/bin even
for other perl programs?

5. grades editor tried to download pl script rather than execute.

Solution: loaded mod_perl module in apache. Uncommented AddHandler cgi-script .cgi .sh .pl .pm and AddType application /x-perl .pl .pm directives.

I don't know if these are necessary but i'm just guessing here:

added directory directives in httpd.conf.

<Directory var/www/classes>
Options ExecCGI
</Directory>

<Directory /home/classweb>
Options ExecCGI
</Directory>

gradesedit did work. but public and private directories are no longer
accessible.

commented out the directory directives later when authentication was resolved. grades edit is working now and public and private directories are accessible.

WWWBoard Problems

6. wwwboard patch -- wrong group for wwwboard.pm and wwwadmin.pm: debian uses www-data as httpd user. So replaced nobody with www-data. it worked.

6.1 wwboardadmin tools would not work.

solution: removed .pl & .pm from addhandler cgi-script and 
inserted addhandler perl-script .pl .pm directive in httpd.conf.

effect: discussion board utility now work/ perhaps as an effect of symlinking perl in usr/bin.

6.2 /classes/01W/hist101-1/wwboard/auth.inc - i changed the
$posturl="http://domain/classweb_2.03/classes/01/history101-1/wwboard/post.pl'; by removing classweb_2.03.  what does this do?

6.3 edit grades and dicussion tools not working again.

reinserted .pl .pm in addhandler cgi-script and commented out
addhandler perl-script, i guess there was no such thing.

edit grades and other pl tools working again!

6.4 wwwboard has no text input box. When i enter the discussion board i get two post buttons and nothing in between to write text.  Can anyone help me with this one?

sorry if i did a lot of trial and error here, but i'm neither a programmer nor system admin, i'm a teacher testing classweb.

I hope this would be useful, thanks.

roel
email: rcantada2002@yahoo.com