Forms nightmare

[jessycat]

Can anybody help? I'm new to this whole CGI lark and it has left me utterly baffled!
I have downloaded formmail and followed my isp's instructions on comlpeting the necessary information.
I have designed a simple test form using dreamweaver, and in the properties/action box have linked to my formmail file. I have set the method as POST.
When I try and test this, all that happens is the formmail code comes up in my browser. What am I doing wrong / not doing?

I realise this is probably something really basic and hope I'm not insulting anyone's intelligence on here by asking for help but... I'm baffled and getting desperate! There seems to be no info on the web about this that isn't about form design or is technobabble that is way over my head. If you can help I'd be forever grateful....

Thanks

Jess:confused:

[CyCo]

Could you post a link, so that we may see exactly what is happening?

[jessycat]

Sure it's at http://www.elizabethholland.com/Forms/test2.htm

But is now coming up with scary message from my host!!

(I should add that I have only just uploaded it - before I was checking in browser, when it was just showing me the code)

[CyCo]

the 500 Internal Server Error can be the result of many different possibilities.

1. Make sure the top line points to perl on your server
could be #!/usr/bin/perl or #!/usr/local/bin/perl ask your server people

2. Make sure it was uploaded in ascii mode (text-only)

3. chmod it 0755 (755) makes it executable

[jessycat]

Thanks Cyco. I've checked the first two and they're both fine, so I think it's 3). But I don't know what chmod means.... sorry, told you I was a beginner!

[jessycat]

Actually ignore that - just found Chmod tutorial so will give it a go...

[jessycat]

Booo. Tried that and still no joy. Any other ideas?

[CyCo]

upload this...if this won't run, then you've got other issues
name it hello_world.pl

#!/usr/bin/perl

### hello_world.pl ###

print "Content-Type: text/html\n\n";
print "Hello World";

[charmon_1]

Hello jessycat, I can't help you with your problem, but would I be able to get the link to that chmod tutorial.
I am having the same problem as you are.

Thank You.

[fuzzyworms]

Try putting this right below the line that says where Perl is :

BEGIN {
print "Content-type: text/plain\n\n--OUTP_UT--\n";
open STDERR, ">&STDOUT"; # errors go to browser now
}

it will display a much more detailed list of the error(s), and will display your headers if any to see if you got tehm right (I think (I got this from someone else)) it worked for me!