midriff: quick start

dynamic content system
| Manual page for quick(start)

## Quick start procedure for a MIDRIFF project

- Look over this page before starting. We assume that you are comfortable with unix concepts such as file permissions modes and setuid, and that you understand relevant security issues.`` Please don't proceed until you're comfortable with everything described herein.``
- Download the software from `midriff.sourceforge.net`
- Edit the Makefile and set the bin directory if desired.``
- Compile using gcc or other ANSI-compliant C compiler.``
- Add the midriff bin to your search PATH
- Think of a directory name where your project will reside (eg. `/home/steve/proj1`), and decide on a unix userid that will own the project.``
- Log in as the project owner userid, and run the shell script midriff_newproject.sh It will prompt you for full pathname of the project directory you are creating.``
- The result will be a project structure that will be used by midriff and/or shsql.`` It will contain a `config` file that midriff programs will read whenever they are invoked.`` It should also contain a demo data file called `examp_people`, and a couple of test page templates to play with.``
- Edit the `config` file, and change the dbbin entry from `path` to the full path name of the bin directory where shsql executables reside. This allows midriff to find several executables that it may need.``
- Set a shell environment variable called SHSQL_DB and be sure that it is exportable. It should contain the full pathname of your project directory. This won't be used by CGI processes, but is needed in command line mode.``
  Eg. for /bin/ksh do: `export SHSQL_DB=/home/steve/proj1`
  For future, add this to your `.profile` or `.cshrc` file.``
- The executable must be placed into your `cgi bin`.`` Use `cp -p` or `mv`.`` You can rename the executable to anything you like, for example, `mydbcgi`.``
- Permissions: Determine if you are setting up a read-write, or read-only application.``
  If your midriff application will need to update a shsql database or other files, it should be setuid to the owner of the project/database directory.`` Your executable should have a permissions mode of 6755 (`-rwsr-sr-x`); if it doesn't, use a command like this: `chmod 6755 mydbcgi` There are security concerns with respect to CGI programs and setuid, and some web hosts place limitations here.`` Further discussion.``
  If your midriff application will be read-only, setuid is not required, but all files & subdirectories in your project directory (except logs) must be readable by world, and your `./logs` directory must be world-writable.``
- In your cgi-bin, make a soft link to the project config file that was just created.`` It should have the same name as your mrcgi executable, with `.cnf` appended to the end, for example, `mydbcgi.cnf`.`` To make the config file link, you would use a command like this (the exact location of your cgi-bin is system-dependent):
  `cd .../cgi-bin; ln -s /home/steve/myproj/config mydbcgi.cnf`.``
- Try an SQL select command from the command line, eg:
  `shsql "select * from examp_people"`.``
- testpage1: A couple of test pages should be located in your `./pages` directory.`` One of them, `testpage1`, is defined in the config file as a default page.`` To access your default page, fire up your web browser and enter a URL that will invoke your mrcgi executable, eg.
  `http://abc.com/cgi-bin/mydbcgi`
  If you have trouble with this step, check with your local systems support.``
  This page will display your effective user id and effective group id.`` These must match the project directory owner if any database updates are to be possible.``
- A number of examples are available in the `./mrexamples` directory.`` You can try them now.. just copy all files from `./mrexamples` to the `./pages` directory (in the project directory you just built).`` Then point your browser to:
  `http://abc.com/cgi-bin/mydbcgi?rtn=examp_index`
- You are now all set to begin developing page templates in `./pages`.`` Larger projects may be organized into subdirectories of pages therein.``
- Examples, troubleshooting, and support
  dynamic content system
  Copyright Steve Grubb

Markup created by unroff 1.0, `` `` March 11, 2003.