From: Thomas Hurst <tom.hurst@...>
Date: 2002-03-15T05:58:13+09:00
Subject: Re: Problems with Ruby, apache, and cgi

* Michele (mycorner6@yahoo.com) wrote:

> The client seems to feel his programs will only work with mod_ruby.

mod_ruby provides some extra interfaces to apache, but I don't think
they provide anything utterly necessary.

> However, when the client tries a more complicated script:
>
> h = Hello.new
> puts h.msg
> print "Press RETURN"
> $stdin.gets

This makes no sense for a CGI application.

Either:

h = Hello.new
print "Content-type: text/plain\r\n\r\n"
puts h.msg

Or:

require cgi

h = Hello.new

cgi = CGI.new
cgi.out {
        h.msg
}

> This fails.  Note I can run the first script at the command line by
> simply typing ./test.rb, but the 2nd one fails with the same error as
> the website:
>
> ../hello.rb
> ../hello.rb: Command not found.

Is it in DOS format perchance?  If so, it'll be trying to find
"/usr/local/bin/ruby\r", and fail.

> I guess my question is are there things that mod_ruby can do that a
> regular ruby script can't?

It can make .rb/.rhtml/whatever executable without the #! line and on
directories without +ExecCGI specified.

You can do the same by having the interpreter in the server cgi-bin dir
and doing:

AddAction ruby-script .rb
AddHandler ruby-script /cgi-bin/ruby

However, this introduces security issues you and your users must be
aware of, so it's probably best not to bother.

-- 
Thomas 'Freaky' Hurst  -  freaky@aagh.net  -  http://www.aagh.net/
-
May the bluebird of happiness twiddle your bits.