[users@httpd] Neophyte Query: No (Std) Output from CGI scripts: Defective Setup?

["S. M. Halloran" <Mitchell.Halloran@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

1. OS info:   MS Windows XP Professional version 2002 SP1

   CLI: Microsoft Windows XP [Version 5.1.2600]

2. HTTP Server info:  Apache/2.0.53 (Win32)

3. Hardware:  Pentium-M 1.6 GHz, 512 MB ram

4. (Possibly) Relevant Directives in httpd.conf:

    DocumentRoot "C:/Documents and Settings/SMH/My Documents/___WebMirror"

    ScriptAlias /cgi-bin/ "C:/Documents and Settings/SMH/My Documents/___WebMirror/cgi-bin/" #added

    <Directory "C:/Documents and Settings/SMH/My Documents/___WebMirror/cgi-bin">  #added

      AllowOverride None

      Options None

      Order allow,deny

      Allow from all

    </Directory>

    AddHandler cscript .wsf      # added

    ScriptLog "C:/Documents and Settings/SMH/My Documents/___WebMirror/cgi-bin/ScriptLog.txt"

    ScriptInterpreterSource Registry  # added

    <IfModule mpm_winnt.c>

     ThreadsPerChild 50          # changed from original 250

     MaxRequestsPerChild  0

    </IfModule>

--------------------------------------------------------------

I am setting up an Apache server on my laptop only for testing programs and setup.  Working stuff will be migrated to a public server.

I am testing the communication between Apache and simple scripting routines and getting 500 responses.

At first the server would call a Windows Script Host file (wsf) and merely output the entire contents of the wsf file.  Access log reports a 200 response on delivering the wsf file and then immediately making a 404 response to attempting to deliver a 'favicon.ico' file from the root dir, even though no code whatsoever makes a reference to that file.   The Error log only reports the 404.

The absence of a ScriptLog file suggested that the server was not starting the script interpreter, even though files of type .wsf are defined in the OS (in the registry) and the interpreter ("handler") was also defined (although without options) in the httpd.conf (is there a way for Apache to pass command line options, or a way to instruct the server how to format a command line?).

A MSDOS batch (.bat) file was created to explicitly call the wsf file with options.  From within the wsf file a _javascript_ (JScript) file is included/loaded.  This does happen:  when the js file contains nonsense (such as attempts to use objects that don't exist like 'window' or 'document' within the js file), the MS script debugger window opens and requests a debugging session.

When I run aubidb.bat from a command line, I get the expected output:

====

C:\Documents and Settings\SMH\My Documents\___WebMirror\cgi-bin>aubidb.bat

Content-type: text/plain

This output generated from within 'aubidb.js' using WScript.Echo()

Job complete

C:\Documents and Settings\SMH\My Documents\___WebMirror\cgi-bin>

====

I have run through the checklist of the problems in the Apache manual and still do not know why this output above is being shown on the browser's output area, but is instead giving 500 responses.

=============================================================

Contents of wsf file (aubidb.wsf):

---------------------------------

<?xml version="1.0" standalone="yes" ?>

<job >

<runtime>

  <description>Test script to check input and output</description>

  <unnamed

   name="url"

   helpstring="properly formatted url string"

   many="false"

   required="true"

  />

  <example>this script started by http server</example>

</runtime>

<?job error="true" debug="true"?>

<script language="JScript">

   WScript.Echo("Content-type: text/plain\n\n");

</script>

<script language="JScript" src="" />

</job>

=============================================================

Contents of js file (aubidb.js):

---------------------------------

WScript.Echo("This output generated from within 'aubidb.js' using WScript.Echo()");

=============================================================

Contents of bat file (aubidb.bat):

---------------------------------

@echo off

cscript aubidb.wsf //nologo

=============================================================

--

S M Halloran

AUBI