How to troubleshoot CGI scripts

Troubleshooting CGI scripts

If you have a CGI (Common Gateway Interface) script that is not working, you can follow these troubleshooting steps:

Step #1: Verify script file permissions

Hostvento Hosting’s shared web servers run CGI scripts under your user ID. If a CGI script does not run, one of the most common causes is that the execute permission is not set on the file. Make sure that the CGI script file has the correct permissions set.

For more information about file permissions for Perl script files, please see this article.

Step #2: Verify the shebang

Verify that the right shebang is being used in the CGI script file. The Apache web server cannot execute CGI script files if they do not begin with the correct shebang. See this page for additional details on the shebang and its application.

Step #3: Run the script from the command line

It may often be a difficult procedure to attempt to debug a CGI script via a web browser. For instance, file permissions, a syntax error, or another issue entirely could be the source of a “500 Internal Server Error.” If you execute the script from the command line after logging into your SSH account, you can get a lot more helpful information regarding script failures.

Step #4: Check web server error logs

The web server’s error log may contain valuable information about why a CGI script is not running. Scripts that cause a “500 Internal Server Error” or “403 Forbidden” error message are logged in the web server’s error log. You can use cPanel to view the error log for your web site.

Step #5: Open a ticket with the Guru Crew

When your best attempts to fix a CGI script are unsuccessful, hope is not lost. If you need further assistance, please open a support ticket with our Guru Crew on the Customer Portal at https://hostvento.com.