Web Server Updates

These changes are designed to improve server performance, increase server capacity and improve handling of virtual www and ftp domains. Some minor corrections to the directory structure of the web server will also be made for security reasons.

NOTE: If you do not currently have a web site on our system, this message does not apply to you.

What's changing and what does it mean to you ?

HTML Links

A minor change will be made to the web server directory (how the files are organized on the sever) to correct a small security hole and to improve system tracking.

Specifically, if you have any links on you web site that begin with "http://www.accesscom.com/users", these links will no longer work.

This type of link provided a back door for talented hackers to get a peek at your file directories on the web server. Although this is a minor problem and did not allow changes to your files, the problem will be corrected and these links will no longer be supported.

The proper reference for these links is "http://www.accesscom.com/~username"
(where 'username' = your username on AIC)

Contact Tech Support by voice at (408)342-0551 or by email at support@accesscom.com if you need assistance with evaluating your site for this change.

CGI's

If you use CGI's within your web site, please read the following.

CGI's written in C (or other compiled languages) - The linux operating system on the web server will be upgraded to provide better system performance. This change may require recompilation of any compiled programs, such as CGI's written in C.

If you do not currently use CGI's on your web site or your CGI's are written in a scripting language such as PERL or shell, this change will not effect you.

Contact Tech Support by voice at (408)342-0551 or by email at support@accesscom.com if you need assistance with evaluating your site for this change.

CGI's written in PERL - The default version of PERL on the web server will be upgraded from the current PERL 4 to PERL 5 (specifically 5.003).

This means that if you have a CGI written in PERL and it currently refers to "/usr/bin/perl" (in the first line of the CGI), the CGI will be executed using PERL 5, instead of the current PERL 4.

This should not effect any properly written PERL CGI's but all CGI's written in PERL should be checked after the switchover to ensure that they still work. If you find that your PERL CGI does not work after the switch, this means that your CGI requires PERL 4.

To continue using PERL 4 after the switchover, change the first line of your PERL script from "/usr/bin/perl" to "/usr/local/bin/perl4".

NOTE: You can test your CGI's for compatability with PERL 5 prior to the switchover by changing the PERL reference in the first line of the CGI from "/usr/bin/perl" to "/usr/local/bin/perl5"

The table below details the current PERL references and what they will look like after the switchover. Contact Tech Support by voice at (408)342-0551 or by email at support@accesscom.com if you need assistance with evaluating your site for this change.