Getting Started with mod_perl in 30 Minutes Page 5

The "mod_perl rules" Apache::Registry Script

As you probably know, mod_perl allows you to reuse CGI scripts written in Perl that were previously used under mod_cgi. Therefore our first test script can be as simple as:

  mod_perl_rules1.pl
  ------------------
  print "Content-type: text/plain\r\n\r\n";
  print "mod_perl rules!\n";

Save this script in the /home/httpd/perl/mod_perl_rules1.pl file. Notice that the shebang line is not needed with mod_perl, but you can keep it if you want. So the following script can be used as well:

  mod_perl_rules1.pl
  ------------------
  #!/usr/bin/perl
  print "Content-type: text/plain\r\n\r\n";
  print "mod_perl rules!\n";

Of course you can write the same script using the Apache Perl API:

  mod_perl_rules2.pl
  ------------------
  my  = shift;
  ->send_http_header('text/plain');
  ->print("mod_perl rules!\n");




 Save this script in the /home/httpd/perl/mod_perl_rules2.pl file. 



 Now make both of the scripts executable and readable by the server.
Remember that when you execute scripts from a shell, they are being executed by
the user-name you are logged with. When instead you try to run the scripts by
issuing requests, Apache needs to be able to read and execute them. Apache is
running under a user-name specified by the User directive. If the
server is running under user-name nobody, the following will do: 
  % chown nobody /home/httpd/perl/mod_perl_rules1.pl                  /home/httpd/perl/mod_perl_rules2.pl
  % chmod 0755   /home/httpd/perl/mod_perl_rules1.pl                  /home/httpd/perl/mod_perl_rules2.pl




 The first command makes the files belong to user nobody, the
second sets the proper execution and read permissions. 


 You can test mod_perl_rules1.pl from the command line, since
it is essentially a regular Perl script:
  % perl /home/httpd/perl/mod_perl_rules1.pl




 You should see the following output: 


 
  mod_perl rules!




 You cannot test the second script by executing it from the command line
since it uses the mod_perl API which is available only when run from within the
mod_perl server. 


 Make sure the server is running and issue these requests using your
favorite browser: 
  http://localhost/perl/mod_perl_rules1.pl
  http://localhost/perl/mod_perl_rules2.pl




 In both cases you will see on the following response: 
  mod_perl rules!




 If you see it--congratulations! You have a working
mod_perl server. 


 If you're using port 8080 instead of 80, you should use this number in the
URL: 


 

  http://localhost:8080/perl/mod_perl_rules1.pl
  http://localhost:8080/perl/mod_perl_rules2.pl