Installing Matt's Random Link Generator
Preface and Demonstration
If you've got a multitude of links and not enough space to display them all, how about using Matt's Random Link generator to mix it up a bit? This script randomly selects a URL from a database file within your web site and displays the URL link from your web page. Each time your web page loads a different link appears.
Installation Procedure
- Locate and download the following files from Matt's Script Archive:
rand_link.pl - The Perl script which generates the random link.
- Change the first line of the Perl script to reflect the official path to Perl on our server:
#!/usr/bin/perl
- There are a few more things that need to be changed in the Perl script:
# Define Variables $linkfile = The system path to the database containing the URLs.
The system path is not the same as a URL. If your domain name was yourdomain.com the system path would be /home/yourdo where "yourdo" is the account userid.
As such, the Define Variables section of the Links script would follow this format:
# Set Variables $linkfile = "/home/<userid>/database.txt";
Be sure to substitute your domain name and userid in the example above. Although Matt's code is accurate, we recommend that you check the script for accuracy before installing.
- Upload the "rand_link.pl" script to your cgi-bin directory in ASCII transfer mode. chmod 755 the Perl script to set proper permissions.
- Create the database.txt file which contains the URL links and upload it to your root ("home") directory in ASCII transfer mode. Make one column of URLs and be sure to use absolute paths. (eg. http://www.randomsite.com) If desired, this script can be used in conjunction with the database file maintained by Matt's Free For All Link script.
To test the script, add the following tags to your HTML document:
<a href="/cgi-bin/rand_link.pl">Random Link</a>
Special Notes
- Some possible causes of a SERVER ERROR:
- Set Variables section within Perl script inaccurate
- Perl script was not uploaded in ASCII transfer mode - This script can be used in conjunction with Matt's Free For All Link script.
