FAQ

Questions
  • Customisation
    1. I would like to replace the logo in the w3perl homepage, how do I proceed ?
    2. I don't have any graphs in the HTML pages. What's wrong ?
    3. I would like w3perl to output reports in my own language.
    4. I would like to use my own background image.
  • Installation
    1. Can I use w3perl with my virtual server ?
    2. Can I install all the package in my cgi-bin ?
    3. I would like to install w3perl on my provider. What do I need ?
    4. Your configuration file seems to be too complex for a beginner like me.
    5. Could you install the package for me ?
    6. Can I install W3Perl on a standalone PC without any server running ?
    7. When using the RPM package, I have the following server error : "Forbidden - You don't have permission to access /cgi-bin/w3perl/confstat.pl on this server". What's wrong ?
    8. Why can't I use the latest Fly 2.0.0 ?
  • Logfile
    1. I've changed my webserver logformat from CLF to ECLF.
    2. I was using ECLF format but now I'm using Squid which can only output CLF logfiles.
    3. Any support for Webstar or FTP logfile format ?
  • Setup
    1. W3Perl is unable to open the log file...
    2. There are several text holes in the countries list. Why ?
    3. I don't find my hosts server in the file produced. Why ?
    4. I've choosen to log the domain activity but the package show no activity from my domain accesses.
    5. Cron-pages.pl stop with a message that nothing will be output
    6. No files are produced.
    7. The initialisation is very slow (cron-pages.pl)
    8. I just need to run stats between two date or I want stats about a specific day.
    9. The daily graph show me only few days ago but I would like to view stats deeply in the past.
    10. I would like to exclude stats from some countries.
    11. I have some JSP files on my server and don't see them in the report
    12. Trying to launch the script from the admin interface, I have a 'Problem creating directory' warning.
    13. I want to exclude my own robot, how do I proceed ?
    14. The script report no session found.
    15. I want to see my php files as html files.
  • NT
    1. Does W3Perl run on Windows 2000 ?
    2. I have trouble running w3perl for the first time

  • Answers
  • Customisation

    I would like to replace the logo in the w3perl homepage, how do I proceed ?

    This image is located in $drawstat variable , the file is /resources/stats.gif, you'll need to put your image with this name in /resources/. Take care about the width and height attributes, you may also need to change them in cron-pages and cron-inc if your image have a different size

    I don't have any graphs in the HTML pages. What's wrong ?

    Something is missing....make sure you have fly somewhere in your system. Check also the path for Fly in your config.pl file.

    I would like w3perl to output reports in my own language

    Everything is located in the /resources/lang/ directory. Copy the uk.pl to another file to replace the second part of each line with your own words. When everything have been done, contact me to include your work in the next release.

    I would like to use my own background image

    In the administration interface, you can choose to use a background image file. There are three way to fill the field :
    - Use an URL like http://www.foo.com/background.gif
    - Use an absolute link to your website like /background.gif
    - Put your background file in the w3perl resources directory (default is paper_background.gif)


  • Installation

    Can I use w3perl with my virtual server ?

    Of course you can. You just need one separate configuration file for each of your server. W3Perl will load your configuration file and save data for each server according to your configuration choices. W3Perl need to be installed only once.

    Can I install all the package in my cgi-bin ?

    No, part of the package need to be located in your webserver tree. This include HTML files for documentation or graphics files.

    I would like to install w3perl on my provider. What do I need ?

    You'll need to use the 'provider' installation. First ask your provider if you have a cgi-bin directory (are you allowed to launch scripts ?), where are located the logfiles (access to data), where is Perl (is Perl installed ?) and your server path (where your server have been installed).

    Your configuration file seems to be too complex for a beginner like me.

    Use the administration interface. If you find something unclear, ask me and I'll add a javascript help.

    Could you install the package for me ?

    I'm sorry but I can't do that for free. The package is provided free so I'm asking for a small fee if you really want I spend my spare time for you.

    Can I install W3Perl on a standalone PC without any server running ?

    Yes, no problem but not easy.. First, you'll need to download the Unix package instead of the NT package. The later need to find a webserver to install. Then forget about the administration interface which is build around cgi (and which need a server to run). Uncompress and untar the package where you want. Edit the fixperlpath.pl script to modify the $pathw3perl path (forget other path) and run it. Of course you need to have install ActivePerl ! Second, find the config-nt.pl configuration file inside the config directory and modify it with your own windows paths. Then run cron-pages.pl -c config-nt.pl to init the stats followed by the others scripts. (if you use Reverse DNS, your computer should be connected to Internet to make request to a DNS server)

    When using the RPM package, I have the following server error : "Forbidden - You don't have permission to access /cgi-bin/w3perl/confstat.pl on this server". What's wrong ?

    It means you can't use cgi on your server. In order to be able to use them, edit your httpd.conf and add these two lines 'Order allow,deny' followed by 'allow from all' in the <Directory /var/www/cgi-bin> directive.

    Why can't I use the latest Fly 2.0.0 ?

    The latest Fly is based on the latest gd1.8 which don't have anymore support for GIF output. Fly 1.6.5 is the latest package which support GIF output.


  • Logfile

    I've changed my webserver logformat from CLF to ECLF

    Good idea ;) You'll need to modify your configuration file. Just specify ECLF instead of CLF !

    I was using ECLF format but now I'm using Squid which can only output CLF logfiles.

    Squid store referer and agent logfile in separate files. So you'll need to modify your configuration file in order to give w3perl the location of these files. That's all you need to modify. The main stats will still parse your logfile as ECLF but will ignore the missing data.

    Any support for Webstar or FTP logfile format

    Well, I need documentation for those logfiles. If you want I add support for Webstar or any other FTP server, please, send me logfile format and few examples.


  • Setup

    W3Perl is unable to open the log file...

    The httpd log file should be readable by users (but not writeable of course !). Ask nicely your admistrator system to rectify this. A 'chmod 644' on the log file is enough to run w3perl.

    There are several text holes in the countries list. Why ?

    There are missing country codes in "pays-conv" (found in the resources directory). Run the cron-inc.pl manually or delete the redirection output "> /dev/null 2>&1" in the crontab, it will inform you about the missing codes. Mail me about this and I'll fix this ASAP.

    I don't find my hosts server in the file produced. Why ?

    * You should first scan your local domain ($locallog = 1).
    * Maybe have you put your host in the nolog option ? Remove it so.
    * Or maybe your host don't have a right reverse DNS table. In this case, you should find your host in the unknow country list.
    * The package assume name site are no longer than 9 fields.

    I've choosen to log the domain activity but the package show no activity from my domain accesses.

    Well, two possibilities : nobody use your server from your local domain or maybe you have made a mistake in the $localserver variable. Check this.

    Cron-pages.pl stop telling me nothing will be output

    * Check your $tri variable. It should be "/" if you want to scan all your log file or a subdirectory to scan only a part of your log file. Perhaps you try to scan the logfile with a directory you don't have in your server.
    * Maybe you are excluding all your server from being scanned ! Check @excluderepert in config.pl
    * Log file should be more than one day long to run cron-pages.pl. Wait the next day to have a bigger logfile.
    * If you are using a
    one day long logfile. You should use w3perl in this way :

      First day : at midnight, move your logfile to logfile.old and then use cron-pages.pl on logfile.old
      Day + 1 : at midnight delete logfile.old, move the current logfile to logfile.old and run cron-inc.pl
      Day + 2 : same as day + 1....

    No files are produced.

    Are your directories writeable ? Have you selected one language ouput in @lang ?

    The initialisation is very slow (cron-pages.pl)

    Check your configuration file. Avoid to use the reverse dns option as each lines of your logfile could take seconds to proceed ! If you have large logfile, use a precision level lower (from 4 to 3). You can also compress your logfile to speed up computations.

    I just need to run stats between two date or I want stats about a specific day.

    Use cron-page.pl -s <date1> -r <date2> where date1 and date2 have the following syntax : <day>-<month>-<year> (day, month and year are two digits number).
    Use cron-inc.pl -j <date> where date have the following syntax : dd/Mmm/yyyy dd is the day in two digits format, Mmm is the month with first letter upper and yyyy the year in a 4 digits format.

    The daily graph show me only few days ago but I would like to view stats deeply in the past.

    Use cron-day.pl with the -d flag. Specify the number of days you want to get back in past.

    I would like to exclude stats from some countries.

    In your configuration file, your should add in the @nolog variable, the name of the countries you want to exclude. (@nolog = ('.fr') to exclude french stats)

    I have some JSP files on my server and don't see them in the report

    First you should see them in the 'filetype' area. If you need in fact to treat jsp file as html files, add 'jsp' in @extension (eg : @extension = ('html','jsp');)
    You can do the same for other filetype (xml,asp...)

    Trying to launch the script from the admin interface, I have a 'Problem creating directory' warning.

    If you want to run the stats from the web interface, the server should be allow to make the stats directory you have defined in your configuration file. Usually a web server have very limited permission (security) so most of the time, it won't be allow to create a directory. You'll need to manually do the job and set permission to 777 to allow the server to write in.

    I want to exclude my own robot, how do I proceed ?

    Edit the libw3perl.pl file and look for the robot section. You'll just need to add a new entry in the form :
    "string_identifying_robot_in_my_logfile", "Robot_name",
    where the first field is a string assuming to identify your robot in the agent field of your logfile. Have a look inside your logfile to detect this string. The second field is just a more readable form for the display. Of course, you can send me your new entry so I'll be able to add it in the current release and you won't have to patch the libw3perl.pl each time you want to upgrade the package.

    The script report no session found.

    The session stats are based on html pages rather than hits, this is something more accurate and more reliable than hits accesses. In facts, session are based on the filetype you put in your @extension inside your configuration file. So if you need, let's say, session only about mp3 files, just add this filetype in @extension. But if no requested filetypes are found in the logfile, the script will report an 'no session found'. So be sure also your requested files have right status code and have not been rejected by your server.

    I want to see my php files as html files.

    Just add the php extension in @extension.


  • NT

    Does W3Perl run on Windows 2000 ?

    Yes. Be careful to the logfile format and the date format used as Microsoft can genere a lots of different logfile and date format.

    I have trouble running w3perl for the first time

    If your server send you the following message : " The specified CGI application misbehaved by not returning a complete set of HTTP headers", most likely you have used '\' instead of '/' for the path in your configuration file. Backslashes are special characters in Perl and ActivePerl can cope with unix pathname so use forward slashes '/' instead.



  • back