I recently got my site hosted instead of on my school's servers. Part of the reason I did so was that I could now have more freedom that would allow me to use the Gallery software that I'd had problems using before.

However, I've run into problems. The setup page gave me fewer problems than I had before, but one serious warning is where I've had my problems. It said it doesn't like PHP in safe mode.
So they say you can do two things:
1) ask the administrators to turn off safe mode or whatever.
-I asked, they won't.
2) configure PHP to run as a CGI by downloading some stuff, making a new .htaccess file and some directories.
-I tried, I can't create a new directory in the root. I also don't think I'd know how to make that htaccess file either.

So is there anything else I can do? I have to run this software. No other options are attractive to me, not even the one I made myself (which worked quite well, but just not easy).

Please help me!!!


*edit*
Here is the official (and badly written) word from the tech guy:

"I'm sorry no, we will not be disabling safe mode on the server. Provided teh script was cleanly and sanely written, teh script is being installed properly, and permissions are set correctly there is no need to disable safe mode.

Safe mode is a security mechanism that protects both you and all of the other customers that share that server. I cannot remove that protection"

gosh there is so much cool stuff on the web. I'm going to look into this, let you know what I find out.

Edit: I also would have to setup php as a cgi, not cause my php is in safemode, but because duke doesn't have php installed at all. Kinda running low on space though, this will be a back burner project unless I finish the empeg programs I'm working on.

John

Yeah, it's cool when it's set up on people's pages. It's not cool at all if you're trying to set it up yourself, as I have found out. For one thing, I don't understand why the program doesn't run with PHP in safe mode. I'd assume it's called safe mode for a reason, and it wouldn't make much sense to me to disable it. I also completely understand why a company would want to protect themselves in that manner.

So what is the alternative? Run PHP as a CGI. That's great if it will work. So you follow their instructions, which have missing words, and for people who aren't familiar enough with the process (which has been described as quite simple), it's impossible. It doesn't help that my web space is oddly configured, at least when I FTP to it. Add to that the instructions for this whole process. I'll post a few lines from it and see if it makes complete sense to any of you:

4-Create a new directory in your webserver root called php-cgi and put gallery in that directory.
5-Create a new .htaccess file php-cgi directory (the one in your webserver root) and put the following lines in it:
-AddType application/cgi-php php
-Action application/cgi-php /cgi-bin/php.cgi
-That's it. Now Gallery, and any other PHP app that you put in the cgi-php directory

Is it just me, or did they screw up those instructions by mixing up the name of the directory you're supposed to create? If I'm incorrect, I'm sorry, but I was attempting to follow these instructions, and assumed they knew what they were talking about.

Oh, it doesn't matter anyway because I just don't know enough to do this. Damn. I'm going to have to resort to some crappy thumbnail creator. This sucks.

Later tonight I will check out using Gallery in this method and then write better instructions. I will let you know what happens.

Hmmm,

Well, you could try a different gallery style. Check my page under photos. I came up with this solution because I was tired of always having to rewrite my scripts for different servers permission levels etc. Everything is pre-processed or ofloaded to the client. If you like the galleries there you can download most of the software to make them from the code section of my site.
(Foot note. Check out the Kim Smith gallery. It was created using the most recent version of the S/W. Some of the original/old galleries have slightly different code.. IE specific)

You still need a thumbnail maker program (like thumbs plus) but the rest is pretty easy to do. If you decide to try it and need any help let me know.