How to Install Microsoft IIS and ActivePerl

Prepared by Andrew Brenner for English 398N Fall 2003

These instructions will guide you through installing Microsoft IIS (Internet Information Services) and Perl ActiveState.
Then they will show how to configure these prograns to operate successfully on a Windows computer.

The end result will be the ability to have Perl scripts execute and generate cgi web pages on your own server.
This will allow you to easily work on scripts since you will then have your own local area in which to design and test.

Equipment Required

Directions

Installing IIS

Step 1:
Run the Add/Remove Programs applet in the Control Panel and click on Add/Remove Windows Components.		Add/Remove Windows Components
Step 2:
Click on the Internet Information Services item in the list and press Details.		Windows Components Wizard
Step 3:
Make sure that the all of the checked boxes in the image to the right, are also check on your list. Then select World Wide Web Service and press Details.		IIS Install Window
Step 4:
Be sure that at least these two boxes are checked. Then you will need to press Ok until you reach the main installation window as seen in Step 1. At this window press Next and Windows will begain the installation. If prompted insert the Windows XP Pro CD into the drive so that installation can continue.		WWW Service Install
Step 5:
When Windows has completed this window will appear. Press Finish, and then close the Add/Remove Programs Applet. Restart the computer if required.		IIS Install Completed

Installing ActivePerl

Step 1:
Run the ActivePerl installation program, then at this window press Next.
Step 2:
You must accept this license in order to continue with the installation. Select the accept button, then click Next.
Step 3:
Select which pieces to install (it is recommended to install everything unless there is a specific reason not to), then click Next.
Step 4:
Only install this if there is a specific reason to do so. Click Next to continue.
Step 5:
Make sure all of these boxes are checked, so everything will be configured correctly, then click Next.
Step 6:
Finally press Install and wait for it to complete.
Step 7:
Once installation is completed you will be presented with this window. If you want to look at the release note make certain that box is check, then press Finish

Configuring IIS

Step 1:
Run Computer Management (It can be reached from the Administrative Tools section of the Control Panel).
Then select My Web Site as seen in this image and go to its properties.
Step 2:
Select the Home Directory tab. Verify Application Settings and then press Configuration.
Step 3:
Make sure that these two entries appear in the Application Mappings list. If they appear not to match click Edit and correct them as shown in Step 4.
Step 4:
These are the configurations for the .pl extension, .plx is similar except for the Executable, refer to Step 3 if there is a discrepancy.
After these have been verified click Ok to all the boxes and then close Computer Management.
 
Congratulations
You are now ready to start writing and executing your own Perl cgi scripts.

Troubleshooting and Testing

If perl scripts are not executing be sure to verify that IIS is configured properly to handle their extensions
and also that they have the correct extension (this is .pl).
Here is a piece of test code to verify that the installation is working correctly:
This should be saved as a text file with a .pl extension, and placed into the wwwroot folder of IIS.		 
#!/usr/bin/perl -w
use LWP::Simple;
print "Content-type:text/html\n\n";
print "Welcome to my web site";
Perl Scripts can be executed by browsing to your website and to that specific file in a web browser.
The perl scripts should be located within the wwwroot folder in c:\inetpub (default) in order for them to be accessable as web pages.