Documentation
INSTALLMENT IBILL PAYMENT SYSTEM:  V1.0


System Requirements

  • Perl 5
  • IBILL Account
  • Mysql

Preliminaries

  • Determine the path to PERL 5 on your web server host.  Note that some web hosting companies run both PERL 4 and PERL 5.  Make ABSOLUTELY sure you are not setting this up under PERL 4.  Ask your administrator if you are not sure.
  • Unpack the tar archive on your desktop using a program that unpacks UNIX TAR ARCHIVES. If you don't have such a program then download WINZIP FREE from SHAREWARE.COM
  • After you have unpacked the TAR archive you will have a collection of folders and files on your desktop.  Now you have to do some basic editing of each of these files (or at least some of them).  Use a text editor such as wordpad, notepad, BBEdit, simpletext, or teachtext to edit the files.  These are NOT WORD PROCESSOR DOCUMENTS they are just simple TEXT files so don't save them as word processor documents or save them with extentions such as .txt or they will NOT WORK.   Note that there may be a some files inside of folders which are "blank".   This is normal.

Preparing the CGI scripts

Define Path To PERL 5

The first step is to open up each and every file that has a .cgi extention and edit line number one of each script.  Each of the cgi scripts is written in perl 5. For your scripts to run they must know where perl 5 is installed on your web server. The path to perl 5 is defined to a cgi script in the first line of the file. In each of the cgi scripts the first line of code looks something like this:

#!/usr/bin/perl

If the path to perl 5 on your web server is different from /usr/bin/perl you must edit the first line of each cgi script to reflect the correct path. If the path to perl 5 is the same no changes are necessary. If you do not know the path to perl 5 ask the webmaster or system administrator at your server site.  

Configure the .cgi files

configure.cgi

This file pretty much runs the whole show.  If you screw this one up don't count on anything working properly.   In other words, make sure you take the time to do this step CORRECTLY.  Ask your administrator if you need to.  Below are the variables used in ALL of the other cgi scripts.  All of the other cgi programs USE configure.cgi to figure out where certain things are. 

 

  • $date_command = "/usr/bin/date";
  • $mysqldatabase = "mysql database name";
  • $mysqlusername="mysql username";
  • $mysqlpassword="mysql password";
  • $webmasterurl = "http://www.yourdomain.com/index.html";
  • $mailprog = '/usr/sbin/sendmail';
  • $adminemail = "you\@yourdomain.com";
  • $idatadirectory = "/full/path/to/cgi-bin/installment/idata";
  • $sourcedirectory = "/full/path/to/cgi-bin/installment/tarballs";
  • $installment = "24.95";
  • $adminmodifycgi = "/installment/admin/modify.cgi";
  • $admindeletecgi = "/installment/admin/delete.cgi";
  • $supporturl = "http://www.yourdomain.com/installment/support.html";
  • $installperiod = "30";
  • $fullypaid = "300";
  • $numberofinstallments = "10";
  • $date_command = path to date
  • $mysqldatabase = "mysql database name";
  • $mysqlusername="mysql username";
  • $mysqlpassword="mysql password";
  • $webmasterurl = FULL URL to /installment/index.html
  • $mailprog = path to sendmail
  • $adminemail = your email address
  • $idatadirectory = full path to /cgi-bin/installment/data/ directory
  • $sourcedirectory = full path to /cgi-bin/installment/files/ directory (if selling content)
  • $installment = price per installment
  • $adminmodifycgi = RELATIVE URL to /installment/admin/modify.cgi";
  • $admindeletecgi = RELATIVE URL to /installment/admin//delete.cgi";
  • $supporturl = FULL URL TO /installment/support.html";
  • $installperiod = Number of days between installments
  • $fullypaid = Number of days till account is fully paid
  • $numberofinstallments = Number of installments until fully paid

Upload Your Edited CGI and Database Files

  • Create directory inside cgi-bin called /cgi-bin/installment/ and upload the following files chmod them all to 755
    • configure.cgi
    • download.cgi
    • signup.cgi
    • status.cgi
  • Create directory inside cgi-bin called /cgi-bin/installment/admin/ and upload the following files chmod them all to 755
    • configure.cgi
    • delete.cgi
    • login.cgi
    • modify.cgi
    • system.cgi
    • counter.cgi
  • Make a directory inside your HTML called /installment and upload the following files
    • index.html (signup page)
  • Make a directory inside your HTML called /installment/admin/ (password protect it) and upload the following files
    • index.html (admin panel)

Upload MYSQL tables

  • Upload the MYSQL tables supplied (installment.sql)

Mods you might want to make

  • signup.cgi - you may want to customize the emails that go out

Notes on running the system

  • The concept of this system is primarily for sites with large amounts of downloadable content to allow people to make payments and download single files until their account is paid in full.
  • It can also be used to run sites with dynamic content as a payment system that allows them to download content on a periodical basis as long as they pay
  • This is not intended to run a password protected content site.  When I speak of content I mean DOWNLOADABLE FILES.  Use another program such as mastergate, ibill processor, etc for those types of sites
  • The important key with this system lay in the fact that the users MUST FTP the files to THEIR machines rather than DOWNLOAD files from your machine.  This creates an unBEARABLE security wall for hackers that do not want to give away their identities.  Thus your fraud will drop to practically zero.
  • It is also noted that once they pay a set fee to get the main downloadables (use this site as an example).  They end up paying EXTRA (kind of like installment plans at SEARS, etc).  Not only that but they continue making monthly payments to keep their accounts active and get the new content.   This is optional but advised as you will make a LOT more money this way.