FAQ's

Select a category to find the answers you are interested in. 


MYSQL Database support

Miva Merchant E-Commerce Software

Miva Order E-commerce Software 

Commonly asked questions

PlusRoamer II

Frontpage 2000

Email Questions

SiteBuilder

 Real Audio/Video 

What's the telnet commands to access mySQL? 

Use the following outline to connect and begin querying the mySQL server from a Telnet. Remember that you cannot connect to your databases remotely due to security concerns, you can only connect from localhost.

1. Connect To The mySQL Server
servername:/> mysql -u USERNAME -p
Enter Password: PASSWORD

2. Connect To The Database
mysql> use DATABASENAME;

3. Receving Help
mysql> help



What's the telnet command to activate msql? 

msql dbname



How do I connect to mySQL through PHP? 

Use the following outline to connect and begin querying the mySQL server from within your PHP scripts. Remember that you cannot connect to your databases remotely due to security reasons. You can only connect to them form localhost.

1. Connect To The mySQL Server
Use the following statement to connect to the database server. Substitute the username, and password for ones who have created in the WebControl System.

MYSQL_CONNECT('localhost','USERNAME','PASSWORD');

2. Select Your Database
Use the following statement to select the database you wish to connect to. Make sure you substitute the example with your database name.
@mysql_select_db("DATABASENAME");

3. Executing A Query
You are now ready to execute your queries. Most problems that arise with your scripts will be due to incorrect permission settings.


How many databases can I create? 

We allow 4 individual databases to be created using your WebControl System.


Can I use JDBC with MySQL/MSQL? 

At this time we donot support JDBC.

How do I connect to mySQL using mySQLPerl Module? 

Use the following outline to connect and begin querying the mySQL server from a Perl script. Remember that you cannot connect to your databases remotely due to security concerns, you can only connect from localhost.

1. Declarations
You must require the mySQL package for your script to function properly. Do this by including the following line in your code: use Mysql;

2. Connect To The Database
Somewhere near the beginning of your script, you need to make your initial connection to the database server. Using the following form, substitute your database, username, and password for the examples to connect succesfully. 
Mysql->connect('localhost','DATABASENAME','USERNAME','USERPASSWORD');

3. Executing A Query
You are now ready to begin querying the database server. Most problems that you may incur will generally occur due to invalid permission settings for the specified user. 

Miva Merchant E-Commerce Software 


I can add items to the basket and can view the contents of the basket, but if I want to 'Buy 1 Now' or 'Check Out' after viewing the contents of the basket, it will give this error message at checkout: "...cannot connect with the site http://mysite.com/Merchant/merchant.mv?Session_ID=(...)." What do I need to do? 

You are probably not calling your secure certificate correctly. If you have a secure certificate through your IHP then you probably need to use the server name and specify your site name in the path after this.(i.e. https://yourihpssecureserver/mysite/Merchant/merchant.mv? ) 



I would like to make sure I have a copy of my product information stored on my local drive for backup. Where is this information stored (description, attributes, product code, etc.)? 

It is stored in several database (.dbf) files in the data directory (probably /htsdata/ or /mivadata/). Data specific to your store and products will be stored in a sub-directory called '0000000X'. X is the store number. If you only have one store, it will be 1. Download the entire directory, not just the *.dbf files. They need the *.mvx and *.dbt files that are used with them. 


I have placed several test orders. Why do I not receive e-mail notification? 
Two common causes:
First, you may not have a valid mail server setup in the fulfillment module. Check with your host to find out what should go there.

Second, the mail server is filtering out messages with the same address in the from/to fields. Use a different e-mail address when placing test orders. Something like 'testorders@yourmailserver.com' works well.


I need to delete a shipping module from a store. I get the message that this module is in use by one or more orders. I batched all orders and deleted them and it still will not delete. How do I delete this from my store? 

In your store, delete the expired shopping carts, and pack the data in the 'Mall.' Then pack the data in the 'Store,' and it should work. Also, you need to make sure you remove it from the 'Store' and not delete it from the list of Modules.


I have not gone live with my store yet and am only testing it out. I plan on telling my customers to refer to their order numbers when I go live. However, it appears that Merchant is reusing order numbers after they are batched and processed. How can I do that if Merchant is going to reuse them? 


Order numbers should not be re-used. Please verify that the order numbers are really duplicates and not just out of order. Baskets that were not completed are orphaned and will be reused later after you "delete expired shopping baskets" in the admin.mv area.

When trying to check out of my store, it gives you a 'Ship to' list, and a 'Bill to' form. Under the 'Ship to' form, at the very bottom, is a drop-down list that says to "Select one." However, there is nothing to select and because of this it will not let you check out. What is wrong? 

This is probably from using the 'Shopper Selected Sales Tax' module with no options entered. You can either enter some options for this module, or use the 'State Based Sales Tax' module and only enter a tax rate for the states or areas that need to be charged tax.

When trying to check out of my store, it gives you a 'Ship to' list, and a 'Bill to' form. Under the 'Ship to' form, at the very bottom, is a drop-down list that says to "Select one." However, there is nothing to select and because of this it will not let you check out. What is wrong? 

This is probably from using the 'Shopper Selected Sales Tax' module with no options entered. You can either enter some options for this module, or use the 'State Based Sales Tax' module and only enter a tax rate for the states or areas that need to be charged tax.

Clicking 'Buy One Now' or 'Checkout' produces a blank screen. A 'View Source' reveals a strange error message - something about "Error opening lib/db.mv..." 

Paths to modules have not been properly specified in your admin. Expand the 'Modules' section of your admin.mv margin menu, then select "Module Paths." Make sure that the path entered for your modules directory is correct (e.g. This is usually "/Merchant/" in a standard installation).


I am using the 'Credit Card with Simple Validation' option. Where do I get the Credit Card information? 

In your Administration menu, expand your store.
Expand 'Order Processing.'
Expand 'Unbatched Orders.'
Click on an order to open.
Click on the 'Credit Card with Simple Validation' link.
The customer's credit card information will be displayed.

I completed the v2.0 upload to my server. How do I get to my administration screen? 

If you have completed your setup, you should find your administration screen by going to your new v2.0 URL. It will probably look something like one of the following:
http://www.yourdomain.com/Merchant2/admin.mv
http://www.yourdomain.com/cgi-bin/miva?Merchant2/admin.mv

However, if you haven't completed your setup yet, you will not be able to get to your Administration screen. You will have to start with 'setup.mv'.

I just installed v2.0 and completed the 'setup.mv'. There are no Utilities under 'Store' to import my v1.x store. The only Utility I find is to 'Pack Data Files.' Where do I go to import my v1.x data? 

Before you can import your v1.x data, you must first complete the 'Add Store' routine. Once you have added a store to v2.0, your store utilities will appear. Expand your 'Utilities' and expand 'Import Data.' You will then find the v1.x store import feature.


I just received e-mail from Miva about the v2.0 upgrade. How do I get v2.0 installed? 

We make all miva upgrades available through your WebControl System. Just login and check it as if your were making the installation for the first time. This will install all the new files, than you will need to follow this procedure.

The e-mail should contain your licensing information. You must first activate your new license. To do this, go to this Web location that is listed on the e-mail:

http://www.miva.com/upgrade/merchant/2.0

This Web site will have a screen for you to enter your licensing information. Enter the information and your e-mail address that you received the upgrade information and click "Upgrade." This will activate your license.

You then need to go to the FTP site listed on your e-mail. Open the README file to determine the download file you need. Download the necessary file to your server and follow the installation instructions.

Go to the v2.0 documentation at:
http://www.miva.com/docs

Follow the instructions that are located in Chapter 17 "Utilities" on importing your v1.x store.

Every time I upload a product to the Miva directory, it throws the products on-line uncategorized. How do I categorize my products in the Miva Merchant software? 

If you are uploading from a flat file include the category code in an additional field. You will need a separate field in your data for the category code. If you are entering your products via admin.mv, you need to either add products underneath that category or you can "Add existing product(s)" to that category. 


How do I install Miva Merchant? 

If your account comes with the Miva E-Commerce software, just log into your WebControl System at http://your-domain.com/cgi-bin/plusmail and select script install than check Miva Merchant and hit submit. The software will be installed within 15 minutes and you will find a directory called Merchant2 in your WWW when its completed. Your next step will be to register the product (http://your-domain.com/Merchant2/setup.mv) and do the initial configuration. You will find a easy to use wizard to help with the in our Miva manual at http://devhelper.net/

How do I upgrade Miva to get there Security fix? 

MIVA MERCHANT SECURITY ALERT-For Miva Merchat 2. AND Miva Order users. Many of you might have received an email from Miva Corp conserving a securty rist within there products. They provided links to upgrades that would fix any security risks. We have made it easier for our clients to fix by installing the security fixes on our servers, and eliminating the need for the client to download and install the fix himself. Please proceed to your WebControl System [http://yourdomainame.com/cgi-bin/plusmail] once logged in, click on setup scripts then on Miva for the MivaMerchant2 upgrade or Miva Order for the Miva Order upgrade click setup scripts. Next you would go to [http://yourdomainame.com/Merchant2/setup.mv] or [http://yourdomainname.com/Order/setup.mv] to finish the process .


I'm looking for how to offer customers a choice of sizes and colors for a product (the price would remain the same). How do I add these choices? 

If you click on the arrow next to the product in your admin.mv menu you will get a sub-menu with an 'Attribute' selection. You can have as many attributes, such as color or size, as you want. For individual colors, like red and blue, you would set them up as options for that attribute. 

To delete a store do I need to delete the .dbf files within the store? Do I also need to delete the .mvx files within the store, and then delete the store from my /htsdata directory? 

In admin.mv, click on the store name (not the triangle beside it) and click "Delete." Do not try to manually delete any data files. 


What does the 'Fulfillment' module do? 

The 'Fulfillment' module sends you e-mail when you get an order through your store. 


I am not getting the credit card information after placing my test orders. Where can I get this? 

If you are referring to the fact that the credit card info is not included with the e-mail confirmation, then that is correct. The CC info is not included in your e-mail for security reasons. The CC info, however, will be in your admin.mv under 'Order Processing.' You can add any link you want in the 'Thank you' portion of the final ordering screen. 


If I want to have the same product in more than one category, would I have to define the product with a new ID more than once? 


No. Just go to admin.mv and add the item to the desired category(ies). You can do this by clicking the subordinate 'Add existing product(s)' link under the category name in the menu. The system will then always use the same product ID. 


I checked the root directory for my graphics and it looks okay. However, the Miva graphics are not loading on my web site. What am I doing wrong? 

Your base URL for graphics is probably set wrong. By default, it should be set to "http://www.yourdomain.com/Merchant/" If you check the URL of the graphics, they should look like this: http://www.yourdomain.com/Merchant/graphics/mmui/prodlist.gif The same thing is probably true for any custom background graphic that you may be using. Changing the root directory to "/Merchant/" should solve this as well. 


I added a user (not an Administrator) and when the user logs in, that user is unable to do anything. How do I assign privileges to this user? 



In your Administration menu, expand your store.
Expand 'Groups.'
Click on 'Add Group.'
Assign View, Add, Modify, and Delete privileges to the group where desired.
Click 'Update.'
Click on the link of the group you just created.
Click on the 'Users' link.
Select the user to add to the group.
Click 'Update.' 

Commonly asked questions 

What version of perl is installed? 

Currently were using 5.00404


How do I install PHP3 on my domain? 

Goto your WebControl System (http://your-domain.com/cgi-bin/plusmail) and after logging in click on script install and then select php from the list of avaiable scripts. PHP3 will be ready for use in apprx 15 minutes.


What is PHP3? 

PHP is a server-side, cross-platform, HTML embedded scripting language. It has a syntax familiar to both Perl and C. PHP-enabled web pages are treated just like regular HTML pages and you can create and edit them the same way you normally create regular HTML pages.



What userid does my PHP scripts run under? 

Your php will run under your userid and group.


How do I connect to my account via FTP? 

When using WS_FTP download here

Step1: Create a new profile. To do this, Press the w> button. 
Step2: Under "Profile Name", enter in your company name or simply your domain name. 
Step3: Enter your IP address in the field named "Host Name/Address:". Click here to obtain the IP adress for your account. 
Step4: Now enter your login on your account in the box corresponding with "User ID". 
Step5: Enter your account password in the field named "Password". 
Finally, make sure that the "Anonymous" box is not checked. You may choose to select the box entitled "Save Pwd" this will store your password for future use. 

Now press the "OK" button near the bottom left of the window and you will automatically be logged into your account via FTP.

The online manual has full detailed instructions.


Where do I upload all of the files pertaining to my website? 

After you log into your account you will be in your home directory. You need to switch to the WWW directory before uploading your webpages. The default file in any directory should be called one of the following: 

index.htm 
index.html
default.htm
index.shtml
index.mv
index.php3


Do you upgrade Perl when new releases are available? 

Yes. Once a new build of Perl has been deemed as stable versus experimental, we will upgrade across the network based on how it may effect existing scripts
already in operation.



Why does formmail.cgi return a "bad referrer" error message? 

Usually because you are calling formmail with a secure call (i.e. https://machine.safe-order.net/cgi-bin/formmail.cgi, but are calling it from a non-secure page (i.e. http://yourdomain.com/order.html). Make both URLs secure or both non-secure to avoid this error.



Why does my script produce an ISE (Internal Server Error)? 

This can have many causes, ranging from incorrect permissions to syntax errors within the script. Check that the script actually runs by running it via a telnet prompt. Then check permissions and ownership: is the script owned by the main user of the domain? Do the script and its parent directory both have 755 permissions? Was the script uploaded in ascii mode, not binary?



What is the absolute paths to Perl on the webservers? 

/usr/bin/perl


How Should I set my file permissions on cgi-scripts? 

Executed via the web by anyone: chmod 755
Executed by only yourself throught the command line: 700

We run suEXEC seemlessly through the apache webserver.

This effects how file permissions are set. This automatically makes the rwxrwxrwx error when applied to file permissions. Perl scripts will never work if the permissions on the file are 777. 

Files that would otherwise require world write access (guestbook pages) do not have to have this permission. Since the Perl script which will open and write to the file is executed under the owner's userid, and the file is also owned by the same user, then the file only needs to be writable by the owner, not the world. 

Finally, there are some freeware or perhaps even commercial Perl scripts which may require you to set a directory to rwxrwxrwx (chmod 777). Again, this is not necessary. Setting the directory permissions to 755 should always be sufficient. If you do set any directories to rwxrwxrwx, then any Perl scripts located inside of this directory will not execute!

Can I run scripts outside of my cgi-bin? 

Yes, any script you setup outside of your cgi-bin must have a .cgi extension rather than .pl. If the file your using has a extension other than .cgi and you would like to run it outside of your cgi-bin you can just rename the file so it will execute properly.

What is the current version of PHP offered to clients? 

Currently PHP 3.0.12 is being distributed.


How do I execute PHP3 scripts? 

Any webpage you create that uses PHP should be saved with a .php3 extension to be parsed properly.

PlusRoamer II 


How do I set up a Plus Roamer account? 

Log into your WebControl System and click on script installs than PlusRoamer II. You will need to enter a password to make the submission. The password can be anything you like, you will need to use it when you fill out the registration for the software before actually using it. All scripts are installed within 15 minutes of hitteng submit, once this is in your domain goto http://your-domain.com/plusroamer/register.mv to get started.



How do I access the Admin functions of PlusRoamer II? 

To access the administrative function you will need to log in as admin. Goto the user login screen and type "admin" for user and the password you used to register the software for the requested password.



The Plusroamer accounts are not receiving any messages, although sending works fine? 

PlusRoamer II uses your default email address to capture the domains email. This means you must leave the default line unchanged in your .redirect in order for email to reach the PlusRoamer software for processing.

Frontpage 2000 



What are FrontPage 2000 Server Extensions? 

FrontPage Extensions are CGI programs which provide the server side implementation of FronPage. The extensions allow your local computer to properly communicate with your domain through the http protocol using (RPC). 



How do I get FrontPage Extensions? 

When you signed up for your account you were given the option. If you resently decided to use them just contact support and ask they be installed, theres no charge for this service.



Will all the FrontPage extensions work on my account? 

All the standard extensions FrontPage offers will work on your domain. You will not be able to use the ASP or Microsoft Access database integration at this time. Though they are now offered as easily integratable languages within the FrontPage program, they are not part of the server extensions and require seperate software to work properly.



Why does FrontPage seem to hang and even time out when establishing a connection? 

There is a number of reasons why FrontPage hangs, the biggest reason is related to the amount of data in your WWW directory, both in size and number of files/directories. The more files/directories and size of data, the longer it will take FrontPage to log in. Large amounts of data (> 50MB) or a large number of files or directories ( > 500) can cause FrontPage to severly hang and even timeout. If there are connectivity problems between your ISP and our Servers, then this can also lead to FrontPage hanging badly or even timing out. When you have these problems we recommend creating a number smaller subwebs to break your website up so it does not take FrontPage as long to run through its configuration or recalculate links.



Why do I get an "Internal Server Error" when trying to publish to my website? 

There are a number of reasons this can happen, usually a reinstallation of the extensions will solve the problem. You should contact support when this occurs.



Do you support FrontPage98? 

Yes, The FrontPage 2000 extensions are backward compatable.



Our FrontPage Extensions supported through the secure server? 

No, you will not be able to call the FrontPage forms through the secure server. We do offer a easy to use wizard that uses formmail.cgi which will allow you to easily convert a FrontPage form to a standard one compatible with our secure servers.

Email Questions 


How do I access my mailboxes to check my mail? 

The easiest way to access email is through a program such as Eudora or outlook express. We have full details in the Online Manual on what the settings should be set for on all the more popular E-mail programs.



How do I add POP email accounts? 

The POP boxes that come with your account are already unlocked. Just goto http://your-domain.com/cgi-bin/plusmail and click on addons. Just follow the post instructions to set-up a POP.



What is the SMTP server setting for my POP? 

The SMTP setting is just your domain name. Example if your domain is fred.com your SMTP server setting is fred.com.



What are the incoming server settings for my POP? 

The incoming server settings are simply your domain name. Example, if your domain is fred.com than the incoming server name is fred.com.

Real Audio/Video 

What is RTSP protocol? 

RTSP, or Real-Time Streaming Protocol, is a protocol developed by Real Networks. Just as File Transfer Protocol (FTP) is the best protocol for transferring large files, RTSP is the best protocol for streaming multimedia applications.



Whats the first step in using Real Audio/Video? 

The first is the audio or video file which has an extension of .ra (RealAudio) or .rm (RealMedia). You create this file from your audio or video source using the RealEncoder or RealProducer. 

The second step is creating the metafile with the extension .ram. The ram metafile is simply a text file containing a special url telling the Real server to send your audio or video clip to the browser. The
call for host4u hosting servers is as follows:

pnm://machinename.host4u.net/realaudio/your-userid/name-of-clip.ra 

the clip will either be a .rm or .ra depending on the media type.

If you want to automatically play several videos or audios one after another, list each file on a separate line in the metafile: 

pnm://machinename.host4u.net/realaudio/your-userid/name-of-clip1.ra
pnm://machinename.host4u.net/realaudio/your-userid/name-of-clip2.ra
pnm://machinename.host4u.net/realaudio/your-userid/name-of-clip3.ra 

Upload your .ram and .ra or .rm files to the /realaudio subdirectory in your web directory. When you ftp these files it is important that the .ram files be transferred in ASCII mode and the .ra or .rm files be sent in BINARY mode.


__________________________________________________

SiteBuilder 


Where should i go to install sitebuilder? 

To install sitebuilder, first you should go to your WebControl System [http://yourdomainame.com/cgi-bin/plusmail]. Once logged in you would go to setup scripts choose Sitebuilder (requires lic)
[if you have sitebuilder with your account you will not need a licence] enter a password and hit setup scripts. The password must be written down and remembered, you will be asked for it again during the registration process. For registration of sitebuilder you will have to wait 15 minuets after setup and proceed to http://yourdomain.com/sitebuilder.


_____________________________________

Miva Order E-commerce Software 



What is the url for Miva Order? 

Miva Order can be found at http://yourdomainame.com/Order/setup.mv
after you have installed it at 
http://Yourdomainame.com/cgi-bin/plusmail a.k.a your 
"WebControl System".



Where can I find instructions for Miva Order? 

http://www.miva.com/docs/order/



What our the basic configuration entries for Miva Order? 

For the store after is has been created
http://www.yourdomainame.com/Order/order.mv

Admin and store creation
http://www.yourdomainame.com/Order/admin.mv

For any upgrades
http://www.yourdomainame.com/Order/upgrade.mv