Thanks, JeevesBond. I've

aci20 — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 08:11:11 +0000

Thanks, JeevesBond.
I've gone back to the hosts armed with your info. I tend to agree that it may not be worth the bother, but I always like to learn stuff.

Failing that... previous, high-spec, flexible hosts who cost more and have too much downtime, or yet another host (with associated messing about getting it all working)?

Thanks again.

Andy

Sorry to double-post.

JeevesBond — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 17:20:08 +0000

Sorry to double-post. However, the first thing you could do is ask your hosts whether you have (or can have) SSH access to the server.

Installing this module might be possible with SSH access. Without that, it's not worth the effort.

typing anything at a command

JeevesBond — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 16:57:19 +0000

typing anything at a command prompt is officially beyond me as I'm damned if I can even find a command prompt.

This would be because your (cheap) hosts won't have given you access to the command prompt. Not sure if this helps, but the command prompt in this case will also go by the name SSH, so if your hosts provide you with SSH access or similar, then you have access to the command prompt. The thing is: 1) you couldn't have known that; 2) I doubt your hosts have given you that access!

Specifically, I need use of the GD module, and the dire but cheap hosts say I need to install it in the web space myself.

Sounds like a bit of a stitch-up to me. They know it's highly unlikely you'll be able to do this, and that's why they advise it. At least that's how it seems.

In my opinion, and after ten minutes of research, you'll either need to recreate the hosting computer's environment on your own computer. Which will involve installing a Linux distro (or flavour of BSD) onto a spare computer or virtual machine, you'll need to find out what the hosts are using here and match it. Then -- using the command prompt -- compile your own copy of the library and upload it to the hosts computer. Hopefully there is a way to include Perl libraries that you have access to.

If you're confused at this point, you might want to consider other options.