How to run a simple CGI script or binary with a nginx server.15.12.23

Nginx cannot run the CGI file by itself, because its management would slow down the nginx server.
But it can communicate with a fcgiwrap service what handle the cgi file.

Suppose you have already an installed Nginx server:

Install sudo apt-get install fcgiwrap
```console
sudo apt-get install fcgiwrap
```

Check if the fcgiwrap server is working 
```console
systemctl status fcgiwrap.service
systemctl status fcgiwrap.socket 
systemctl is-enabled fcgiwrap.service 
systemctl is-enabled fcgiwrap.socket 
cat /lib/systemd/system/fcgiwrap.socket 
cat /lib/systemd/system/fcgiwrap.service 
```

Create the below small Perl test CGI file and saved it to /usr/local/bin/hello_world.cgi

```perl
#!/usr/bin/perl -w
     # Tell perl to send a html header.
     # So your browser gets the output
     # rather then <stdout>(command line
     # on the server.)
print "Content-type: text/html\n\n";
     # print your basic html tags.
     # and the content of them.
print "<html><head><title>Hello World!! </title></head>\n";
print "<body><h1>Hello world</h1></body></html>\n"
```

Create a general fcgwrap.conf file to /etc/ngnix/fcgiwrap.conf
```
location /cgi-bin/ { 
  gzip off;
  root	/usr/local/bin/;
  fastcgi_pass  unix:/run/fcgiwrap.socket;
  include /etc/nginx/fastcgi_params;
  fastcgi_param SCRIPT_FILENAME  /usr/lib$fastcgi_script_name;
}

```
Explanation: /cgi-bin/  is your browser section alias, and it will look into the root folder /usr/local/bin/cgi-bin/

Now you can add to each of your virtual host nginx declaration a include line
```apacheconf
server {   
	include /etc/nginx/fcgiwrap.conf;
}
```

Restart fcgiwrap and nginx 
```console
systemctl restart fcgiwrap.service
systemctl restart nginx.service
```

Now you should be able to access like mine below:
https://perege.draconarius.com/cgi-bin/hello_world.cgi

About CGI and example with Nginx:
https://landchad.net/cgi/

https://sleeplessbeastie.eu/2017/09/18/how-to-execute-cgi-scripts-using-fcgiwrap/

Anonymous

How to run a simple CGI script or binary with a nginx server.15.12.23

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