Creating searchable data DVD

[Mark Coulombe]

Hi,
I am trying to figure this stuff out and have read many articles but it is clearly not my area of expertise. I have a data DVD with nearly 12k files/4.3gb (doc, pdf, ect) that I want to create a search page for. Most of the help files are geared to websites.
When I index in javascript, I get the following errors. "failed to delete temporary plugin input file", "failed to read plugin supported binary file", "image info has encountered a problem", "PDF/Doc plugin failed. File not scanned" all followed by windows error reporting popup.
Additionally, the zoom_index and indexlog exceed 13mb in size and fail to function. I read the FAQ and downloaded Server2go and reindexed the data in CGI and am now somewhat lost. I am not good with this computer language but wish to complete this project.
Is there something that puts this together more like a recipe card or simplifies the subject matter for the lay person? I do not want to give up on this but am a bit frustrated. Perhaps PHP or ASP are easier? Any and all guidance is greatly appreciated.

[Ray]

It sounds like you are having several unrelated problems, so I'll try to address them one at a time.


When I index in javascript, I get the following errors. "failed to delete temporary plugin input file", "failed to read plugin supported binary file", "image info has encountered a problem", "PDF/Doc plugin failed. File not scanned" all followed by windows error reporting popup.

These errors indicate a problem with indexing some plugin files. If the errors only occur for SOME of the files (and other files of the same file formats are indexed OK), then the problem may be with individual files - they may be corrupt or of an incompatible format. First thing to do is to check these FAQs on possible plugin errors:
http://www.wrensoft.com/zoom/support/index.html#plugins

If this doesn't help, you can e-mail us (http://www.wrensoft.com/contactus.html) a copy of some of these files which are causing errors and we can take a look.

However, if ALL files of a certain format (eg. all JPG files, or all PDF files) are triggering an error and not indexing, then the problem may be due to an installation issue. Please let us know exactly which version of Zoom you are using (click "Help"->"About") and make sure you have the latest.


Additionally, the zoom_index and indexlog exceed 13mb in size and fail to function. I read the FAQ and downloaded Server2go and reindexed the data in CGI and am now somewhat lost.

Did you follow the instructions on this page?
http://www.wrensoft.com/zoom/support/cgicd.html

If so, then which part are you at where you are lost? What have you attempted and what problems/errors are you seeing?

[Mark Coulombe]

I started by unzipping the contents of Server2go to my project folder called "Server2go" (../). Inside it I have folders "Htdocs", "cgi-bin" and "server" to include files "autorun", pms_config" and "server2go.exe". I indexed my folder contents with ZOOM indexer (cgi/win32) for the data DVD and placed the zoom files in the "Htdocs" folder and placed the "search.cgi" file in the "cgi-bin" folder. I am not certain how to specifically edit the "pms_config" file for this project.
I have probably missed an important step but failed to identify what after reading this link http://www.wrensoft.com/zoom/support/cgicd.html. If you can teach/show me how to make this work then I am sure this post will help other novice users decide to use your program for the creation of searchable CD/DVD's. Thanks for your patience.

[Ray]

I indexed my folder contents with ZOOM indexer (cgi/win32) for the data DVD and placed the zoom files in the "Htdocs" folder and placed the "search.cgi" file in the "cgi-bin" folder.

This might be your problem. You need to have all the search files generated by Zoom in the same folder. This includes all the .zdat files, "search_template.html" and "search.cgi".

Try moving all these files into your "cgi-bin" folder, and see if that helps. To test, you should double-click on "Server2Go.exe" which will launch a browser window. You should be able to access your search function by adding "/cgi-bin/search.cgi" to the end of the URL in the browser, (eg. something like: http://192.168.0.1:4001/cgi-bin/search.cgi - IP address will vary, or it might say localhost)

To modify the "pms_config.ini" file, simply open this file in any plain text editor, such as Notepad.

Hope that helps!

[Mark Coulombe]

It worked! I moved all zoom files to cgi-bin folder and edited the pms_config file to open the search.cgi file. I tested a search query and it quickly pulled up nearly 200 results. My next thing to work on is when I follow the links, they all give me a "HTTP 404 Not Found" page. I played with lots of things and would not be surprised if I messed something up. I will try and edit the search file with zoomsearch or just reindex my folder and replace all files. Does that sound correct? Again, thanks for your help. I am very satisified with Zoom Search Engine (v5)!

[Ray]

Glad to hear you're making progress. The 404 errors are most likely due to an incorrect Base URL setting. You should refer to Appendix 9.2 in the Users Guide for a detailed explanation ("Base URL for CD-ROM distribution"):
http://www.wrensoft.com/zoom/usersguide.html

Remember to note this part of the instructions:

The Base URL should be set to "../", assuming you plan to put all your content in the "htdocs" folder. If you are not sure, please check Appendix B. Base URL for CD-ROM distribution in the Zoom Users Guide (http://www.wrensoft.com/ftp/zoom.pdf).


Perhaps you haven't copied the rest of your DVD's content to the "htdocs" folder so that it can be accessed from Server2Go?

[Mark Coulombe]

Perhaps you haven't copied the rest of your DVD's content to the "htdocs" folder so that it can be accessed from Server2Go?

What if I do not want to put the rest of my 13k files in "htdocs" folder. I only meant for this search function to make it easier for others to find various files but will not always be used. Can I edit a file to have some file look elsewhere? I verified my base URL and narrowed the issue down to the location issue with actual files being indexed. If this is a question that deals with Server2go then I will post there and reference this thread. Thanks for your help.

[Mark Coulombe]

Disregard my last request. I moved my files into "server2go/htdocs" folder and created shortcuts to the root directory. I then hid my "Server2go" folder and all works as it should. I will eventually change it back once I have learned how to manipulate these script files. In the end, this was a successful project and I appreciated your assistance. Thanks.

[Ray]

Glad to hear you've worked out your problem. Yes, Server2Go expects to host all your content files on the local web server. The typical usage is that your DVD will always start Server2Go upon placing the disc in the tray, and the browser will open and point to your home page (which is actually in the htdocs folder). So all files will be accessed via the browser/server2go typically.