Plusnet CGI Tricks:

Setting file attributes in Microsoft FTP:

To alter the attributes of a file "script.pl" from within a ftp session use:

quote site chmod 755 script.pl

The "quote" command means send the rest of the line to the server and "site" means execute a shell command.

Only a small "safe" subset of shell commands are implemented.

Setting up CPAN for local use:

This allows you to use the CPAN (Comprehensive Perl Archive Network) shell to install modules.

Log in to your ccgi space.
Create a folder ".cpan" (note the dot)
Enter the folder
Create a folder "CPAN" (no dot)
Enter the folder
Obtain and edit the file MyConfig.pm

# $Id: MyConfig.pm,v 1.5 2005/02/05 19:08:13 jmates Exp $
#
# Sample MyConfig.pm configuration to install CPAN modules to a custom
# location, such as under a home directory.
#
# 1. Change all occurences of HOMEDIRFIX to your home directory,
#    e.g. /home/user
#
# 2. Review 'makepl_arg' below. For more information on the arguments,
#    read the following documentation using the perldoc(1) command:
#
#    perldoc ExtUtils::MakeMaker
#
# 3. Check the paths to various commands (e.g. wget), proxy settings for
#    your environment, the urllist, and the shell.
#
# 4. Run 'perl -c MyConfig.pm' to ensure the formatting of this file is
#    correct following the edits.

$CPAN::Config = {
  'build_cache' => q[5],
  'build_dir' => q[/files/<home?>/<username>/.cpan/build],
  'cache_metadata' => q[1],
  'cpan_home' => q[/files/<home?>/<username>/.cpan],
  'dontload_hash' => {  },
  'ftp' => q[/usr/bin/ftp],
  'ftp_proxy' => q[],
  'getcwd' => q[cwd],
  'gzip' => q[/bin/gzip],
  'histfile' => q[/files/<home?>/<username>/.cpan/histfile],
  'histsize' => q[100],
  'http_proxy' => q[],
  'inactivity_timeout' => q[0],
  'index_expire' => q[1],
  'inhibit_startup_message' => q[0],
  'keep_source_where' => q[/files/<home?>/<username>/.cpan/sources],
  'lynx' => q[ ],
  'make' => q[/usr/bin/make],
  'make_arg' => q[],
  'make_install_arg' => q[],
  'makepl_arg' => q[PREFIX=~/ SITELIBEXP=~/cgi-bin/lib LIB=~/cgi-bin/lib INSTALLMAN1DIR=~/share/man/man1 INSTALLMAN3DIR=~/share/man/man3 INSTALLSITEMAN1DIR=~/share/man/man1 INSTALLSITEMAN3DIR=~/share/man/man3],
  'ncftp' => q[ ],
  'ncftpget' => q[ ],
  'no_proxy' => q[],
  'pager' => q[less],
  'prerequisites_policy' => q[ask],
  'proxy_user' => q[],
  'scan_cache' => q[atstart],
  'shell' => q[/bin/sh],
  'tar' => q[/bin/tar],
  'term_is_latin' => q[0],
  'unzip' => q[/usr/bin/unzip],
  'urllist' => [q[http://cpan.llarian.net/], q[ftp://cpan.nas.nasa.gov/pub/perl/CPAN/], q[ftp://cpan.pair.com/pub/CPAN/], q[ftp://ftp.duke.edu/pub/perl/], q[ftp://ftp.cs.colorado.edu/pub/perl/CPAN/], q[ftp://ftp.sunsite.utk.edu/pub/CPAN/], q[http://www.perl.com/CPAN/]],
  'wait_list' => [q[wait://ls6.informatik.uni-dortmund.de:1404]],
  'wget' => q[/usr/bin/wget],
};
1;
__END__

Note: That's "Common Gateway Interface" not "Computer Generated Imagery"

Note: Plusnet call their CGI server "ccgi", to distinguish it from an earlier discontinued platform.