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iWhois - Domain Name Availability CGI
Offering clients a way to check domain name availability is an essential part of a web hosting
company's web site. However, checking the availability of only the common top level domain names
(.com, .net, and .org) is not adequate. A utility to check the availability
for any top level domain name is necessary. This ability can be easily provided with a small form
and CGI script. The lookup form and CGI source are
presented in two sections below.
Installation
To install the lookup CGI on your Virtual Private Server you will need to do the following:
Install the Lookup Form
You will need to download the
Domain Name Availability form
HTML source and store it somewhere in your ~/www/htdocs directory structure. Feel free to
customize the form, add graphics, etc. But be sure that the variable name for the input field
is not altered. Install the CGI
Connect to your Virtual Private Server via Telnet or
SSH and do the following:
% vinstall iwhois
Customize the Appearance of the CGI
Two subroutines in the util.pl file are used to print out header and footer information.
These functions are print_header_info and print_footer_info. Feel free to modify
these functions such that the CGI outputs pages that are in synch with the motifs of the rest of
your site.
Example
Once you have completed the installation successfully, you will have a working query form like the
one shown below (go ahead and test it).
Domain Name Availability
Please use the following form to check the availability of a domain name. The domain name
can end in any of the international top level domains, not just those serviced by the
InterNIC. Simply enter the domain name (i.e. internic.net, nominet.org.uk, nic.ch, etc) into
the entry field below and select the Lookup button.
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