proble with bot creation and other newbie server running woes

[eski2]

I've followed the guide at http://www.eqemulator.net/wiki/wikka...ka=ws992mysql5 and so far have had a few problems

1) it would work not with perl 5.10 so i had to find 5.8, error kept coming up about "perl58.dll" not found maybe i have the wrong version of something? was using Activestate 5.10 perl.

2) I couldn't get the CVS thingie working which was frustrating as i used to be able to use it many years ago. I was using http://eqemulator.net/forums/showthread.php?t=23536
and getting cvs checkout: warning: unrecognized response `'ssh' is not recognized as an internal or external command,
' from cvs server
cvs checkout: warning: unrecognized response `operable program or batch file.
' from cvs server
cvs [checkout aborted]: end of file from server (consult above messages if any)

Is that guide outdated? Should i start again with the guide from the forums? (*shudder*) Took me hours so far but i have a char standing in the newbie zone (woohoo!) and i am scared to go back and try again in case i can't even get that

3) I thought i sourced the bot file correctly but i get #1054: Unknown column 'LastZoneId' in 'field list' when i use #bot help create to get the sample of "#bot create Jesuschrist 9 6 male" (i have no idea if that's blasphemous for christians but i'd change that sample name if i know how, don't want to get a jihad out agin me.)

4) (phew, lotta questions) can i safely update things without wiping out characters?

If anyone can answer any of these, i'd gladly appreciate it! I'll try the new guide i saw in these forums and risk wiping the one char i have (oh nose!) but i hope someone else isn't annoyed with me if they've created a char there.