Proxy server

[Shaken Angel]

On Fri, 30 Jan 1998, Jim Richards wrote:

> > 
> > Are other libraries using a proxy server that requires username/passwords?
> > How have provided the instructions for changing browser options?  
> > 
> Hi y'all.  Sorry I was gone for a while.  I finally got our e-mail 
> set up here at the library.  
> 
> We are using Wingate.  It does not require names and passwords and it 
> is very easy to use.  It is far better than any proxy that I have 
> seen and it only costs $700 for an unlimited user site license.  I am 
> very happy with it.  

For folks on a budget and not afraid of being a little adventuresome and
learning a little bit of (admittedly a touch arcane) UNIX, there is no
better proxy than the combination of Apache in proxy mode with SOCKS and
ipfwadm doing the firewalling, running on Linux.

For those following this thread, I believe I posted earlier (or maybe I
initiated it?  dunno) asking how to do adequate proxy filtering under
Apache -- I believe now I have it solved by using ipfwadm and SOCKS and
handling filtering from outside the proxy server.  I'll know for sure next
week when I travel to the site to check it out.

If you have an adequate member of your library systems department or if
you yourself have the skills to pay the bills in the UNIX world, this
solution can't be beat.  It only costs $0 for the operating system, $0 for
the server, and $0 for the firewall, and I'll wager that you could do this
quite easily with that aging 486 in the corner.  Your equipment cost
for this excellent solution could very well turn out to be zero dollars in
total, not including tax.

-- john f., miami u library systems

this message does not necessarily reflect the attitudes, opinions, or
whims of Miami University, the Trustees thereof, the Miami University
Libraries, or the Miami University Libraries Systems Department, or indeed
of anyone but the aforementioned author and anyone who has the lunacy to
agree with him.