[Web4lib] separate database login pages w/ EZproxy- it can be done

[Karen Davis]

Hi, all-

I contacted EZproxy and received a quick and very helpful response. It turns out what I was wanting to do can be done after all. 

I guess the question for me is whether it's really worth doing. I don't mind the work, which is not all that much, really, but would it add that much value to our site?

BTW, here's what Chris Zagar at EZproxy said, if anyone's interested:

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> It's possible, although you would want to keep in mind that EZproxy only presents the login page once per session, so if people go back and select 
different databases links, they aren't going to see these extra pages for second and subsequent database accesses. 

Here is the way to do this: 

1. In the docs directory, copy login.htm to another file such as ebsco.htm. 

2. Edit ebsco.htm to contain the added database details. 

3. Edit ezproxy.usr and add as the first line: 

::auth=ebsco,login=ebsco.htm 

4. Use a link similar to this: 

http://ezproxy.yourlib.org:2048/login?auth=ebsco&url=http://search.epnet.com/ 


When someone tries to log in, the auth=ebsco will match up to the auth=ebsco in ezproxy.usr, which then tells EZproxy to change the login page to the file ebsco.htm. 

If someone enters an invalid username/password, they will still see loginbu.htm.  If you wanted, you can actually replace that page as well, 
although I don't think that's needed in the scenario you described. 

If you have any questions, please let me know. 

Chris 

-- 
Chris Zagar <zagar at usefulutilities.com> 
Useful Utilities <http://www.usefulutilities.com> 





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Karen Davis, Coordinator
Center for Community Networking & 
Web Administrator
Lawrence Public Library
707 Vermont Street
Lawrence, KS 66044
785.843.3833 ext. 104
http://www.lawrence.lib.ks.us/

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