MaskURL Documentation

MaskURL Documentation *

Description *

Installation *

Running *

Description

Home-users and small companies general current URL most likely looks like: http://www.provider.com/~username/index.html. Needless to say, such a URL is difficult to remember and doesn't look nice.

MaskURL offers you a way to run a Redirect URL Service that can be easy for surfers to remember and looks good! Members keep their current service provider and current URL, which will be the Target-URL.

If your members run a site like: http://www.provider.com/~username we could give you: http://run.to/user. They can choose any word they like or which best describes their site.

MaskURL makes it so that when someone enters run.to/user in his or her browser he or she will automatically be redirected to your members site. Of course everybody can keep using members current URLs, but once they see the ease of your new Redirect URL Service, nobody will!!

This is not a basic script. This script uses MySQL databases for reliability and runs as high speed perl code. Setup is as simple as we could make it considering the functions of this program, However a decent knowledge of apache webservers and CGI installation is needed.

Don't despair, we do have people who can install it for you if need be. You just have to let us know.

Installation

MaskURL uses the MySQL database system to store information, so you will have to create a database. You can use the 'install-db.sh' script for this which you can find in the 'tools' directory/ -- to run this script you will need to have 'create' and 'grant' permission on the database.

If you can't create the database yourself, you can send an e-mail to your administrator. Please include the install-db script and ask the administrator to return to you the database name, the database server, the user name and the password to use.

2] Configuring MaskURL
----------------------

Before uploading anything, copy doc/example.conf to maskurl.conf and place it in the same directory as the .cgi files. Then edit the configuration.

Enter the correct values for the dbserver, dbname, dbuser and dbpass settings.

Also edit the templates found in the 'templates/new' and 'templates/account' directories to your own liking but *make sure* all the <form> tags and all the <input> tags REMAIN THE SAME. Including the % codes found in those fields.

3] Uploading
--------------

Upload all the .cgi files to your server in ASCII mode, and make sure to set the right mode (755) on them. Also upload the entire 'templates' directory and place that directory in the same directory as the cgi scripts.

4] Configuring your webserver
--------------------------------


4.1] Standard Configuration for Apache
--------------------------------------

To use the MaskURL package, you have to put the included apache-htaccess file in the directory you want to use for the masking. E.g. if you want to have http://myhost.com/mask/ as the masking URL, put the apache-htaccess in the 'mask' directory in your documentroot as .htaccess. Then edit this file and point it to the right path for the mask.cgi

Installation is now complete.

4.2] Standard Configuration for Roxen Challenger
------------------------------------------------

To use the MaskURL package, ask your administrator to add the Redirect v2.0 module to your virtual server (if it hasn't already been done) and ask him to include the following RegExp in the Redirection table:

/mask/(.*)     /cgi-bin/maskurl/mask.cgi?$1

Replace "mask" with the correct directory you want to mask from (see Standard Apache Installation) and /cgi-bin/maskurl.. etc. with the correct path to your mask.cgi

Installation is now complete

4.3] Member Site Installation
-----------------------------

If you run a site where members have to pay to get access to various services and you want to offer MaskURL as a service, you have to take a few special steps. Installation is as above, but place the account.cgi and new.cgi inside your members area. Be sure to point the scripturl to this location as well. Be sure to place the mask.cgi *outside* any password protected area. Now proceed with the installation as above (4.1/4.2).

Running

Using the admin.cgi script you can delete users and edit their details. You can also modify the configuration from here.


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