Friday, January 23, 2009

Install ipcop-addon

How does it work?

The URL filter add-on is based on the Squid redirector squidGuard. There is no need to fiddle about obscure configuration files or shell commands, because this add-on seamlessly integrates into the web based GUI of IPCop or SmoothWall.

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What are the software requirements to run the URL filter add-on?

You need one of these distributions:
  • IPCop 1.4.x (release 1.4.8 - 1.4.21)

  • SmoothWall Express 2.0 (final and sp1)

  • SmoothWall Express 3.0 (polar i386)

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How do I install the URL filter add-on?

  • Copy the tar archive via SCP to your IPCop or SmoothWall box. Windows users can use WinSCP for this. Keep in mind that SSH must be enabled and you will have to use port 222 instead of 22.

  • Login as root on the console or via SSH. Windows users can use PuTTY for this. Extract the tar archive with the command

    tar -xzf distribution-urlfilter-version.tar.gz

    (Replace distribution with the name of the distribution you have installed - either ipcop or smoothwall - and replace version with the version number of the package you have downloaded)

  • Start the installation with the command

    distribution-urlfilter/install

That's it. Open the GUI with your web browser and configure the URL filter...

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How can I get rid of the URL filter add-on?

  • Login as root on the console or via SSH.

  • Start the cleanup process with the command

    distribution-urlfilter/uninstall

That's it.

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How does this add-an affect the system security?

  • It doesn't modify any firewall rules.

  • It doesn't establish any connection to external sites.

  • It doesn't install additional services, it only uses the well documented redirector interface of the Squid web proxy service.

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Where can I get additional or updated blacklists?

  • From the Shalla Secure Services blacklist page for free. It's a comprehensive and well maintained blacklist.

  • URLBlacklist.com offers an excellent and huge blacklist for a small price ($6 per month). It's worth it.

  • The University of Toulouse maintains different and recently updated blacklists. This site also contains useful links and information.

  • Multnomah Education Service District (MESD) offers a compilation of other free blacklists.

  • From SmoothWall Ltd. Under normal circumstances, this blacklist doesn't work with SquidGuard. But it's fully compatible with the URL filter add-on.
    Notice: A SmoothGuardian/Corporate Guardian license is required to download this blacklist.

  • ... and there are some unmaintained lists around in the World Wide Web.

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Is the URL filter add-on free?

This software is free for personal and commercial use and is released under the GNU General Public License:

You are allowed to:

  • change code as long as you publish changes, who made changes and when it was changed

  • You have to give access to your changes (download) to any third-party. All changes are released under GPL too.
You are NOT allowed to:

  • rebrand URL filter (just give it a different name and thinking it's a code change under GPL)

  • remove any copyright information

  • soften or change copyrights

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Where can I get technical support for the URL filter add-on?

  • Technical support for problems related to the SquidGuard redirector, any third party blacklist or your individual infrastructure can be obtained from the Web or from Mailing Lists.

  • The add-on functionality and the GUI may be supported by the author.

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Which languages are supported by URL filter?

  • URL filter for IPCop: English, French, German, Brazilian Portuguese, Dutch, Italian, Spanish and Russian.

  • URL filter for SmoothWall: English.

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Why does the URL filter menu disappear after the installation of a fix/update?

This usually happens if some system files has been replaced by an update. This may cause the URL filter to stop working or lets the GUI disappear.

To fix this problem, run the install script

distribution-urlfilter/install

to repair the URL filter. (Replace distribution with the name of the distribution you have installed: ipcop or smoothwall).


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When will the URL filter be adapted to SmoothWall Express 3.0?

The adaption to SWE 3.0 polar (x86 only) is already in progress. Please be patient.

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What are the future plans about the URL filter add-on?

The code will be frozen except for bug fixes and security patches.

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I have further questions. Can I send you a mail?

Meanwhile I'm spending more time on answering mails rather than working on the code. For this reason, I provide no more free email support!

However, if you need support, send me a mail with a detailed description of your problem and the statement that you need paid support. I'll contact you for the next steps.

Possible bug reports, feedback and contributions are always welcome to m.sondermann@directbox.com

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