IP-TEC - Infopeople Technical Service Archive: Web server for many page owners (fwd)

Web server for many page owners (fwd)

Infopeople Tec List Manager (iptecman@library.berkeley.edu)
Fri, 25 Oct 1996 07:14:36 -0700

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Thu, 24 Oct 1996 15:29:06 -0700 (PDT)
From: Keith Boettcher <sanjoboe@CLASS.ORG>
To: iptecman@library.berkeley.edu
Cc: Boettcher@sjvls.lib.ca.us
Subject: Web server for many page owners

I am planning to start our own web server. The Hardware and software are
up and running. Now I need to know how to arrange pages and allow for
updates in a complex conglomeration of people and agencies.

Any staff member of a library in the San Joaquin Valley Library System (9
public libraries) may have a shell and e-mail account on our server.

In a matter of a few weeks I want each of the 9 libraries to have a home
page on our server, probably in a directory under and linked from the
"SJVLS" home page, but reachable as, for example,
"www.sjvls.lib.ca.us/fresno"

I want to arrange accounts and file permissions so that only authrized
people can edit a library's home page. Perhaps I'll create a user called
fresnolib and let "him" own the document which is the Fresno home page.
Then Fresno library staff can decide who is told how to log on as fresnolib.
Is creating a "library name" user in this case advisable, or should I
look into unix Group IDs to provide proper access?

I also want our home page to point to home pages of other libraries in
our area. That's fine for those libraries who have home pages. What
about libraries who do not have home pages. Is it safe /advisable to
offer them accounts on our server, the sole purpose of which would be to
allow them to post and to maintain their home pages? I'm thinking of
directory and policy type information I want the staff of the "owning"
library itself to keep current.

What are the threats of offering them accounts on our system? Can it be
done without providing them shell and e-mail accounts, or is it ok to
offere such accounts to libraries outside my control.

Or should I simply have them e-mail me (or our webmaster) their html
files and have us proof-read and copy to correct directories?

Please note if my questions indicate I'm doing something foolish and
insane, that's why I'm asking the questions before I do it.

1) How do cooperating consortia maintain related web pages?

2) How do systems offer web pages to loosely-associated or just
"neighboring" libraries or institutions?

Keith Boettcher
San Joaquin Valley Library System
Fresno, California USA
sanjoboe@class.org
Boettcher@sjvls.lib.ca.us