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

Re: Web server for many page owners (fwd)

Cary Gordon (cgordon@CERF.NET)
Mon, 28 Oct 1996 11:49:40 -0800

Two key pieces of missing information are the server software that you are
running and the platform that you are running it on. In general, many
servers can be setup to allow access to files in user directories and use a
shortcut to navigate to those directories (i.e.
www.zippo.com/~joeuser/index.html). All you need to do is to give your
libraries accounts on your machine. As long as they can telnet and FTP to
their directories, they can maintain their pages. It is easier to maintain
security if you do not allow them access to cgi or server-side includes,
neither of which are really necessary in this age o'javascript.

Cary Gordon

>---------- 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

-------------------------------------------------------
Cary Gordon cgordon@cerf.net
Community Partner 72477.62@compuserve.com
Sherman Oaks Branch
Los Angeles Public Library