Using Megabrowser as a Web server

Megabrowser WWW service

Property dialogs

The next action that can be found for almost every node is Properties. Choosing it opens the property dialog corresponding to the node.

WWW service properties

Figure 14 shows the Properties dialog of the WWW component’s node. Here you can setup various CGI issues like mapping between file extensions and corresponding script handlers like PHP and Perl. These settings will be common for all WWW sites.

Figure 14. WWW Service Properties dialog.

The list in this dialog represents the current mapping between file extensions and corresponding script handlers. For example, the mapping between “PHP” “C:\DISTRIB\PHP\Php.exe” tells Megabrowser’s WWW service that when there is a request for a file like somefilename.php, this file should be treated as a script.  Then this name is to be passed to C:\DISTRIB\PHP\Php.exe as a parameter. Php.exe is going to execute this script. 

When you click on a line in the list, it becomes editable in the fields beneath the list. All changes in these fields are automatically reflected in the list. To remove a mapping or to add a new mapping you should click the corresponding button.

WWW site properties

WWW site’s property dialog is opened when you choose Properties in a site’s drop-down menu or when you choose Create New WWW Site in the WWW service’s drop-down menu. This dialog is shown on figure 15. It is possibly the largest property dialog of all Megabrowser services. Let’s go through it and examine each of its controls.

Figure 15. WWW Site Properties dialog.

First each site requires a name that identifies it in the service tree. This name is important because it becomes the name of the file storing the virtual file tree structure of this site. Here we can see the default name WWW site 1.  You can change this name to your desired name.

The Set as Default site checkbox is checked when the site is the default site. This box can be checked on only one site. Automatically start when Megabrowser starts is checked when you want the site to be started each time Megabrowser is started.  Otherwise, the site will have to be started manually by selecting the site node and clicking on your right mouse button in Services.  Then select Start from the menu that appears.

Enable directory browsing is checked if you want to allow visitors to browse directories of your site using addresses like yoursite.dom/somedir/. By checking this box, you are enabling people to see the entire contents of your directories without viewing your html pages.

The Root Directory and Allow Default Document field and the corresponding “...” buttons are interrelated. In the Root Directory field you can enter the physical location of the root folder of this site’s virtual file tree. You can click on the “…” to browse your computer’s file system and make your selection.

In the Allow Default Document field you can provide the name of the exact file to be used by default when someone enters your MegaBrowser domain name into their browser without adding an exact filename that they are looking for within your site. For example, someone may enter yoursite.dom without explicit indication of the requested file like index.html, or index.htm, or default.html, or default.htm or any other filename).  If you select your index.html file as the default document, this file will automatically be displayed when yoursite.dom is requested.  To simplify things even more, when you select this file using “...” button, the root directory will be changed automatically to the folder where the chosen file was found.  In other words, the chosen file must be in the root directory of the site.

Host names associated with this site should contain a list of Megabrowser domain names that are appointed to this site.  This list is edited in the same manner as the mapping list described above in “WWW service properties”.  Domain names that are entered must be registered on MegaBrowser’s domain name server prior to use. For a detailed explanation about Megabrowser domain names and how they work, please see the previous section titled “How the Megabrowser WWW service handles requests.” The “Don’t forget to register or unregister domain names at MegaBrowser sites registration” button reminds you about registering your domain names.  Click it to go to Megabrowser domain name registration services where you can do just that.

At the top of the dialog you can define the port number the site should be assigned to.

Resource properties

When you choose Properties for a resource of a site, or choose Root Folder Properties for a site, or choose Mount New Folder the property dialog of the resource appears. This is the most popular property dialog in the service tree and this dialog is also used for the Megabrowser FTP service’s resources. This dialog is shown at Figure 16.

Figure 16. Resource Properties dialog.

The top part of the dialog is enabled only for junction points of the virtual file tree. Here you can define parameters of the part of the tree that begins at this node.

“The virtual name of the resource” determines how the mounted folder appears in the tree. You can name it.

“The physical name of the resource” determines where the folder is physically located in your computer’s file system.  For convenience, you can use the “…” to browser your computer’s file system to find it.

“Including subdirectories up to ___ level” determines the maximum depth of the physical file tree that is accessible through the virtual file tree.

The bottom part of the dialog allows you to set access permissions for this file or folder.

Visible – Makes it visible to others.
Allow Write – Allows others to write to it.
Allow Read – Allows others to read it.
Allow Execution – Allows others to execute it.

Secure Internet transactions using SSL

Megabrowser supports SSL for secure transactions over the Internet. SSL stands for Secure Sockets Layer. This is a method for hiding the information a web browser and a web server send to each other. Usually, when you browse a web site, you have very little privacy. Many people can monitor what you reveal to, or request from, that site. Credit card numbers, personal data, or controversial information are an open book to the technologically sophisticated eavesdropper. SSL was designed to defeat the snoops and protect your privacy.

An SSL-enhanced browser such as Megabrowser, Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator use encryption to scramble the data you send to a web site into an unintelligible string of seemingly random characters. A typical transaction is a browser sending the contents of an order form to the server. Let's look at an example showing the difference between unsecure and secure transactions:

In an unsecure transaction the browser knows it's using a normal unsecure connection so when you send an order containing your credit card number it sends "2783-2734-8372-8737" in plain text to the server.

In a secure (SSL) Transaction the browser knows it is using a secure connection for this form. The browser converts "2783-2734-8372-8737" into a seemingly random collection of characters like "e$$%0lj*&*(#foij" and sends it to the server. The server receives "e$$%0lj*&*(#foij" and converts it back into "2783-2734-8372-8737".

The important thing to notice here is that when the browser encrypts the form no one can read the contents and obtain the personal details.

In addition to providing privacy, SSL was designed to answer a related question: how do you know you are really communicating with the Web site you intended? SSL also guarantees you are talking to the web site you intend to by using public and private key technology.

SSL Dialogs

Megabrowser'sWeb server security depends on two things. First of all, it depends on you having a private keypair that nobody else has access to. Second of all, it depends on you having a trusted certificate that certifies the public key of that keypair as belonging to you. Companies like Thawte and Verisign issue SSL such certificates to organizations world-wide. To learn more about SSL Certificates and how to obtain them, please refer to these company's websites.

When your certificate is issued, cut and paste the certificate into a file, such as Notepad, and save it to your local machine, making sure there are no trailing spaces and that it is in the following format:

1. Install the certificate on Megabrowser
   Open up the Properties window for the website you requested the certificate for. Go to Directory Security and under Secure Communications, and click on the "Server Certificate" button.
2. Install the certificate by selecting "Process the pending request and install the certificate"

Select the certificate file you saved.

Compare the CSR and certificate details. They should be identical.

When this is complete, your certificate is installed!

Setting up SSL on Megabrowser

Once the certificate is installed, SSL is automatically enabled on your web server. You should now use your web browser to connect to https://your-website.dom. The https instead of http denotes that you are running in secure mode.

You will need to have the following set up in your Web Site Properties:

Your Megabrowser server should be listening for SSL connections on port 443. Also make sure any other network devices, like firewalls, routers etc, are configured to listen on this port.

Enable or Require SSL on the directory you want to secure, and access all your secure pages via https.