Version 2.1


NetCloak

User's Guide


"Dynamic Web Sites...

...No Programming Required"


Installing NetCloak

The instructions here are for installing NetCloak on an AppleShare IP server from the AppleShare IP 5.0.2 CD-ROM. Contact Maxum Development if you need installation instructions for other servers, or, if you are installing from a NetCloak floppy disk, refer to the User's Guide on that disk.

Choosing the CGI vs. the Plug-In Version

NetCloak includes two versions: a Common Gateway Interface (CGI) application, and a Plug-In. We strongly recommend that you use the NetCloak Plug-In for the best results with your AppleShare IP server.

NetCloak imposes almost zero overhead when running as a Plug-In, making sure you always get peak performance from your AppleShare IP server. With a correctly configured MIME mapping, NetCloak will process all of your pages automatically so you can use NetCloak commands in any of your pages.

The NetCloak CGI is not as fast as the plug-in, but is compatible with Web servers that do not support Plug-Ins interface. The CGI is also required for configuring and maintaining the NetCloak Plug-In. We recommend that you use the NetCloak CGI if you will be using NetCloak's EXEC_CGI command or processing the output of other CGIs with NetCloak.

To Install The NetCloak Plug-In

  1. Copy the "NetCloak Plug-In" file from the NetCloak 2.1.2 folder into the "Plug-Ins" folder inside the Web Folder on your AppleShare IP server.
  2. Copy the "NetCloak.acgi" application to the Web Folder. You will need the CGI to set configuration and other NetCloak settings.
  3. Launch AppleShare IP Admin.
  4. Open the "Web & FTP MIME Types..." window by selecting it in the Server menu.
  5. Click on the line with the suffix ".html", then click the Edit button.
  6. Click on the pop-up menu for Action: and select Execute...
  7. After the file open dialog box appears, select the "Plug-Ins" folder in the list and click the open button, then select "NetCloak Plug-In" in the file list and click the Open button again to select the NetCloak plug-in.
  8. Click the OK button in the "Edit MIME Type" dialog box, then click Save. Click the OK button in the alert that appears after you click the Save button.
  9. Open the "Web & File Server Settings" window by selecting it in the Server menu.
  10. Select the "Web Plug-Ins" pane by using the pop-up menu at the top of the window.
  11. Check the "Enable Plug-Ins" checkbox.
  12. Change the "Maximum Plug-In Memory Usage" setting to at least 1024k.
  13. Click the Save button to save the changes, then close the window
  14. Stop the AppleShare IP Web & File Server, then re-start it.

To Install The NetCloak CGI

  1. Copy the "NetCloak.acgi" application from the NetCloak 2.1.2 folder to the Web Folder on your AppleShare IP server.
  2. Start up the AppleShare IP server, then double-click the NetCloak.acgi application to launch it. Starting NetCloak by double-clicking on it is not required, as the Web server will automatically start it as needed. However, starting by hand is recommended to avoid possible start-up errors (like out of memory problems).
  3. Launch AppleShare IP Admin.
  4. Select "Web & FTP MIME Types..." from the Server menu.
  5. Click on the line with the suffix ".html", then click the Edit button.
  6. Click on the pop-up menu for Action: and select Execute...
  7. After the file open dialog box appears, select "NetCloak.acgi" in the file list, then click the Open button.
  8. Click the OK button in the Edit MIME Type window, then click Save. Click the OK button in the alert that appears after you click the Save button.
  9. Stop the AppleShare IP Web & File Server, then re-start it.

Quick Start

Once you have installed NetCloak you may immediately begin to compose HTML documents using NetCloak commands. We strongly recommend that you be completely comfortable writing HTML pages before you start using NetCloak.

If you are not familiar with HTML you can get more information from a variety of sources on the Web. A good place to start is Yahoo (www.yahoo.com). There you will find a long list of HTML primers and guides. Once you are familiar with HTML, adding NetCloak features to your pages is easy.

For example, to add the current time and date, simply place the <INSERT_TIME> and <INSERT_DATE> commands in the text of your document:

It is <INSERT_TIME> on <INSERT_DATE>.

To add a page counter use the <INSERT_COUNT> command:

This page has been hit <INSERT_COUNT> times.

NetCloak can do a lot more than simply inserting text, but the simple <INSERT> commands are a great way to get started. Once you are feeling comfortable inserting variables into your pages, you'll be ready to move on to SHOW and HIDE commands. For these more advanced features, see the "How NetCloak Works" and "Commands" sections later in this guide.


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