Smart Cache Manual
Chapter 4 Smart Cache configuration

4.1 Quick Smart Cache configuration

Smart Cache comes with set of configuration files (*.cnf), which are configured to useful default values. In many cases is not necessary to change anything.

Edit configuration file scache.cnf with any ASCII editor (for example ViM or Notepad in Windows). Configuration directives are commented. If you don't understand them, try ask somebody who does. I have received very few requests for explaining within the entire history of this product. Rule: If you don't understand what it does - don't change it! Or change it, but do no complain if it do not work.

Most important directives to change are:

cacheroot

where are your cached objects stored, best location is in a 1st level directory (i.e. C:\CACHE or /scache under Unix) because some URLs have very long names. Directory must be located on filesystem with Long Names support. OS/2 with FAT disk will not work. Example:

     cacheroot c:\cache

http_proxy

If you use an ISP's proxy server (which is very recommended), set it in the http_proxy directive. Example:

     http_proxy 192.108.56.10 3198

shutdown_flag (see Stopping Smart Cache/Shutdown flag, Section 5.3)

name of flag file - when a file with this name is detected, the cache will be stopped (if inactive). Example:

     shutdown_flag c:\stop

4.2 Configuration of garbage collection

Garbage collection is configured in file gc.cnf. Most important directives to change are:

cache_size

cache size in MEGABYTES. Bigger is better, but running GC on bigger cache takes more time. 50 MB is good starting point for everyone. Optimal size depends of your browsing activity. If you want to get good cache size, set it to amount of data, which has been stored for 1 month. Install SC and do not run GC for 1 month, after 1 month check directory size with some utility, which reports real (also called wasted) directory size, not just sum of bytes. (If you do not have such program set block_size to 1 and use value from your disk reporter).

block_size

size of one disk allocation unit (also called cluster) in bytes. GC needs this for computing real diskspace, which is used by file.

average_directory_size

Average size of one directory including .cacheinfo file. Some OSes (OS/2, Win) do not report actual directory size. Directories are about 2-4KB long and average .cacheinfo has similar size. This size must be at least 2*block_size. SC will correct this value if set too low, you may set block_size to correct value and leave it as is.

If you are not planing to use off-line browsing feature, set not_checkable_penalty to some big value (for example *20), this makes faster cleaning of dynamic-generated objects.

If you are have some favourite web pages, which you like to keep in cache longer (for offline browsing), you can tell GC to expire such pages slower than others.

     urlmask http://www.javaworld.com/* /100

Javaworld magazine will expire 100 times slower than other pages.

4.3 Configuring a Web browser

To use the Smart Cache program, requires that your web browser is set up to use it as a proxy. The proxy hostname will be '127.0.0.1' (or the name of the host that Smart Cache is running on), and the port number will be the one that is used by Smart Cache (default 8080).

If you want to use Smart Cache as ftp-proxy you must configure http_proxy in scache.cnf configuration file.

Netscape V1

In the Options->Preferences dialog window, enter localhost as the http and FTP proxies and 8080 as the port numbers.

Netscape V2,3

In the Options->Network Preferences dialog window under the Proxies tab select the "Manual Proxy Configuration" option and enter localhost as the http and FTP proxies and 8080 as the port numbers. In Netscape V2 use also Options->Save Options to save your settings.

Netscape V4

In the Edit->Preferences dialog window select Advanced and then Proxies, select the "Manual Proxy Configuration" option and enter localhost as the http and FTP proxies and 8080 as the port numbers.

Internet Explorer 2

View->Options->Proxy

Internet Explorer 3,4

View->Options->Connections; tick Connect through proxy server box;Settings;Enter details in HTTP box, with port number in second; OK

Internet Explorer running on Windows NT

Control Panel->Internet->Advanced->Proxy

Mosaic for Windows

Options->Preferences->Proxy, Enter details to HTTP field.

Mosaic/X V2.6, Lynx, Grail, Arena, Emacs-W3:

Set the environment variables http_proxy and ftp_proxy to http://localhost:8080/

Opera

Preferences->Proxy servers; check box next to HTTP and enter server and port number