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LYNX-DEV Re: Lynx question...


From: Jim Dennis
Subject: LYNX-DEV Re: Lynx question...
Date: Tue, 21 Oct 1997 12:24:53 -0700


> 
> What are the TRUSTED_EXEC rules in the lynx.cfg file for?  Can I use them 
> to create links that will cause Lynx to execute specific commands?  If 
> so, how would I set this up (examples please).  
> 
> Thanks,
> David Sharp

        This question would be more appropriate to the Lynx mailing
        list (which I have copied on this reply).

        This is related to to a couple of lynx specific psuedo-tags
        (that is tags that could be placed in HTML files but are 
        not in the HTML specification):  lynxprog:// and lynxexec://

        Using these two lynx tags you can use Lynx as a menuing
        system (which is perfect for freenets and some other situations).

        I don't have a sample handy.  The TRUSTED_EXEC rules allow
        you to restrict Lynx' execution to files in specific 
        directories -- and to make a list of specific "safe" programs.

        If you've ever used a "restricted shell" the concept is similar.
        I think you can just create a directory (like /usr/local/lynxbin
        or /usr/local/lib/lynxbin) and put a link farm in there
        (symlinks to everything you want to make available).  This allows
        you to easily configure Lynx with a single TRUSTED_EXEC rule.

        Now you can create a set of HTML pages which combine normal
        HTML text (paragraphs, links to other pages, lists, etc) and
        have lynxprog or lynxexec links to launch programs on the 
        local system.  This is nice for a menuing system since you 
        can have arbitrarily detailed help and documentation linked
        into your menus.

        Note:
                You probably have to recompile Lynx in order to use
                the lynxexec|lynxprog tags at all.  This code is 
                often not compiled in!

        If I were maintaining a Linux distribution today I'd include
        a full set of system local lynx menus (built at install time
        based on the packages/applications you'd chosen to install --
        possibly with a make/m4 macro package).  This would make 
        Linux more accessible to new users (since I'd have menus 
        that would look something like:

                Welcome to Linux: Lynx Menus for the <FOO> Distribution

                This is a set of menus that should provide access
                to most of the applications you have installed.

                Would you like to:

                Access your Personal Menus (~/.lynx/menu.html)
                Learn more about Lynx (/usr/doc/lynx.../main-help.html)
                Learn more about Linux (/usr/doc/LDP/HTML/index.html)
                View the files on the localhost's web server
                        (http://localhost/)
                Read you e-mail (/usr/lib/lynxmenu/e-mail.html)
                Edit some files (/usr/lib/lynxmenu/editors.html)
                Configure your account preferences 
                        (/usr/lib/lynxmenu/profile.html)
                Manage files in your home directory
                        (/usr/lib/lynxmenu/fileman.html)
                

        ...etc.

        (Note:  The e-mail option would lead to a list of 
        local installed mail user agents and a program that 
        set your preferred one and automatically add it to your
        "Personal Menus" -- similarly the editors.html would 
        allow you to set your preferred editor -- in your profile
        and for your "Personal Menus").

        I'd also have a set of "Manage your system" links and 
        forms -- which would basically allow you to create 
        things like hosts files, sysconfig files, sendmail 
        CF and aliases files, etc -- and stuff like that.  This
        would be *alot* of work (which is why I haven't just 
        hacked together a simple prototype and released it).

                

--
Jim Dennis  (800) 938-4078              address@hidden
Proprietor, Starshine Technical Services:  http://www.starshine.org
        PGP  1024/2ABF03B1 Jim Dennis <address@hidden>
        Key fingerprint =  2524E3FEF0922A84  A27BDEDB38EBB95A 
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