Alpha download Version 4

Last updated Monday 16th June

Instructions

NB This alpha version is a snapshot of the current development and intended for users familiar with the terms used. If you don't understand the instructions, don't do the download!

This will work on Win 98 - Win XP (and Win 95 with Winsock 2 installed).

Users of the final product will not be asked to configure their browser to use a proxy server - this is the alpha demo, no more!

Before starting to install:

Make sure that no ICRAfilter or any application working with LSP are installed on the system (including Anti Virus software); the idea is to avoid having programs that might interfere in the behaviour of ICRAplus. (By the time we arrive at the end of the project many of these restrictions should automatically be dropped).
Make sure we can browse and have connection to the internet. (in other words, everything is all right with the computer)

Installation process:

After downloading and saving the file, double click on sift.exe. The installation procedure is a typical one. Just follow the indications and click "next", "choose the destination directory",...
As part of the installation procedure, the filters included with SIFT have to be installed. Among them, OPTENET. So, from the installation procedure, another installation procedure is automatically launched: OPTENET's installation procedure.
OPTENET's installation procedure:
- It's simiar to SIFT's. Follow the basic steps.
- Install a "DEMO version", which will work for 30 days
- Insert a private password.
- Do not subscribe to the filters.
Finish with SIFT's installation procedure
Reboot the computer.

After rebooting the computer, some comments before we continue:

SIFT is installed at: localhost:7070, so in order to use the platform please configure your browser's HTTP configuration appropiately. (you'll have to do it manually)
User interface is ready just typing: http://localhost:7075 (for the sake of simplicity, the password authentication has been temporarily removed)
By default, you'll see that four filters are installed and operative (Embedded, OPTENET, Filterix and Jugendschutzprogramm).

General Comments. Please read carefully before installing:

All the sections shown are ready to use. The only thing is that passwords are not (so far) stored, so their use is basically just here for show! (users' passwords, administration password,...)
The platform internally uses the customisation done through the "Advanced options". This is currently being revised.
By default, the use of profiles is deactivated. Have in mind that through the user interface you always can create/modify/delete profiles. You can "play" with these options
If you activate the use of profiles, you'll be required to insert user's login and password every minute. I know it's a bit tedious, but the aim is to show how would it work.
For the profiles, I have prepared a profiles.txt file, which can be modified before launching ICRAplus. It contains two lines: The first line indicates whether ICRAplus will have active profiles or not (true, false); the second line indicates the seconds elapsed between every authentication process. You don't need to use it; This has been prepared it in case you want to "play" with these options.
The selection and treatment of the services (protocols) is not implemented yet. It will be done when the transparent traffic interception module is done.
If you want to stop/kill the platform, you always can launch the task manager and manually kill sift.exe, of even you can type on windows' shell:
sift.exe -remove (you'll have to be in the same directory)
If we want OPTENET to access to the stored cache, then in the configuration menu of OPTENET we have to type: proxy 127.0.0.1 and port: 8082 . If we don't do so, OPTENET will access to the Internet directly, bypassing the caching system. In future, this will be automatically done.
NB: When browsing throught the Internet or the UI, remember that sometimes the IE can store the pages on local memory !!!
The user interface is being worked on actively now. You can see the current state of play here. Please note that:
- The colour scheme is just for show and is likely to change.
- Commetns on the logo are especially welcome, what you see is a trial. But the less comment, the more likely that is to be the final one!
- Right now, the only page that looks similar to its final incarnation is the fist of the configuration pages
- This is for show only, it does not configure anything
At present, we are working on a number of issues, such as a local installation for Filterix (at present, each request is sent to a copy running in Athens) and how to avoid ICRAplus asking a label bureau, such as JugendschutzProgramm for labels it hans't got. Both of these issues currently cause the filter to run more slowly than will be the case in the final product.

And before you install, here are the insyructions you'll need after you've finished!

Uninstalling

Use Add/Remove Programs and uninstall SIFT. This will automatically uninstall Optenet as well. But Beware...

During uninstall, you will be asked if you want to reboot after Optenet has uninstalled. Say NO. Allow Sift to complete its uninstall, THEN reboot.

OK, here's the download URL:

Download ICRAplus (SIFT) alpha version 4.