Set up TGPP and TGPPS help protocols for the MagicURL under Windows

The MagicURL link switch was developed so that TightGate-Pro can be integrated as seamlessly as possible into the local working environment. This registers under Windows as a system application and takes on the task of transferring all links transferred to the operating system to the "correct" browser. In this way, links that refer to the intranet or to trusted remote sites are opened with local browsers and all other Internet links are opened with the secure browser from TightGate-Pro. This function is always available when an application asks the operating system how to open a link/URL. In cases where the operating system is not asked because an application that wants to open a link feels responsible itself, this procedure fails. Internet browsers are such applications that do not first ask the operating system and try to open links/URLs themselves.

This would not be a problem if many networks did not have an intranet that contains internal links as well as links to the Internet. However, if the internal network is decoupled from the Internet, Internet links cannot be accessed and work processes are interrupted. To counter this, m-privacy GmbH has developed the help protocols tgpp and tgpps have been developed. They can be used to remove responsibility for links from the browser. The requests are then routed via the MagicURL link switch.

The concept is simple. In the Windows operating system, the protocols tgpp and tgpps are registered. The operating system is informed that the MagicURL link switch is responsible for these protocols. As the browser cannot do anything with these protocols, it asks at tgpp-links, the MagicURL link switch can also process links from browsers.

The following instructions describe how the protocols tgpp and tgpps protocols are registered and how the links stored in the intranet must be modified so that the MagicURL link switch can process them correctly so that the desired URL is called up.

Various registry entries must be made to publicise the new protocols under Windows and to assign MagicURL to them as a standard application. The file tgpp-register-protocol.reg contains the necessary entries. To set the registry entries, please copy the file tgpp-register-protocol.reg file to your workstation PC and install the values by double-clicking on the file. Then follow the wizard. Alternatively, you can also set the values via the command line with the following command:

 reg import tgpp-register-protocol.reg

The file tgpp-register-protocol.reg is available here:

tgpp-register-protocol.reg

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
 
;; Registry script to register tgpp and tgpps protocols for MagicUrl
;; (c) 2021 m-privacy GmbH. All rights reserved.
;;
;; Last change: 24/Sep/2021, jua
;;
;; To install just open a shell as Administrator and run:
;; reg import tgpp-register-protocol.reg
 
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\tgpp]
@="TGPP Protocol"
"URL Protocol"=""
 
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\tgpp\DefaultIcon]
@="\"C:\\Program Files\\TightGate-Pro\\Browserchoice.exe\""
 
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\tgpp\shell]
 
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\tgpp\shell\open]
 
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\tgpp\shell\open\command]
@="\"C:\\Program Files\\TightGate-Pro\\Browserchoice.exe\" \"%1\""
 
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\tgpps]
@="TGPPS Protocol"
"URL Protocol"=""
 
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\tgpps\DefaultIcon]
@="\"C:\\Program Files\\TightGate-Pro\\Browserchoice.exe\""
 
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\tgpps\shell]
 
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\tgpps\shell\open]
 
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\tgpps\shell\open\command]
@="\"C:\\Program Files\\TightGate-Pro\\Browserchoice.exe\" \"%1\""

In the second step, the links in the intranet must be changed to the new protocols tgpp and tgpps protocols. All links that refer to the https protocol are assigned to the new protocol tgpps protocol and all http links are assigned to the tgpp. This is done according to the following scheme:

Below we provide a small example file that contains a tgpp and tgpps-links. Once you have completed step 1, you can open these in a local browser and click on the links. The browser will now no longer feel responsible and will ask whether you would like to open the link via the MagicURL application. If you confirm this, MagicURL will take over the link management and open the link in the browser of TightGate-Pro.

The example file has the name tgpp-test.html and can be found here:

tgpp-test.html

<a href="tgpp://google.de">tgpp://google.de</a>
<br><br>
<a href="tgpps://heise.de">tgpps://heise.de</a>