Link switch "MagicURL" for Linux

The TightGate viewer can be combined with the browser switch MagicURL. After installation and configuration, internet addresses (URLs) from locally installed third-party applications are automatically displayed either in the local browser or via TightGate-Pro. MagicURL can be obtained as an installable programme package (DEB package) via the support area of the internet presence of m-privacy GmbH .

Zum Download area of the m-privacy GmbH

Mode of operation

MagicURL implements a browser switch that passes all internet addresses (URLs) that are in a positive list (WhiteList) to the locally installed web browser. All other URLs are automatically opened in the browser of TightGate-Pro.

Restrictions

MagicURL can only process internet addresses (links, URLs) on the client computer that do not come directly from an internet browser. Addresses from e-mail programs or user software such as word processing programs or other office applications can be automatically forwarded to the corresponding browser by MagicURL. URLs that are already displayed via TightGate-Pro are always called up via TightGate-Pro. External URLs that are displayed in the local browser are called up via the local browser - which fails because the local browser is generally not allowed to establish external internet connections in infrastructures with TightGate-Pro.

Please note that the functionality is only ensured for the Linux desktops KDE and GNOME. Use with the Linux desktop XFCE is also possible, but here it is only possible to use MagicURL system-wide so far. In order to use MagicURL with XFCE, the following command must be executed with administration rights:

 update-alternatives --config x-www-browser

URLs that are displayed at TightGate-Pro but can only be opened internally must be transferred to the local browser using copy and paste. The same applies to URLs that are displayed in the local browser but access external resources (e.g. when using a company intranet). In this case, the respective address must be transferred to TightGate-Pro via the clipboard and pasted into the browser there.

Installation

This is required

DEB package for installing MagicURL from the support area of the website of m-privacy GmbH .
Current TightGate viewer for Linux

This is how it works

Install the DEB package of MagicURL with administration rights
During the installation, a sample file of the URL-Whitelist.txt is installed in the path for the central configuration file. The URL-Whitelist.txt is used to distinguish between URLs that are to be opened with TightGate-Pro or the local browser. The URL whitelist is a simple text file and can be located in the following directories:

 /etc/magicurl/URL_Whitelist.txt (central configuration file)
 ~/.vnc/URL_Whitelist.txt (user-specific configuration file)

All paths are searched one after the other and checked whether they contain a URL_Whitelist.txt file. All entries from all URL_Whitelist.txt files found are used to perform the whitelist check.

Configuration of the URL whitelist

The definition of the local URLs in the positive list ( URL_Whitelist.txt) can be done using any text editor. The following must be observed when editing the URL whitelist:

The domain whitelist file is a normal text file.
Only one domain is to be entered per line and the line must not contain any spaces.
There is no limit to the number of definable domains/URLs.
All lines marked with a # and blank lines are not evaluated.
The * character serves as a placeholder for any text.

The following sample file briefly explains the syntax that can be used to describe internal URLs:

URL_Whitelist.txt

# *** m-privacy GmbH TightGate-Pro MagicURL Whitelist ***
#
# Wenn eine Benutzerin oder ein Benutzer auf diesen Computer auf einen Link klickt,
# dann wird dieser entweder im lokalen Browser oder auf dem sicheren ferngesteuerten 
# Browser auf der TightGate-Pro geöffnet.
# 
# Durch diese Whitelist-Datei wird entschieden, welche URLs lokal und welche auf der
# TightGate-Pro geöffnet werden. Ist ein angeklickter Link in dieser Datei
# aufgeführt, so wird er lokal geöffnet.
#
# Die Whitelist-Datei muss sich in folgendem Pfad befinden:
# %APPDATA%\vnc\url_whitelist.txt
#
# Es können Sternchen * als Platzhalter verwendet werden. Mit einem Doppelkreuz # 
# beginnende Zeilen, wie auch Leerzeilen, werden von MagicURL ignoriert. Ein http://
# vor den URLs ist optional und hat keinen Effekt.
 
# *** Beispiele ***
# 
# *.m-privacy.de/*
# Trifft zu auf: m-privacy.de, www.m-privacy.de, blog.m-privacy.de/meldungen, 
# http://m-privacy.de/, http://www.m-privacy.de/support/download-center/index.html
#
# m-privacy.de/*
# Trifft zu auf: m-privacy.de/support
# Trifft NICHT zu auf: www.m-privacy.de/support
#
# *.m-privacy.*
# Trifft zu auf: www.m-privacy.de, blog.m-privacy.com/features
#
# *.m-privacy.de
# Trifft zu auf: www.m-privacy.de
# Trifft NICHT zu auf: www.m-privacy.de/support
#
# *.m-privacy.de/support/*/index.html
# Trifft zu auf: m-privacy.de/support/download-center/index.html
# Trifft NICHT zu auf: www.m-privacy.de/unternehmen/leitungskreis/index.html