LYNX-DEV Lynx/PC terminals - help wanted

[Scott McGee (Personal)]

Warning! This post is Lynx related, but not development related and does
ask some non-Lynx questions. Be gentile with any flames.

I got given a project yesterday. I have to look into two different ways to
solve a problem we have here. 

We used to have dumb terminals hooked into our VAX that were used to display
information regarding student's records (classes, grades, etc.), but the
software was less than desirable, and the VAX has just been replaced with
and Alpha that will NOT be serving this application.

We have a web based solution already in place, so the idea originally was to
replace all the dumb terminals with networked PC's running Netscape. The
concern was that they didn't want people surfing the web with them. I was
asked to look at the situation and try to find some answers.

My very first thought was to NOT replace the dumb terminals, but to hook 
them to something (the Alpha maybe, our web server possibly, something else
more likely - ideas welcome) and run Lynx with some restrictions to not 
access off-site URL's. (Anyone want to share any experiences or How To's with 
me?)

When this idea wasn't considered acceptable, I was asked how the use of PC's
with Netscape could be confined to our site. I speculated (based on my 
admittedly incomplete knowledge) that a proxy server could be set up with such 
restrictions and the Netscape installations set to use the proxy server. 
(Again, I would welcome any suggestions or information here.)

Finally, after learning that they were intending to use surplus 386 boxes for
the PC's, and expressing my concerns about the usability of NS in that
environment, we ended up with a temporary plan to try implementing the Lynx
proposal immediately, with tentative plans to do the PC/NS/Proxy thing in
a month or two.

Does anyone have any suggestions, feedback, experience, or other helpful
information on either of these two proposals? Specifically, I desire the
following info:

* I haven't ever used restrictions with Lynx. Advice desired.

* Any thoughts on how to best connect these dumb terminals to something that
  will run lynx, or allow logging onto our web server (unix box) to run Lynx.

* Am I right about the proxy server being a way to limit access to our site?

* Any other (especially better) ways of doing it?

* Any suggestions on proxy servers? (I can get and use NS's proxy server for
  free if that will do the job.)

* Anyone what to advise me on how to set up the proxy server?

* Any other info that you feel might be usefull to me.

I suppose that I should request that any replies, at least on the non-Lynx
issues, be sent by private email to address@hidden rather than on the
list. Anyone wishing a summary of what I learn may send a request for such
to the same address.

Scott

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