Squid beginner

[nightowl]

I've just had to take over a network using FreeBSD and Squid at the web-filtering setup. As I've never really used any Linux platforms before I'm finding it very difficult to do anything with this command-line OS.

I need to open a certain port on the firewall but I don't know how. Would anyone be able to post an idiots guide walkthrough on how to do it?

I will also need to be able to change certain blocked sites if there's an easy way of doing that too.

Thanks in advance.

Lee

[Geoff]

FreeBSD isn't Linux. Are you using FreeBSD or Linux?

What filtering software are you using with Squid? Dansguardian and SquidGuard are the most common.

[nightowl]

Told you I was new at this stuff!!! lol Sorry, we are using FreeBSD and squidGuard. I apologise for my stupidity.

Lee

[webman]

Squid is just a proxy server to filter websites etc. Port forwarding will be handled by something else.

I'm not saying FreeBSD isn't a good platform; but In the long-term, if you don't have any documentation about the server or any easy way to maintain it, it may be better to replace it with something you will be more able to manage via a web-based interface, such as IPCop with the Advproxy + URLFilter addons.

[Geoff]

Told you I was new at this stuff!!! lol Sorry, we are using FreeBSD and squidGuard. I apologise for my stupidity.

Lee

Ok, FreeBSD uses ipfilter as it's firewall. This is configured at startup by a script. More info here:

http://www.acme.com/firewall.html

Squidguard keeps it's settings in /etc/squidguard/ (at least on my system). The files are fairly self explanitory. Just edit them with a text file and restart squid.

btw, how come you got the job when you don't know how to administer FreeBSD/Squid/SquidGuard?

[NetworkGeezer]

That was a bit harsh Geoff. Not all of us a Uber Geeks.

[Geoff]

Not really. It's not like it's nightowl's fault. It's his line managers.

[nightowl]

My assistant and I got the job by default - the network manager who was here was relieved of his duties. We got called in to do it because the head of my school is also temp head at this one.

Thanks for your help though guys.

[Geoff]

Sounds like there's an interesting story in that set of circumstances.

[GrumbleDook]

Don't worry about Geoff ... his bark is worse than his bite ... ;-)

His only concern is that if you don't know about *nix and systems hosted on *nix is that they will get vapourised and money spent to replace perfectly good systems (hmmm ... does that sound a bit Ian Lynch?), but since you have the common sense to pop onto a forum and ask questions then you are obviously someone with both common sense and some taste.

Good look with working your way around the new school ... if you need anything just let us know.

[NetworkGeezer]

Though you'll probably have to get your own fishnets, if legend is to be believed

[ChrisH]

The you'll probably have to get your own fishnets, if legend is to be believed

lmao