Using Netshare

Netscape Netshare provides Netscape Enterprise Server users with a personal home page from which they can store, share, and manage their server documents. Netshare is a convenient starting point for using the Netscape Enterprise Server user services: Web Publisher, agents, and search. From their home page, users can also obtain information about how they are defined in the server's user directory: for example, their name, password, and telephone extension.

As a Netshare user, you have your own personal home page that provides easy access to Netscape Enterprise Server user services, such as Web Publisher and search. You also have one or more personal Netshare home directories that you can use for publishing documents that you want to store on the server. You can direct other users to this directory as a central repository of your server documents.

 
Displaying your home page

To display your default Netshare home page, type in this URL:

http://yourServer/netshare/yourUserID

For example, for the user JDoe on the server Markets, you'd enter this URL:

http://Markets/netshare/JDoe

Another method for displaying your home page is to list of all Netshare users on your server by typing this URL and clicking on the link listed for your Netshare directory:

http://yourServer/netshare

Note:  It's a good idea to create a bookmark to your Netshare home page so you don't have to type the URL again each time you want to locate it.

 
Controlling access to your home page

When your server administrator creates a Netshare home directory for your user ID, you are assigned as its owner and are the only one who can write to the directory. Other users can read your files, but cannot make any changes to them unless you explicitly provide such access permissions.

This means that if you access the Netshare folder itself (http://yourServer/netshare), you can click on any other user's Netshare to look at the contents of their home directory, but you cannot modify their files or folders unless they have explicitly set the access permissions to permit this.

If you are part of a group for which a Netshare has been created, you and all other members of the group have permission to modify the files and folders in the group's Netshare directory. However, only the user designated as the owner by the server administrator when the Netshare was set up can modify the access control rules for the group's directory.
 

 
Linking to other services

Your default Netshare home page displays a set of links that allow you to access many server functions, most of which operate on your home directory and the files it contains.

• Publishing:
• Web Publisher: You can have direct access to the files and folders in your home directory.
• Access control: You can restrict access to your home directory.
• Check links: You can check the links in your home directory.
• Agents: You can manage your agents on the server.

• Services:
• Search: You can search on any collection set up for your server.
• User information: You can review and modify your user information.
• Help: You can look at Netshare online help.

Some functions open a new browser window, others use the right frame to display their information. If you want to return to the original content of your right frame, click the Reload button in your browser.

Web Publisher

When you click this link, the Web Publisher applet starts up. Because you launches it from your Netshare home page, Web Publisher displays all your Netshare files and folders. Initially, the list includes the default set of HTML files that are used to construct your home page, but you can add other files and folders as your needs dictate.

Access Control

When you click this link, the server displays the access control interface. This allows you to set the access control for the file currently displayed in the right frame.

Check Links

When you click this link, the server checks all the links for the file currently displayed in the right frame.

Agents

When you click this link, the server displays the agents services home page. This allows you to create new agents and manage your existing server agents. In this way, you can monitor changes to documents and directories across the server as well as perform regularly scheduled actions.

Search

When you click this link, the server's search function starts up. This allows you to search on any collection (database of searchable data) that has been created for your server. This includes the default web publishing collection, which allows you to access the complete set of server files and folders for which you have access permission.

User Info

When you click this link, the server displays a predefined subset of the information stored on the server for your user ID. Typically, this includes your name, password, and extension. You can use this form to change your server password.

User's Guide

When you click this link, the online help system is displayed.

 
Customizing your Netshare home page

By default, your Netshare home page displays the netshare.html file in the right frame. Initially this HTML file contains mostly text and a few sample links, but you can revise this file to contain whatever text, graphics, links, and other HTML elements you would like.

This file is the starting point for your workspace on the remote server and is what other users first see when they access your home page. You may want to provide some explanation of what other files, folders, and services are available through your home page and display some navigational links to route other users through your site.

This is the default set of files that is installed in your Netshare home directory:

• netshare.html - The default text that appears in the right frame.
• banner.html - The banner across the top.
• home.html - The frameset itself.
• menu.html - The set of links in the left frame.
• test1.html -  A sample file.
• test2.html - A sample file.