[Sugar-devel] [OLPC-AU] Harmonising network proxy settings

[Sridhar Dhanapalan]

On 22 November 2012 20:41, Peter Robinson <pbrobinson at gmail.com> wrote:
> On Thu, Nov 22, 2012 at 5:34 AM, Sridhar Dhanapalan
> <sridhar at laptop.org.au> wrote:
> Is there any reason why you can't use a transparent proxy on the
> network edge which will mean its all configured and controlled from a
> central location rather than through individual settings on each of
> the laptops?

Our schools are more like corporate networks. They are not blank
slates that we can do with what we like.

They have existing network infrastructure, which is centrally
controlled. We have no influence over them. We have no support from,
and often no contact with, the people who administer those networks.
Schools have no authority to change their networks. The newer networks
are being set up such that clients cannot see each other at all (but
can get onto the Internet and access key internal services), meaning
that collaboration won't work.

Any solution that assumes any ability to alter or install anything on
the network is not feasible.


> That is the plan but it's a matter of resources and development time
> to make that happen and ensure that all Activities are updated for the
> plan.

I appreciate that there isn't an easy solution, and that some issues
will always remain. Most software is not Sugar at all, when you
consider the underlying OS as well non-Sugar (Sugarised or just plain
Linux apps) software running on top of Sugar. Those will still need
the http_proxy environment variable.

Automatic proxy (PAC/WPAD) files generally only work with Web
browsers, as they require JavaScript parsing. The ones used in our
schools often include logic to prompt the user for credentials before
they are allowed onto the Web.

Sridhar