Web Filtering for Edubuntu / Firefox

[Jordan Mantha]

James McDermott wrote:
> Hello,
> 
> I am looking for a good web filtering application for Edubuntu Version
> 6.1 (EdgyEft) server thin-clint configuration. 
> 
> I tried to install Dan's Guardian using the information on the website:
> 
> http://dc.ubuntu-us.org/resources/tutorials/DansGuardian.php
> 
> and the install of squid failed so I uninstalled squid using the
> Synaptic Package Manager and searched for another solution. 
> 
> I then tried to install Dan's Guardian using the Synaptic Package
> Manager repository World Wide Web (Universe) and it failed due to
> dependencies problems. 
> 
> I then discovered that Mozella Firefox on Windows has a Web Filter:
> 
> https://help.csufresno.edu/cvip/web/filter/win-firefox.html
> 
> When I tried to setup the filter in Edubuntu with Firefox/2.0 (Ubuntu
> Edgy), I discovered that the Linux version of Firefox does not have the 
> capability to setup proxies for Internet Connection? I searched through
> the browser preferences and could not find the options to setup the
> filter as described in the above link.  
> 
> The folks who will be using these server thin-client systems may lack
> the skills to do command line installs. It would be great to have the
> ability to install a good web filter using the Synaptic Package Manager
> where all the dependencies are resolved or have the ability to setup a
> filter using Firefox preferences.  
> 
> Are there any good easy to install web filtering applications for
> Edubuntu?

Travis Watkins has worked on a filter called willowng for Edubuntu as
part of the Google Summer of Code this summer. It's still a work in
progress but there is a version in Edgy in the Universe repo. It has a
gui for Gnome and KDE and is self contained (no need for a separate
proxy package). It does lack the ability to force the browser to use the
filter (a kid could deactivate the proxy settings in firefox) but I
think this is being worked on.

-Jordan Mantha