Public Web Browser

The Public Web Browser (PWB) is a simplified web browser that uses Internet Explorer (5.5 or later) as it’s engine. Web pages and plug-ins that work with Internet Explorer will work with PWB. All configuration and customization is done through a text file by library staff. The file can reside locally on each PC, or can be located on a network share for all the PC’s to use.

The Public Web Browser was written by Scott Vermeersch of Mayo Clinic Libraries in Rochester, Minnesota. NOBLE has purchased a site license for the Public Web Browser, the software is available at www.teamsoftwaresolutions.com.

Configuration Files
There are several files that are used to configure PWB. Click on the links below to see sample files. Also refer to the PWBv2.rtf file in the Public Web Browser v2 folder for ini file documentation.

  • PublicBrowser.ini – This is the main configuration file for the browser and is specific to Version 2.04. This is where you can remove menu items, remove whole menus, remove buttons, set security options, and set the home page, and set inactivity and activity timers. The sample file came from a PC running PWB in Kiosk mode with a locally configured home page abd a Clear Cache toolbar button. To exit PWB in Kiosk mode, press CTRL-ALT-SHIFT-INSERT and type in the password designated in the ExitBrowser setting in the ini file.
  • Updating the License – This utility updates the license number that is stored in the ini file. Download both the Updater and the license file or the 64-bit license file to your desktop, then click on the PWBLicense.exe program. Your ini file will be updated with the new license number. NOTE: you may also need to enter RegisteredTo=NOBLE Inc. at the top of your ini file.
  • Favorites – Any bookmarks that you want available to users are stored in the Favorites folder. Drag URL’s to this folder to create links in the Favorites menu.
  • URL.txt– This is a list of strings that are not allowed in the address box. The file can contain keywords, whole URL’s, and drive letters to prevent access to the hard drive and network shares. To use this file, set CheckURLAccess=True. This URL.txt file permits all access except for access to the hard drive. This URL2.txt file blocks access to the Internet but allows access to the catalog, some other library catalogs, and syndetics images.
  • Policy.txt – This text file can be displayed each time a user starts up PWB. It would contain a library’s Internet Usage Policy and requires that the user click “accept” in order to start the browser. To display the policy file, set ShowPolicyDialog=True.
  • Shellbar – This folder can contain shortcuts to programs that you want to appear on the toolbar of the browser. The shell buttons can open other programs such as Word and Excel. The Public Browser’s security features do not control other programs that are accessed through shell buttons.

Securing Public Web Browser on Windows 2000
If you want to run Public Web Browser as the only interface on a public PC, then follow the steps below:

  1. Make sure your PC is using the NTFS file system. This is necessary to take advantage of Windows 2000 user and group security.
  2. Make sure you are using Internet Explorer 5.5 SP2. We have found problems with script errors when using Explorer 6 and Public Browser.
  3. Create a web page that will serve as the PC’s home page. See Swampscott’s start page for an example.
  4. Set the following in the Public Web Browser ini file:
    – ClearCacheOnHome=True
    – KioskMode=True
    – ExitBrowser=xxx (where xxx is a password)
    – CheckURLAccess=True (set the URL.txt file according to the example above)

  5. Create a user account on the PC that is in the Users group. This group has restricted privilges on the PC. Set the PC to boot into this user account by going into Control Panel–Users and Passwords. Select the user account and make sure “users must enter a user name and password to use this computer” is unchecked. This will cause the PC to boot into this user account without requesting a password.
  6. Configure the PC to boot into Public Web Browser by adding Public Web Browser to the user’s startup folder.
  7. Disable the Task Manager so users cannot close Public Web Browser. To do this, go to start–run–gpedit.msc. Expand the following: USER CONFIGURATION–Administrative Templates–System–Logon/Logoff. Enable the following:
    • Disable Task Manager (click the enabled radio button)
    • Disable Lock Computer (click the enable radio button)
    • Disable Change Password (click the enable radio button)
  8. Hide Computers Near Me in Network Places (2000/XP). See the Windows Registry Guide
  9. Hide Entire Network in Network Neighborhood (98/2000/XP). See the Windows Registry Guide
  10. Enable DeepFreeze/DriveShield or similar.
  11. Create a Clear Cache Button on the Toolbar. Download and install PWBstop. Copy a shortcut to PWBstop in the Shellbar folder and rename it “Clear Cache”. Set the following in the ini file:
    • ShowShellBar=True
    • ClearCacheOnClose=True
    • RestartOnClose=True

EBSCO and WinU
Launching the Public Browser from a WinU button with EBSCO as the target URL is problematic. Because the EBSCO URL is complex, the Public Browser needs it to be in double quotes. Unfortunately, WinU does not allow you to add the quotes in the parameters box.

The URL for EBSCO is:

  http://search.ebscohost.com/cpidlogin.asp?custid=noble&ip=yes&profile=web

The solution is to create a Public Browser shortcut on the desktop whose properties include the URL for Ebsco with the double
quotes. You then create a WinU button that points to the shortcut (instead of pointing directly to the PublicBrowser.exe with parameters).

The Shortcut:

"C:\Program Files\...PublicBrowser.exe" "http://search.epent.com/..."

The WinU Button:

File to run: C:\path_to_desktop\Ebsco.LNK

The easiest way to create the WinU button is to drag the shortcut onto the WinU desktop while in Setup Mode.

Clearing Scopes in the Web Catalog
Use an inactivity timer in combination with the CommandLineHomePage option to clear the scope after a patron searches the web catalog. If your WinU button brought up the Public Browser with the URL “catalog.noblenet.org/search~S1” and the patron changed the scope during a search, the timeout will refresh the browser to the URL that was used to invoke the browser.

CommandLineHomePage=True
InactivityTimer=True
InactivityAction=Restart