          WWWOFFLE - World Wide Web Offline Explorer - Version 2.5c
          =========================================================


The WWWOFFLE programs simplify World Wide Web browsing from computers that use
intermittent (dial-up) connections to the internet.

Description
-----------

The WWWOFFLE server is a proxy web server with special features for use with
dial-up internet links.  This means that it is possible to browse web pages and
read them without having to remain connected.

Basic Features
    - Caching of HTTP, FTP and finger protocols.
    - Allows the 'GET', 'HEAD', 'POST' and 'PUT' HTTP methods.
    - Interactive or command line control of online/offline/autodial status.
    - Highly configurable.
    - Low maintenance, start/stop and online/offline status can be automated.

While Online
    - Caching of pages that are viewed for later review.
    - Conditional fetching to only get pages that have changed.
        - Based on expiration date, time since last fetched or once per session.
    - Non cached support for SSL (Secure Socket Layer e.g. https).
    - Can be used with one or more external proxies based on web page.
    - Control which pages cannot be accessed.
        - Allow replacement of blocked pages.
    - Control which pages are not to be stored in the cache.

While Offline
    - Can be configured to use dial-on-demand for pages that are not cached.
    - Selection of pages to download next time online
        - Using normal browser to follow links.
        - Command line interface to select pages for downloading.
    - Control which pages can be requested when offline.
    - Provides non-cached access to intranet servers.

Automated Download
    - Downloading of specified pages non-interactively.
    - Options to automatically fetch objects in requested pages
        - Understands various types of pages
            - HTML 4.0, Java classes, VRML (partial), XML (partial).
        - Options to fetch different classes of objects
            - Images, Stylesheets, Frames, Scripts, Java or other objects.
    - Automatically follows links for pages that have been moved.
    - Can monitor pages at regular intervals to fetch those that have changed.
    - Recursive fetching
        - To specified depth.
        - On any host or limited to same server or same directory.
        - Chosen from command line or from browser.
        - Control over which links can be fetched recursively.

Convenience
    - Optional information footer on HTML pages showing date cached and options.
    - Options to modify HTML pages
        - Remove Javascript.
        - Stop animated GIFs.
        - Indicate cached and uncached links.
        - Remove the blink tag.
    - Automatic proxy configuration for Netscape.
    - Searchable cache with the addition of the ht://Dig program.
    - Built in simple web-server for local pages.
    - Timeouts for server connection and data transfer to stop server lockups.
    - Continue or stop downloads interrupted by client or server.
    - Purging of pages from cache
        - Based on URL matching.
        - To keep the cache size below a specified limit.
        - To keep the free disk space above a specified limit.
        - Interactive or command line control.

Indexes
    - Multiple indexes of pages stored in cache
        - Servers for each protocol (http, ftp ...).
        - Pages on each server.
        - Pages waiting to be fetched.
        - Pages fetched last time online.
        - Pages monitored on a regular basis.
    - Configurable indexes
        - Sorted by name, date, server domain name, type of file.
        - Options to delete, refresh or monitor pages.
        - Selection of complete list of pages or hide un-interesting pages.

Security
    - Works with pages that require basic username/password authentication.
    - Automates proxy authentication for external proxies that require it.
    - Control over access to the proxy
        - Defaults to local host access only.
        - Host access configured by hostname or IP address.
        - Optional proxy authentication for user level access control.
    - Optional password control for proxy management functions.
    - Can censor incoming and outgoing HTTP headers to maintain user privacy.

Configuration
    - All options controlled using a configuration file.
    - Interactive web page to allow editing of the configuration file.
    - User customisable error and information pages.


Availability
------------

FTP server: ftp://metalab.unc.edu/pub/Linux/apps/www/servers/wwwoffle-2.5c.tgz
FTP server: ftp://ftp.demon.co.uk/pub/unix/httpd/wwwoffle-2.5c.tgz

Web page: http://www.gedanken.demon.co.uk/wwwoffle/


Author & Copyright
------------------

This program is copyright Andrew M. Bishop 1996,97,98,99
(amb@gedanken.demon.co.uk) and distributed under GPL.

email: amb@gedanken.demon.co.uk
[Please put wwwoffle in the subject line]
