GUI Adaptations

To make it easier for corporations to customize at the GUI level, the developers have abstracted this functionality from the core functions. The GUI is based on a set of JSP pages stored in the /webapps subdirectory. This directory should not be deleted. For customizations, begin by looking at the structure of the /nxfilter/webapps directory:

/nxfilter/webapps
- error
- example
- img
- include
- lib
- WEB-INF

The error pages for HTTP error codes are stored in the /webapps/error subdirectory. Adjustments are possible in the XML-based /webapps/WEB-INF/web.xml configuration. The image files are stored in the /nxfilter/webapps/img directory, where you can store your own logos, for example. The /webapps/include subdirectory contains shared JSP files, and /include/lib.jsp has the library files for all JSP files. The CSS and JavaScript files can be found in /nxfilter/webapps/lib. The WEB-INF directory reveals that NxFilter is based on an integrated Tomcat server.

The developers advise against editing the original files of the standard NxFilter user interface; instead, you should generate an alternative directory, copy all the files to /nxfilter/webapps, and work with the new directory. The web directory can be customized easily with the www_dir option in the /nxfilter/conf/cfg.properties file. A restart of NxFilter is then required.

Conclusions

NxFilter closes a functional gap for which many administrators had not yet found a suitable solution. Admins benefit in several ways, because the DNS filter offers balanced functionality, integrates seamlessly into any environment, and supports increasingly important home office connections. Because of the freeware license, you can indulge in an extensive evaluation.