USB self-contained server

Introduction

With the release of Uniform Server V4.0-Mona thought I would revisit a self-contained server on a USB memory stick. This includes portable Firefox and a PAC file simulating a portable DNS server.

This really is intended as a teaching and development server. A PAC file avoids using the hosts file. On Vista this can be a pain before it can be edited requires administrator privileges.

Components required

The following components are required:

• Uniform Server 4.0-Mona
• Portable Firefox
• A PAC file
• A domain name I will use this address http://center.uniformserver.com

Installation

Install Uniform Server

1. Extract Uniform Server V4.0-Mona to any folder.
2. Copy the entire content of folder udrive to USB root (top-level).
3. From folder UniServer copy UniController.exe to USB root.

Install Firefox Portable

1. Download the latest version of Firefox Portable from: Portable Apps save to any folder
   (File Firefox_Portable_3.0.6_en-us.paf.exe)
2. On your memory stick at the top level create a new folder named fx3 (choose any name you like)
3. Double-click on the file downloaded Firefox_Portable_3.0.6_en-us.paf.exe. When prompted select the folder fx3 on your memory stick and click OK. A FirefoxPortable folder will be created and all the necessary files installed.

Note: To run double click on FirefoxPortable.exe (located in folder *\fx3\FirefoxPortable)

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Create Virtual Host

The easiest way to create a virtual host is to use Apanel however this writes to the hosts file. To avoid this edit Apache's config file and add the virtual host(s) manually.

Edit file: L:\usr\local\apache2\conf\httpd.conf (Note your drive letter may be different)

Navigate to the end of this file and just under the default host (localhost:80) add the new host section:

NameVirtualHost *
<VirtualHost *>
	ServerName localhost:80
	DocumentRoot /www
</VirtualHost>

##########VIRTUAL HOST SETUP##########
# CENTER.UNIFORMSERVER.COM
<VirtualHost *>
ServerName center.uniformserver.com
DocumentRoot /www/center
</VirtualHost>

I am using ServerName center.uniformserver.com and DocumentRoot /www/center use your real domain and create the appropriate folder in L:\www (again your drive letter may be different)

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Create PAC file

Create the following file and save as test.pac to root folder L:\www

function FindProxyForURL(url, host)
{
  if (shExpMatch(url,"http://center.uniformserver.com/*")) return "PROXY 127.0.0.1";
  return "";
} 

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Install PAC file

1. Run Firefox by double clicking on file FirefoxPortable.exe located L:\fx3\FirefoxPortable\FirefoxPortable.exe
2. Select Tools > Options
3. Select Advanced Icon
4. Select Network Tab
5. Click Settings button
6. Check Automatic proxy configuration URL radio button
7. Type-in http://localhost/test.pac
8. Click OK twice to close both dialogs.
9. Close Firefox.

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Test

1. Start Uniform Server (Double click on unicontroller.exe) and start servers.
2. Run Firefox by double clicking on file FirefoxPortable.exe located L:\fx3\FirefoxPortable\FirefoxPortable.exe
3. Type the following into browser address bar: http://localhost/test.pac
4. Contents of folder www/center displayed.

Automate

When the USB stick is plugged in we need to start Firefox and UniController.

It is possible that a version of Firefox is already running, this will prevent our portable version running hence first kill any running Firefox. Then start UniController, since there are several commands these are placed in a batch file which is run by autorun.

New batch files

Create a new batch file ff_pac.bat and save to USB root

TITLE UNIFORM SERVER - PAC
COLOR B0
mode con:cols=60 lines=20
@echo off
cls
rem ###################################################
rem # Name: ff_pac.bat
rem # Location: root of USB stic
rem # Edited Last By: MPG (ric)
rem # V 1.0 7-2-2009
rem ##################################################
echo.

rem working directory current folder 
pushd %~dp0

rem ### kill running FF
home\admin\program\pskill.exe firefox.exe c
home\admin\program\pskill.exe FirefoxPortable.exe c

rem ### start USB Firefox
start fx3\FirefoxPortable\FirefoxPortable.exe

rem ### Before starting UniController wait for FF to start 
rem ### Safety loop counter cnt give up after 60 seconds
echo  Starting FF ...............

echo.
set /a cnt=0
:next1
set /a cnt+=1
if "%cnt%"=="60" goto :TIMEDOUT
home\admin\program\unidelay.exe
home\admin\program\pskill.exe FirefoxPortable.exe > nul
IF ERRORLEVEL 1 goto :next1

rem ### start UniController
home\admin\program\unidelay.exe 4
start unicontroller.exe
goto :END

:TIMEDOUT
echo  Unable to start FF
pause

:END
rem restore original working directory
popd

Auto Run

First check you can start Firefox and UniController using the batch file.

Now create a file named autorun.inf and save to USB root. The one I used for testing is shown below:

[autorun]
open=ff_pac.bat
action=Run FF UniController
icon=docs\SRC\uslogo.ico

When your memory stick is plugged in you will receive the following message just click OK:

Launch FF UniformServer using the program provided on the device

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Summary

The above was not intended to be a definitive guide it provides a working example that you can expand for your own applications.

Instead of using UniController you can use batch files. This is covered on the following pages Virtual Hosting, although written for 3.5 the material is transferable to 4.0-Mona.

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