
-*-*-*-*-*->  S l i x t e r   p r o u d l y   p r e s e n t s  <-*-*-*-*-*-
    ___       ___
  //__      //__                   The latest in our fine line of quality,
  ___// LIX  ___// ECURITY...      high-performance Apple IIgs software.

-*-P-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-A-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-Y-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-M-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-E-*-

So, you've got a problem.  Your problem is that you love your Apple IIgs and
you love your four-year-old kid.  But you don't love how your kid tries to
launch his "Math Munchers" game by selecting your hard drive and choosing
"Format".  Or how he cleans up your desktop by filing the
"Unbelievably.Important.Documents" folder under "Trash".  Oh, how often you
thought about filing your entire IIgs under "Trash" and buying a Mac, along
with some cheesy "At Ease"-ish security software to prevent the unwanted
intrusions by your progeny.  But you held on, in the hope that Slixter, after
already ripping off every other software idea in the known universe and
porting it to the IIgs, would eventually get around to this one.  Well, he
did.  And here it is -- SlixSecurity.


So, what is SlixSecurity?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
     SlixSecurity is a desk accessory/Finder extension that password protects
your computer.  If the correct password is not entered, the user gets only
limited access to your files.  That means, little Johnny can only touch files
that are in his own special folder, and he can't trash, format, open, or
otherwise manipulate anything you don't want him to.  The best part is that
SlixSecurity works directly from within the Finder, so you don't have to
learn how to set things up.  If you know how to use the Finder, then you can
use SlixSecurity already!


So, how do I do it?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
     First, create a folder in the root directory of your hard drive (or boot
disk), and name it "SlixSecurity" (one word).  Note that this folder must be
in the root directory, i.e. not inside any other folders.  Next, copy the
SlixSecurity desk accessory (the file that came with this text) into the
System/Desk.Accs folder of your boot disk, and restart the computer.
Then, when you are back in the Finder, select "SlixSecurity" from the Apple
menu, and click on the "Change Password" button.  Enter the password you want
to use, and you'll be all set!


So, how's it work?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
     The next time you restart your computer, there will be a neato-looking
"logon" window which will let you either go into the Finder with security
enabled (for little Johnny), or enter the "administrator password" and get
full access (for you).  If you enter your password and click on the "Accept"
button, everything behaves exactly as it always did before.  However, if the
password wasn't entered, then things are a little different.  The window of
the SlixSecurity folder you created will open up, and you will only be able
to select items that are inside it, or inside folders that are inside it.
This is where you should put little Johnny's Math Munchers game, as well as
anything else that is okay for him to use.  You will notice that if you click
on anything not inside the SlixSecurity folder, it will unselect itself.  In
addition, there is no trash can, so nothing can be deleted.  Many menu
options, such as "New Folder" or "Preferences", can be selected but don't
actually do anything.  You can drag files around, but you can't move them or
copy them anywhere.  Disk copies are disabled as well.  If you like, you can
disable desk accessories and Finder extras.  In short, it's safe.


What are my options?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
     Go to the Apple menu and choose "SlixSecurity", and type in your
password.  You are now at the Administrator Settings window, where you can
change, well, the administrator settings.  The first option lets you turn
security on or off.  If little Johnny is done with the computer and you want
to use it, you don't have to reboot to get full access back -- simply use
this option to turn security off.
     The next option lets you determine what happens at startup time.  You
can have the logon window appear, prompting you for your password, as is the
default, or you can choose to have security automatically turn on or off at
startup time.  Note that regardless of what happens at startup time, you can
always change the current security setting simply by using the first option.
     The next option says "Allow copy, rename, etc. in SlixSecurity folder". 
This option basically lets you determine what kind of function the
SlixSecurity folder will have.  For example, if you want an "At Ease"-like
environment, consisting of a simple program launcher, then you will want to
turn this option off.  The SlixSecurity window will then be like a program
launcher window, with little Johnny only being able to run his programs from
it.  On the other hand, if you want the SlixSecurity folder to be like
Johnny's little "workspace", where he can create folders, move stuff around,
and organize it as he likes, then you will want to turn this option on.  Note
that if you go with this "workspace" idea, Johnny still won't be able to
delete anything because the trash can is hidden.  What you should do is
create a folder (inside the SlixSecurity folder) and name it "Trash" or
something like that.  He can drag anything he wants to delete into this
folder, and then you can take out the trash for him (delete the contents of
the folder) whenever you feel like it.
     The next option is "Allow desk accessories".  If desk accessories are
not allowed, then all the NDAs (other than SlixSecurity itself) will be
dimmed and unselectable, and the apple-control-escape sequence to get to the
CDA menu won't work (nor will the apple-shift-escape sequence for the Control
Panels NDA).  Note that if a program is launched from the Finder and security
is on, then desk accessories will still be disabled, even inside that program.
Desk accessory access will come back to you as soon as you turn security off.
     The next option, which is similar, is "Allow Finder extras".  If extras
are not allowed and security is on, then the Extras menu in the Finder will
be hidden.  Note that Finder extensions can still perform their actions; they
just can't be selected in the Extras menu.  For example, if you have a Finder
extension that lets you see or hear a  graphics or music file when it is
double-clicked on, little Johnny will still  be able to double-click on any
graphics or music files in his SlixSecurity folder and see or hear them to
his heart's content.  The extras menu reappears when you turn security off.
     The last option is a button that says "Open Trash Window".  The trash
can is hidden when you start the Finder with security enabled, so this option
gives you a means of deleting things (whether security is on or not).  Simply
click this option, and the Trash window will open up.  You can now drag
things into this window as you would drag things to the trash can, and choose
Empty Trash to delete them.  This option is disabled when you are not in the
Finder.


Are there any other random things I should know?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
     But of course.  First of all, the SlixSecurity folder does not
necessarily have to be on the boot disk.  The one on the boot disk is opened
up automatically at startup time, but you can have a SlixSecurity folder on
any disk (including any hard drive partition) that you like.  When you click
on the disk icon, the SlixSecurity folder on that disk (if there is one) will
open up.  If you have a SlixSecurity folder on a floppy disk, it will open up
automatically when you insert the disk.  Anything inside any SlixSecurity
folder can be accessed when security is on.
     Another tip -- aliases (created via the EasyMount finder extension that
comes with System 6.0.1) are quite useful with SlixSecurity.  Instead of
putting entire programs inside the SlixSecurity folder, you can simply create
aliases to them, giving a real "Program Launcher" feel to the SlixSecurity
window.  The disadvantage is that EasyMount aliases all have one, bland icon.
This is especially bad if little Johnny is too young to read, and has to rely
on the pictures to tell which program is Math Munchers.  If you are intent on
using aliases, the only real solution to this is to use an icon editor (such
as IconEd or ICE) to draw your own icons or copy the icons from the real
program.  If you do decide to do this, it may be helpful to know that
EasyMount aliases have a filetype of $E2, auxtype $FFFF.  (Actually, another
trick is to use the icon editor to simply change the filetype of the original
icons to $0000, so that all files of that name are matched, which will
include the aliases if they have the same name, as well as the folders.  This
might only work with "old style" icon files and not rBundle icons though.)
     If you are a programmer and are writing a program that might provide a
possible security breach and you want to make your program compatible with
SlixSecurity, SlixSecurity can tell you its status and settings via IPC.
Contact me for the specs on the IPC request.


So what if I forget my password?  Am I locked out of my computer forever?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
     No...  Simply "shift-boot" (hold down the shift key while starting
GS/OS) so SlixSecurity is not loaded.  Then go into the System/System.Setup
folder and find a file called "SlixSecur.DATA".  Drag it to the trash and
delete it.  Then, restart your computer and set up the password again as you
did the first time.
     Yes, SlixSecurity is susceptable to "shift-booting".  On the other hand,
so is "At Ease" and they've still sold a gazillion of those, which leads me
(and you, hopefully) to believe that is probably isn't such a big problem. 
If it still worries you, you can use Eric Shepherd's program "Shifty List",
to take care of this problem.  If you do use the Shifty List solution, then
if you forget your password, you will have to launch some other disk (such
as the System Disk) to get access to your System/System.Setup folder and
delete the "SlixSecur.DATA" file.


Will SlixSecurity solve all my security problems, bring about world peace,
and act as an powerful aphrodisiac while preventing Lyme's disease? ~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
     Yep.  All that and more.  But there's a catch -- you have to pay for it.
Fortunately, all I'm asking is the low, low shareware fee of $10.  Until you
pay, a box will pop up on your screen every minute or so asking you to please
do so.  Sort of like a PBS pledge drive.  (The button on the box that lets
you continue will be invalid for five seconds, during which you can ponder
the great mysteries of life, or write me a check.)
     You see, I've written two shareware programs before.  They weren't crap
either -- I used MagicMouse myself almost every day, and I received a number
of e-mails from people who like using SpamMaster.  Strangely enough though,
I've made a whopping grand total of FIVE DOLLARS from the two programs
combined.  Something was amiss.  A more pessimistic personality might
conclude that people are scum and then proceed to wipe out a 7-11 with an
AK-47, but I'm not like that.  I conclude, instead, that people simply forget
to pay their shareware fees.  So SlixSecurity comes with a built-in reminder.
Think of it as a feature!  And when you send me the check, I'll send you
(either through e-mail or U.S. Mail if you don't have e-mail) a password
which you can type in to "unlock" your version of SlixSecurity and make the
shareware reminder box go away forever.
     Please make your $10 check payable to Bret Victor, and mail it to:

          Bret Victor
          19253 Parkview Rd.
          Castro Valley, CA  94546

     Be sure to include your e-mail or mailing address so I can send you the
unlocking password.


Bret, you're so awesome, I want to know everything about you.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
     Well, above all else, I'm exceptionally modest and humble.  I'm also 19
years old, and I just finished my sophomore year at Caltech.  For me, IIgs
programming is like heroin -- once it gets in your blood, you can't kick the
habit.  My publicly released programming credits include: 

TextFighter, CoolEd (co-author), Opening Line, ShadyBar, Bender, Boinger,
GravityMouse, Horoscope, SlixLaunch, MagicMouse, AutoInfo, PuyoPuyo,
BarNone II, DisChord, Periodic Table, Operation Lambda, MightyScroll,
World Time Zones, SlixTop, Jam Break, WhatchaPress, MightyQuotes, PickQuick,
SurfBurgers, MightyPrefix, AAUUUUGGGGHHHH!!!, MightyUnits, Tell Me,
CrossHatch, Bunnies & Carrots, SpamMaster, SlixSecurity

The first two are 8-bit programs, and the rest are IIgs programs.  If you are
interested in any of those programs, or interested in anything at all, feel
free to e-mail me, or check out my web page:

   e-mail:   bret@cco.caltech.edu
   webpage:  http://www.cco.caltech.edu/~bret

(You can also send mail to my Genie address, B.VICTOR1, but that account
seems to be a dumping ground for people advertising money-making schemes and
pornographic web sites.  So the school account is better, unless you actually
are advertising a money-making scheme or pornographic web site.)

...

For what it's worth, I was originally going to call this program "Safe Slix".
Perhaps I should have...  it would be amusing to see what kind of icon I
would come up with for that name.


----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 (c) 1997 Bret Victor.  One is silver and the other is gold.  And we'll all
                        live happily ever after.
