Browser Protocol Handler

Revision as of 12:13, 13 October 2008

A browser-protocol handler is a quick way to connect to a grid, by just clicking on a hyperlink that has an "opensim://" prefix, The only thing you have to do, is instruct your browser how to handle the sl-viewer. Currently there are protocol-handlers for Linux and Windows. I'm pretty sure it's just as easy on the Mac, but since I don't own one, you have to find out for yourself(for now).

Linux - Firefox

You can setup firefox to open opensim://serveraddress links, so you don't have to specify the login-parameters every time you're connecting.

Follow these steps in order to use this functionality:

• create a file named osurl.sh in your secondlife directory, and fill with:

#!/bin/sh 
exec= kdesu -c "/your/path/to/secondlife/secondlife -loginuri ${1:10} -loginpage ${1:10}/?method=login"

Notice that kdesu is optional. Install on console kdesu $sudo apt-get install kdesudo

Somehow secondlife crashes when i run it as a normal user, so I run it as root.

• Make the file executable

chmod +x ./osurl.sh

Next you have to add a protocol handler to firefox, so firefox knows that it should run this shellscript.

• Enter about:config in your browser
• Add a new string, name it "network.protocol-handler.app.opensim"
• Enter /path/to/your/secondlife/dir/osurl.sh as value
• Add a new boolean, name it "network.protocol-handler.external.opensim", and set it to "true"

Now you can try to connect with the OS-Grid by opening "opensim://osgrid.org:8002"" in your browser. Please notice that using protocol handlers may cause a potential security hazard(http://www.heise-security.co.uk/news/96163). I am not sure whether this script is vulnerable to the -autologin vulnerability, so be warned(ps. I don't take any responsibility for using this script).

Windows - Internet Explorer

You can do the same for windows, but it takes a little more work. Follow these steps to get the functionality:

• create a file named osurl.bat in your secondlife directory, and fill with:

@echo off > osurl.bat
SET rawUrl=%1
SET cleanUrl=%rawUrl:~10%
START "OpenSim" /HIGH /B "%~d0%~p0SecondLifeWindLight.exe" -loginpage %cleanUrl%?method=login -loginuri %cleanUrl%
EXIT

• We need to create a file named opensim.reg, fill with(modify paths to SL if needed) the text beneath, and save:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\opensim]
"(default)"="URL:opensim"
"URL Protocol"=""
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\opensim\DefaultIcon]
@="\"C:\\Program Files\\SecondLifeWindLight\\osurl.bat\""
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\opensim\shell]
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\opensim\shell\open]
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\opensim\shell\open\command]
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\opensim\shell\open\command]
@="\"C:\\Program Files\\SecondLifeWindLight\\osurl.bat\" %1"

• Right-click the file, and import it to the registry

Windows - Firefox

• Follow the previous steps for Internet explorer
• add a protocol handler to firefox, so firefox knows that it should run this shellscript.

• Enter about:config in your browser
• Add a new string, name it "network.protocol-handler.app.opensim"
• Enter c:/Program Files/YourSecondLifedir/osurl.bat as value (use your own sl-path here)
• Add a new boolean, name it "network.protocol-handler.external.opensim", and set it to "true"

Now try to connect with the OS-Grid by clicking this link in your browser: opensim://osgrid.org:8002""

Mac OSX

There are two ways to do this, one is by making a file with shell commands in it as follows:

make a file called 'opensim-client.sh'

Using your favorite editor, put this line in:

/Applications/Second\ Life.app/Contents/MacOS/Second\ Life -loginuri http://osgrid.org:8002/ -loginpage http://osgrid.org/loginscreen.php

be sure to hit 'RETURN' to put the cursor on the next line.

Close and save the file.

Then, on the command line, type this:

chmod +x opensim-client.sh

Now you are ready to connect to osgrid.org! (you may modify the URL information for the grid of your choice.

For localhost, just put in http://localhost/ instead, and leave out the '-loginpage http://osgrid.org/loginscreen.php information.

The second way to do that is to copy the above and paste it on a shell prompt and hit enter!

Enjoy!