VISULOX 5 Documentation

VISULOX Firefox integration

There are two different conceptional ways for a VISUOLX Firefox integration.

With and without persistence profile.

Non persistence and VISULOX shell

The VISULOX shell provides shell enviroments to users, if no UNIX accounts are available or UNIX accounts are not needed. This is the case, if the UNIX System is used for transit to webapplications, Windows or Citrix.

If non persistence profiles are sufficient, the VISULOX vlxshell can be used:

vlxshell -client firefox / visulox.exp / applicationserver which is member in the visulox cluster

With the parameter -P <path to directory or .tgz file> a profile template can be set, which will be copied and used in firefox.

Example for Firefox started wirh a given URL:

vlxshell -client firefox -- "https://portal.visulox.com/wiki"


This command uses the platform provided Firefox. An alternate Firefox can be provided:

vlxshell -client firefox -clientcmd <pathToAlternateFirefox> / visulox.exp / applicationserver which in member if the visulox cluster

Using the vlxshell assigns a vlxtransit user (vlx000 to vlx999) to the user. The VISULOX PORTAL login script is visulox.exp.

The type (firefox, chrome, etc) can be used instead of the vlxshell command in the Application Command field and -client <type> in the Argument for Command field.

Additional plugins (like Flash, Java or Citrix ) are loaded,


vlxshell.tcl parameters:

Parameter

Description

-client <value>

Client type. Default: xterm

-clientcmd <value>

Alternate path to client

-title <value>

Title of the GUI

-lang <value>

Language

-id <value>

Session ID

-owner <value>

Owner who runs this GUI

-allowedSites <value>

List of allowed sites in Firefox profile

-usermask <value>

Mask to add a prefix and/or suffix to sso_user (prefix%USER%suffix)

-E <value>

Extension list for Firefox

-P <value>

Firefox profile archive or directory

-profile <value>

Name of Citrix profile in database

-resource <value>

Name of passcache resource

-sync

Activate vlxtransit and vlxupload for the application

Persistent and Firefox Wrapper

A persistent integration needs the possibility to store the user profile. Therefore the user needs a UNIX user account and a home directory. If more than one application server is implemented, the home directory must be spanned over all servers.

The classical integration would be:

firefox  / unix.exp or vlxUnix.exp / applicationserver


The disadvantage of this integration is, that the user can use only one of the applications with Firefox. Simultaneous multiple Firefoxes are not possible.

To provide this, the VISULOX Firefox Wrapper can be used:

 VLXDIR/tools/ffw/ffwrapper.tcl / vlxUnix.exp / applicationserver which is member in the visulox cluster
vlxshell/visulox.exp  -client ffwrapper – <ffwrapper args>


The VISULOX Firefox Wrapper can be used only with a UNIX user account.

The VISULOX Firefox Wrapper generates the user's Firefox profile based on user name / application name and the Firefox version. The profile is stored within the user's home directory.

This integration allows different versions of Firefox and also the possibility to run multiple Firefoxes.

Comparison


vlxshell with Firefox

Firefox wrapper

Standard Firefox integration

VISULOX PORTAL login script

visulox.exp

vlxUnix.exp

vlxUnix.exp/unix.exp

Unix user

temporary vlxtransit user

standard Unix user

standard Unix user

Profile

non persistence

persistence

persistence

Multiple instances

yes

yes

no

VISULOX File Transfer integration

yes

yes

yes

Firefox Citrix plugin

yes

yes

yes

Firefox Citrix plugin  and File Transfer integration

yes

yes

no

Different Firefox versions

yes

yes

yes

Java integration

non* / platform assigned

application definition assigned

different versions

non*/ platform assigned

Flash

platform assigned

part of the integration

platform assigned

Handles extensions (as long as it fits to the FX version)

yes

yes

user can install

* if the Firefox Wrapper is used, the platform installed JAVA is removed and cannot be used anymore.



VISULOX Firefox and Firefox extensions

VISULOX Firefox CITRIX / ICA integration