Introduction |
Filetopia is a program aimed at those who collect any
kind of files. It consists of a collection manager coupled with a secure file
server, a secure chat client and a secure messaging system. It uses strong (256-bit)
cryptography along with a public key mechanism to provide security for
the file server, the messaging system and the chat. It is very easy to use;
its "Getting Started Wizard" will help novice users to start working with the
program in minutes by automating all the configuration tasks. The collection
manager lets you create lists of all your files and compare them with files
from other users so that you only obtain files new to your collection. The chat
client provides mechanisms to protect your identity and to prevent attacks from
other users which are so frequently seen on IRC.
The messaging system allows you to post messages for other users and to keep
"conversations" or threads without the need to be online at the same time
-- Use Filetopia to improve your collection in a secure, easy to use environment.
Basic concepts |
Most Internet services belong to the distributed information systems group, examples of these are: Web Servers, News Servers and FTP Servers. In these systems the information is published in the server, where it stays for some time waiting to be recovered by authorized users. In real time systems, however the information is not published anywhere - it stays in the owner's machine where other users are allowed to access it only while the owner is connected.
Context Menus appear when the user presses the right mouse button over a certain area of the screen. At that time, a Popup Menu with options related to that part of the screen appears. In Filetopia context menus are used extensively, and will be referenced throughout this help.
The process of encoding the information in such a way that it can only be read at the intended destination is called Encryption. If the information is not encoded in this way, it is relatively easy for it to be intercepted by someone while it is travelling to its destination. On the other hand, if the information is encrypted, it is infeasible to intercept. For the information to be read, it needs some data called the key. This key enables the destination computer to decrypt or decode the information.
There are two types of encryption: "Weak Encryption": where the method of encoding is known to have weaknesses or the key length used is 64 bits long or less: and "Strong Encryption": where the method of encoding has no known attacks and the key length used is greater than 64 bits. Filetopia uses strong encryption, which means: there is no way that any unauthorized person can read the message.
These are programs that help users to manage collections of files. However, when you are collecting files, there are some requirements that are not addressed by a "file manager" such as Windows explorer. The additional requirements include:
In Internet terms, a Chat is a service that enables several connected Net users to maintain a conversation, via the keyboard in real time. One standard protocol used in chat networks on the Internet is called IRC (Internet Relay Chat). These chat networks consist of many interconnected servers and permit thousands of users to chat simultaneously.
Filetopia uses a different chat protocol and therefore it is not compatible with the IRC networks. However it provides many advantages over the IRC protocol:
Security - the Filetopia protocol has less week points that can be attacked.
Privacy - the information travels encrypted.
Auxiliary protocols - that help in the file exchanging among users.
These date back to the early days of bulletin board systems (BBS's) and they are among the most popular ways for a group of users to communicate. The users can effectively share information by posting messages that can be read by other users at a later time. Unlike Chat there is no need for the users to be present at the same time. Filetopia hosts a Message Board, which is highly, integrated with rest of the components and which also shares the secure communications channel.
If you want to retrieve files from the Net, you need some kind of file client. Web browsers are the most common kind of file client, but there are other kinds. Filetopia is a very specialized kind of file client due to its integration with a collection manager and the ability to use strong encryption. The files made available through the Net need also some kind of software to "serve" them to the clients. The file servers are the programs in charge of performing this function and Filetopia has one of these servers that "speaks" the same language (protocol) as the client.
The Collection Manager |
This is the heart of the Filetopia's Client, the module in charge of managing the collections of files. The collections are organized in file lists.
The file list window, is organized it tabs, it can have up to 5 tabs, although only two are visible initially.
The first tab, called Files, holds the collection file list. The list consists of a grid, which has initially the following columns: Icon, Filename, Size, Date and Path. By default, the lists are ordered by filename in ascending order - although clicking on any of the column headers can change this.
The Properties tab holds some information about the list such as the summary of a "compare" if the list has been compared. It also allows the entry of a written description of the list that will appear in the status bar.
The Missing tab holds a list of the files that are not in this list but which are in a "compared to" list.
The Missed tab shows those files that are in this list but are not in the "compared to" list.
When the list is Activated (we have access to the list owner's server) it also shows the Upload and Download tabs, which will be explained later - they allow the transfer of files among users.
There are a number of operations that can be performed on the file lists:
The Chat client |
Once you have your collection organized, you can reach out to find other users who collect the same kind of files you do and so share your files while increasing your collection.
If you have entered the required values in Tools->Options->Chat, then pressing the Connect button or the Connect to Server option in the File menu will connect you securely to the Filetopia Chat Server. When you are connected, you can press the Channels button to get a list of all the channels on the server. You can then join a channel by selecting it from the list and pressing the Join button, or you can create your own channel with the Create button. The Info button updates information about the selected channel (topic, number of users, etc) in the channel list.
After you have joined or created a channel, a Public chat window opens, and this is where you can chat with all the users on the same channel. Any text typed in the box located at the bottom of the window will be seen by all users of the channel. To the right of this window there is a list of all the users who are connected to the same channel, including you. If you select any of these users you will have access to a context menu with the following options:
If you are the creator of the channel or have Operator status then the Operator option will be also is visible to you. This will give you access to the following commands:
Other things you can do from the chat's context menu are:
In the Chat menu, we have the following options:
The Private Chat window opens when you double click on a user in the list or you select Private Chat from the context menu. In this window, you will be able to have a one-to-one chat with another user.
If you want to, you can automate the file exchange procedure with other users by entering a channel and selecting 'Unattended' from the channel context menu. In this case, you will allow all users (except ignored or banned users) of that channel to have access to your List and file Server. There are several things that can be configured here in Options-Server:
The Number of Slots is the number of people we allow to be connected simultaneously. This depends on our bandwidth and, as a general rule, it is better to have a few happy people with quick response times, than a lot of frustrated ones with very poor response times. The Ratio is the number of bytes that we give to the connected user for each byte that the user sends to us. A ratio of 0 means that we give away our files without asking for anything back in return (leech mode). The Initial credit is the number of bytes that we initially allow the connected user to retrieve, this gives them the opportunity to sample our collection.
The Messaging system |
If you don't find the kind of collectors you're looking for when you're online, you can leave messages on the appropriate channels or send them to particular users of the system. To see the messages associated with a given channel, get into the chat room and press the "Messages" button. The "Messages window" will open and you will be able to see all the messages previously posted by selecting any from the list. It is also possible to perform the following actions in this window:
The "New message window" lets put a subject heading to your message. Your message can include a Subject, the text of your message and an expiration period, which can be from 1 to 30 days (it defaults to 7). After this period the message will be deleted from the server.
Private Messages
It is possible to send and receive private messages using Filetopia. The 'Messages' button opens your private messages and lets you read and reply to other users. The messages first shown are those stored on the server, if they're bold it means that they are new messages. You can also open your past messages history and see all the messages that you have sent (red) or that have been sent to you (blue). The 'History' button can be disabled as well as the procedure for saving of messages by un-checking 'Save personal messages encrypted in my hard disk' in Options->Advanced. If the message files are stolen, the hacker must also know your connection password in order to access your messages.
Once you connect, if you have any new messages, the "Private messages window" will open automatically.
The File Client and Server |
The file client is integrated in the List window. When a list is Activated, two new tabs appear: the Download and the Upload tab, which serve the purpose of getting files from the list-owner's server and sending files respectively. From the Files or Missing tab, it is possible to add files to the Download list. As soon as files are added, a connection with the owner's server is established and file retrieval starts automatically (unless changed in options). We can add as many files as we want, which will be queued for delivery in the Download list. Inside the Download tab, it is possible to move the files up or down in the queue, or to delete them from the queue. It is also possible to skip a given file or to stop completely the connection to the remote server. Similarly, we can add files from the Missed list to the Upload list.
The file Server starts as soon as we go online, from the File Server Window in the Tools menu -or clicking in the transfer panel at the lower right of the screen-, we can monitor all file transactions taking place in the program, we can abort any transaction, kick a user from our server and even ban that user. The Active Transfers tab, shows all transfers currently in progress, while the History tab shows all past transfers with some statistics and the status of the transfer (Ok, Not found, Aborted, etc).
To open the windows explorer right in the Download directory, we have an option under the Tools menu called Open Download directory.
Options |
There are a large number of things that can be configured in the Filetopia's Client, and to do so we need to open the Options Window, which is under the Tools menu. This window is divided in seven different tabs that group related parameters together. These tabs are:
The Getting Started Wizard |
This opens automatically the first time we start the program and anytime we select the option under the Help menu. This wizard will help us in the initial configuration tasks, taking us step by step through the following:
Additionally, it allows you to connect to Filetopia and get into the 'Filetopia Newbies' channel once the wizard is closed.
It is very advisable that newbies complete steps 2 & 3 if they want to change their list or create a new list, as the Wizard does all the necessary adjustments to your configuration for you.
Contact Information |
For updated versions and more information, please visit our web page at:
You can also contact Filetopia at the following email addresses: