
Link files allow you to customize directory output and link to other network
resources (such as other Gopher sites, web sites, or telnet sessions).  Links
are stored in a file which is by default called ".Link" (you can specify 
another name by setting the LinkFileName setting in the configuration file).
When Aftershock is sent a request for a directory, it first searches for a 
link file in that directory.  If it finds one, it will read it and produce a
menu from it.  Otherwise, it will create a menu automatically.

Inside a link file are link entries.  Each link entry is made up of the
following fields: Name, Type, Path, Host, Port.  These are specified inside
the Link file as in this example:

Name=Super-Dimensional Fortress Gopher
Type=1
Path=/
Host=freeshell.org
Port=70

This adds a link to the gopher site running on port 70 of freeshell.org, with
a path of "/" (ie, the root directory).  The Name is what the Gopher client
would display to the user.  The Type indicates the file type (see the section
"File Types" above), which for directories shoudl be '1'.  In URL terms, this
would correspond gopher://freeshell.org:70/

Of the five fields, only one is required, Name.  Three of the remaining fields
have default values.  They are:

Type - default is 'i'.  This means "information" and is explained below.
Port - default is the port Aftershock is listening on
Host - default is the hostname given in the configuration file.

If Path is not given, then it is assumed that there is no path element.  The
advantage of having default values for Port and Host is that you can create
links to items on your local server without having to update those if you
change port numbers or machines.

The default Type, 'i', means that the line is informational.  No link will
be shown, but rather the value of the Name field will be displayed to the
user in some way.  To include plain text in a directory listing, just use
several Name= in a row, for example:

Name=This is a big block of text.
Name=There is no need for adding a Path, Type, Host, or Port
Name=because they would not be used.


