Home

Submit A Tool

To Add a Tool

Tools must meet the following requirements be listed on opensourceforensics.org:

  • The tool must be useful during a digital investigation.
  • The source code for the tool must be "easily accessible" from the website or clear instructions must be given on how to obtain the source code (which may be at a fee).

The goal of these requirements is to allow an investigator to view the source code of the tools that are used in an investigation. This allows him or her to better testify about the findings if they are challenged. To submit a tool:

  1. Verify that the tool does not already exist on the site.
  2. Log in. (If you do not have an account, you will need to create one).
  3. Click "Create Content" then "Tool". Or, go directly to http://www2.opensourceforensics.org/node/add/tool
  4. Fill in all fields and select tool type and operating system (to select multiple types/operating systems hold Ctrl and click multiple items).
  5. Click "Save".
  6. The submission will be "unpublished" until it is reviewed by an editor.

Add a Comment
Comments must meet the following requirements be listed on opensourceforensics.org:

  • Must be about a specific tool and not get personnel about users or developers.
  • Must not contain abusive, vulgar, offensive, threatening or harassing language, personal attacks of any kind, or offensive terms that target specific individuals or groups.
  • Must not contain personal information (whether your own or someone else's), including home address, home or cell phone number, or personal e-mail address, in order to protect privacy.
  • Must not promote services or products. Competing products can be mentioned when comparing features.
  • Must not include gratuitous links to other sites.
  • Must not violate anyone's copyright. Comments on this site are released into the public domain.

These guidelines are based on those listed by the Library of Congress.

To submit a comment:

  1. Log in. (If you do not have an account, you will need to create one).
  2. Browse to the tool that you want to comment on and click "Add New Comment".
  3. Fill in the text of your subject and comment.
  4. Click "Preview" to preview your comment and then "Save".
  5. The comment will be "unpublished" until it is reviewed by an editor.

To Publish a Tool / Comment (For Editors Only)

Tools and comments that are submitted by users must be approved by an editor. When new content has been submitted, the editors will receive an e-mail. They must log into the system to review the data and mark the submission as "published" instead of "unpublished".

  1. Log in.
  2. Click Administer -> Content Management -> Content to view view the submitted tools or Administer -> Content Management -> Comments to view the comments. Or, go directly to http://www2.opensourceforensics.org/admin/content.
  3. New posts will have the status "not published" and also be marked with "new" in red (though any pages that you have not viewed will be marked "new"). Clicking the title link will let you view the page. From there you can edit them by the link in the top right or you can edit them the content page.
  4. Review the unpublished content. Ensure that descriptions are well written (spelling and grammar, accurate and descriptive) and confirm that the website is legitimate and that the tool is similarly legitimate.
  5. To publish pages that meet standards go to the content page and check the box of each page to be published then select "publish" from the drop down box labeled "update options" then click "update". You should also repeat the process for "promote to homepage" if the content is appropriate for the home page. (should be done for new tools listings)