YaCy facts for kids
YaCy (pronounced “ya see”) is a special kind of search engine that is completely free to use. It was created in 2003 by Michael Christen. Unlike big search engines that use huge central computers, YaCy works by connecting many smaller computers together. This is called a peer-to-peer (P2P) network.
YaCy is written in a computer language called Java. Hundreds of computers, called "YaCy-peers," run the software. Each YaCy-peer explores the Internet on its own, looking at web pages. It then organizes and saves information about these pages. This information is shared with all the other YaCy-peers, creating a big, shared database of web pages.
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| Original author(s) | Michael Christen |
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| Developer(s) | YaCy community |
| Initial release | 2003 |
| Stable release |
1.924 / 14 December 2020
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| Written in | Java |
| Operating system | Cross-platform |
| Type | Overlay network, Search engine |
| License | GPL-2.0-or-later |
Because all YaCy-peers are equal, there is no single main computer controlling everything. This makes YaCy very different from other search engines. You can run YaCy in two ways:
- As a crawler: This means it actively searches the internet for new pages.
- As a local proxy server: This means it indexes (organizes) the web pages you visit on your own computer.
YaCy also has features to help keep your online activities private. To search, you use a simple web page on your own computer. It looks just like other popular search engines.
Contents
How YaCy Works: Key Parts
The YaCy search engine uses four main parts to do its job:
- Crawler: This is like a robot that travels from one web page to another. It reads and understands what is on each page.
- Indexer: This part creates a special list called a "reverse word index." Imagine a dictionary where each word tells you exactly which web pages it appears on. This helps YaCy find pages quickly.
- Search and Administration Interface: This is the web page you see and use. It lets you type in your search words and shows you the results. It also helps you manage YaCy.
- Data Storage: This is where all the organized information from the indexer is kept. It uses a special way of storing data that works well across many different computers.
YaCy's Smart Search Technology
YaCy is a complete system for searching the web. It includes everything you need: a way to search, an index to store information, and tools to manage it.
- YaCy uses its web crawler to collect web pages.
- These pages are then analyzed and organized. The organized information (the search index) is saved on your computer.
- If your YaCy computer is part of the larger YaCy network, your local search index also becomes part of the shared index for everyone.
- When you search, YaCy uses both the information on your computer and the shared information from all the other YaCy computers in the network.
YaCy also has a newer system called the YaCy Grid. This is a more advanced way for the YaCy computers to work together. It uses small, independent programs called "microservices" that talk to each other. For example, the YaCy Parser is a microservice that can be easily set up using a tool called Docker. It helps YaCy understand and process web pages.
Organizing Content with YaCy
YaCy uses different methods to manage and organize the search engine's information. This includes working with its community, keeping things running smoothly, and organizing content.
- Community Features
- A web forum where users can talk and get help.
- Statistics about the network.
- A way for other programs to connect with YaCy (XML API).
- Maintenance Features
- A web server to show you the search interface.
- Tools for indexing web pages.
- A crawler that balances its work across the network.
- Ways for YaCy computers to communicate with each other.
- Content Organization
- Tools for blocking or filtering unwanted content (blacklisting).
- The search interface you use.
- A way to save your favorite web pages (bookmarks).
- Tools to watch and check search results.
Getting YaCy on Your Computer
YaCy can be installed on many different types of computers. You can find ready-to-use packages for computers running Linux, Windows, and Macintosh. There's also a special version called a Docker image. If you have another operating system, you can still install YaCy by building it yourself or using a compressed file called a tarball. YaCy needs Java 8 to run.
You can get YaCy for Debian Linux from a special website. It's not yet part of the main Debian software library.
See also
In Spanish: YaCy para niños
- Dooble – an open-source web browser that has a YaCy Search Engine Tool built into it.
