proxy servers and firewalls

[piranha]

okay, I'm trying to get an idea of network security. But there is a little problem: I don't really look through the different distinctions between proxy servers. on one hand there are application proxies and SOCKS proxies, right? but on the other hand some also distinguish between HTTP proxies, SOCKS proxies and CGI proxies.... so what is what? are HTTP proxies and CGI proxies always application proxies and can't a SOCKS proxy be an application proxy as well? I'm waiting desperately for help...
HELP!

[djenner]

Yes, there can be proxies for each and every item -- but more usually, the proxy server software stands in for a whole lot (if not all) of the items you have listed. I am more familiar with this in a Windows environment, and I both use and recommend LANServer from Software602, which proxies most things and is a mail-server as well (www.software602.com).