Documentation
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Getting started with FTP
Introduction
The process by which files are transferred to the web server
is called "FTP" (File Transport Protocol). You have unlimited access
via FTP 24-hours a day. As such, you can create and maintain your web pages on
your own computer and upload files to your web site at your leisure.
Internet providers such as AOL, Compuserve, and Prodigy
may have a built-in FTP interface. If you have a PPP internet account and need
an FTP program, you can download
software for either the PC (WS_FTP) or Mac (FETCH)from shareware.com.
To download the software, just click the link, then do a search for the
respective software. You may have to contact your local internet provider
to inquire about compatibility. Microsoft FrontPage users who have had
extensions installed within their web site should use only
FrontPage to transfer files.
Configuring Your FTP Software
The following information is contained within your account
activation notice and is needed to connect to your web site via FTP:
- USERID
- PASSWORD
- FTP HOSTNAME (usually ftp.kattare.com)
The hostname tells your FTP software to connect to
the web server upon which your web site resides. In general, the process of
configuring the various FTP software is the same. We recommend WS_FTP for
PC computer users and will be using it in the upcoming examples.
Each time you run WS_FTP the Session Profile window will
be displayed. A profile contains the information needed to connect to your web
site. Creating a profile now will eliminate the need for you to configure the
software each time you wish to connect to the web server via FTP. To create a
new profile, click the "New" button and enter a generic profile name
at the top of the Session Profile window. Next, enter the userid, password and
hostname for your web site as illustrated below.
Fig.1
Be sure to select "Auto detect" for the Host
Type. (see Fig.1) It is best to select "Save Password" and "Auto
Save Config" to maintain these settings for future use. All other fields
can be left blank. You are now ready to connect to the web server. Click
"Ok" to continue.
How to Transfer Files
When you connect to the web server, you will connect directly
to the root ("home") directory of your account. WS_FTP will display a
split screen where files on the left-hand side are within your own computer.
(see Fig.2) You will see several folders on the right-hand side such as
public_html, cgi-local, www, and stats which are landmarks suggesting a
successful connection to your web site.
Fig.2
You can transfer files directly to the root level and/or
create subdirectories. The only system directory that you may need to use is cgi-local;
this directory is reserved for custom scripts. To make your home page load
automatically, name the HTML document "index.htm" or "index.html"
in lowercase and upload it to the www or public_html directory of
your account. To upload a file or files, simply highlight the file(s) on the
left and click the right-arrow button ("-->") in the center of the
screen. Be sure to upload HTML documents and scripts in ASCII mode and images in
BINARY mode. To transfer a file to a subdirectory, double-click the appropriate
subdirectory to open it before transferring the desired file(s).
As soon as a file is uploaded to the web server, it is
available for all to see. If, after uploading a file, you are still unable to
see the updated file via Netscape, you need to clear both disk and browser
cache. This function can be found by selecting Options > Network Preferences
in Netscape. Remember that you must first be connected to the internet through
your local internet service provider in order to connect to the web server.
Notes to Mac Users
- IMPORTANT: Select "raw data"
transfer mode when using Fetch to transfer both HTML and images.
- PageMill may add either a .bin or .txt extension to
your files which must be removed in order for such files to load properly.
Viewing Web Pages in Netscape
Webmasters often modify an HTML document and re-upload it to
the server. After returning to their web browser they click RELOAD only to find
the original document unchanged. This is a common occurrence for Netscape users
and is easily remedied by clearing the browser's disk cache. This can be done in
Netscape under Options > Network Preferences.
Changing File Permissions
Here's how to chmod a file in...
Windows: when in WS-FTP,
right click on the mouse button; go to commands, then go to site. Type chmod
666 filename in the line provided.
Macintosh: when in Fetch, go
to the Remote menu; go to Send FTP Commands, then type site chmod 666
filename in the line provided.
Below is a table explaining file permissions:
| Magic Number |
Binary |
Representation |
Permissions |
| 0 |
000 |
--- |
No permission |
| 1 |
001 |
--x |
execute |
| 2 |
010 |
-w- |
write |
| 3 |
011 |
-wx |
write, execute |
| 4 |
100 |
r-- |
read |
| 5 |
101 |
r-x |
read, execute |
| 6 |
110 |
rw- |
read, write |
| 7 |
111 |
rwx |
read, write, execute |
chmod on UNIX interprets the first
number for owner (yourself), second number for group, and the third for others
(everyone else). For example chmod 666 filename will change file
permission to read, write for owner, group, and others.
More examples
| chmod |
Permissions |
Meaning |
| 755 |
rwxr-xr-x |
read, write, and execute for owner;
read, execute for
everyone |
| 644 |
rw-r--r-- |
read, write for owner;
read for everyone |
| 666 |
rw-rw-rw- |
read, write for everyone |
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