Posting Pages and Files to the UMUC Heidelberg Student Server

See Also: Phil's Place | Printable version of this page

You may post files, folders, web pages and images to your site just as you would to a site on a commercial server.

This is a Sun Apache server running a version of UNIX. If you want to know more about UNIX and the various functions available, visit Dan Bennett's link page.
Your home page will have the file name "index" on your local machine. See below for instructions on uploading this file to your site. UNIX is "case sensitive" (small and capital letters yield different file names).
If you post assignments in your file area,
  • Please start all individual assignment files with the first initial of your first and last name. (For example: pr_wk1.doc)
  • Please include the first initial of your first and last name in all group assigment files just prior to the extension. (For example: wk3_gp2_pr.tx

Do not use spaces in file names nor most special characters. You may use the underscore "_" and dash "-" characters freely. Do not use a period (dot) except as a separator for the extension. Keep file names at 14 or fewer characters followed by a "dot" and a 3-4 character extension appropriate to the file type, as in "wk3_gp1.doc".

Folder names are treated as file names by UNIX but do not put a period in them.

NO GRADES will be posted on this site.
To create your web site, you will need to "telnet" to the student server (newstudent.ed.umuc.edu) Telnet is a program which you should already have on your computer. If not, download it from download.com or tucows.com.

Log on to your Internet service or access provider. Then,

Activate the Telnet program and,

Tell it to find the host server you want to access <newstudent.ed.umuc.edu>.

Make sure that you select and download a freeware or shareware version.
The function of telnet is to enable you to control a remotely located computer from your current location.
The next thing you should see is a blank window in which will appear a request for you to Log In. When you are working in telnet, you are effectively working inside a long pipeline from your keyboard to the remote computer.
For your log in name, use the UserID (log-in name) that I have emailed to you. (See also the link table on my homepage for this site.).

 

Next you are asked for a password.

For your password, use the password that followed in a separate email message. It is a string of characters - the only thing in the body of that particular message. There are no spaces in the string and at least one "special character".

You will be asked to re-enter your old password as the first step in a validation process to establish a "permanent" password for your site that only you know.

Select and write down a new password that

Is not identical to the old password,

Is nine or more characters long,

Starts with a letter or number and has in the first six characters at least two capital letters or special characters, and

Does not contain any sequence of characters that form a word listed in an unabridged dictionary (this is a security risk).

Remember this new password. You will need it very soon (see below).

Normal practice is for this "initial log-in" password to be used only once and then changed to one not known by the site administrator. We will follow normal practice.

Do not use touch typing techniques to create and confirm your new password. Individually and cleanly strike each key for your new password.

If you find that your new password does not work when you try it later, you will have a major problem, so take care with this step.

If you want me to help you sort out a problem on your web site later and view your site in an FTP program, you will have to share your new password with me. If the problem is that your new password does not work, then you will have the password reset by the UMUC help desk.


When you have successfully logged onto the student server,

You will next see the UMUC policy statement for use of the Student Server. Read over the policy and then type "accept". Please remember, you are to comply with both the letter and intent of this use policy.
You may next need to confirm your terminal type: type in the suggested "vt100" terminal type. Your computer will emulate a VT100 terminal attached directly to the server.

You will next see your UserID to the left of the UNIX user prompt characters "@~>". This confirms you are properly logged on via telnet. Then,

Type "spinweb".

Next type "spincgi".

 

"Spinweb" is a small program on the student server which will set up your working area and web site on the student server.

Your site is built in a folder called "public_html" which is a sub-directory (folder) within your "ca100bxx" directory (same characters as your UserID). This "public_html" folder is the container for your site.

A folder cgi-bin will be created within your public_html folder. If you wish to experiment with CGI scripts, place such scripts in this cgi-bin folder.

Print (using the Print Screen function on your keyboard) the message generated by spinweb. If you cannot print the message, copy down the information.

 Print Screen will place the image on your clipboard. You next need to open Wordpad or Notepad and paste the clipboard into this file. You can then save or print what was on the screen.

Your website can be accessed with the following url <http://newstudent.ed.umuc.edu/~ca100bxx >

Again, you must complete the URL with the last 1-3 digits of your UserID.

Your cgi-bin folder is addressed with the following URL: <http://newstudent.ed.umuc.edu/cgi-bin/cgiwrap/username/program> where username is your login name(i.e., ca100bxx) on the system and program is the name of your cgi script in your public_html/cgi-bin sub-directory.

Once you are satisfied you have completed these actions, type "exit" at the prompt.

 On your local hard disk (of your computer at home or work) you will need to establish a folder (sub-directory) that contains all files and folders you need on your web site. It may be labeled anything on your hard disk. (I suggest you name it the same as your UserID.) All files and folders must have exactly the same relative organization on your hard drive, totally within that directory, as they will have within the public-html folder on your site.
Your web site address (URL), with the tilde (~) character just before your UserID is a UNIX shortcut directly from the root level of the server to the <public_html> folder (subdirectory) of your user space on the server.

As you create your web pages and site, remember:

All pages in on your site are to be linked in some way to your "index" page. For this (my) site, my folder "ca100b0" on my local hard drive has an "index" page and "files" folder.
This is your home page but the file name must be "index".

All images that I will use on my web pages are placed in a folder called "images". My site folder "ca100bxx" folder is exactly the same level of container as is "public_html" on the student server. So any relative addressing that I use in linking my pages together or images into web pages will be equally good on the student server.

Everything inside my "ca100bxx" folder must be put on the student server within the "public_html" folder in exactly the same relationship.
Link all files in the "files" folder to a web page; however, this is a convenience for visitors to your side, for when a web browser is directed at the files folder, a directory page is presented with a list of all files and folders within the "files" subdirectory. By default this directory is in ftp, file transfer protocol, format.

You may use the index page created by "spinweb". Simply download it and modify it as you choose, then upload the revised page.

Use a special purpose .ftp (file transfer protocol) program to upload and download files between your computer and the student server.

In FTP Explorer you will need to establish a "profile":

  • Label the profile as Student Server.
  • Enter the server name <newstudent.ed.umuc.edu>.
  • Leave the port selection at the default value.
  • Deactivate "Anonymous" (remove the checkmark from the box in front of the word).
  • Select a download drive suitable for your hard drive configuration.
  • Save the configuration.
  • Open your connection to your Internet Service Provider in the normal way.
  • Click "Connect" in the upper right hand corner of the window of FTP Explorer.
  • The dialog box will ask for your UserID and Password. Enter them.
 I suggest you use a special purpose ftp program called "FTP Explorer" for Windows 95 and higher systems or Fetch or Anarchie for Macintosh computers.

FTP Explorer has a graphical interface and appears, when operating, much like Windows Explorer (NOT MS Internet Explorer). Unless you are familiar with command line interface, do not use programs that rely on that method

You can download it from the same freeware/shareware sites I cited above for locating a telnet program.

Both Netscape 4.6 (or higher) and Internet Explorer 4.5 (or higher) have .ftp built into them for both download of files and the upload of web pages. Both programs download web pages and graphics of course.

That leaves upload of non-html files and folders containing files. You will typically need a special purpose .ftp program for these tasks.

Such a program will allow you to roam your entire site, not just the public_html folder and both "get" (download) and "put" (upload) files. However, unless instructed otherwise, only work within your public_html folder.

The .ftp program will take you to root level of your site.

Open your public_html folder. EVERYTHING you upload is to go somewhere inside this folder. (Put nothing at a higher level without my permission.)
Open the "ca100bxx" folder on your local computer. Everything you need to upload to the server should be in this folder in exactly the same relationship, one file to another, as you intend to have it when it is placed within the "public_html" folder.


When you are ready to replace the default home page (file name on the server is "index.html") created by the spinweb program, . . .

First, download the exisitng "index.html" page to a different directory on your local computer's hard disk so you can view it later or recover if you make a mistake in the upload process.

You must then delete the "index.html" page on the server. Mouse -> Right click -> Delete.

While the home page file on the server is labeled "index.html", your home page on your local compter must be labeled only "index".

In truth, this server will accept default home page files with either an .htm or .html extension. I continue to prefer to use .html.		 FTP_Explorer uploads the index page to the server in a way that can cause confused file naming unless special care is taken. To avoid misnaming the index file and the resulting broken links, follow these instructions, please.
When uploading by FTP Explorer to a directory without an index page, the extension ".html" is automatically added.
If the file "index.html" exists, uploading a replacement file with the name "index" or "index.html" causes you more work and worry.
Once you have uploaded your new home page, confirm that that process is working properly so far. Point your browser to http://newstudent.ed.umuc.edu/~ca100xxx (your UserID number). Your home page should open up. To upload or download, "drag and drop" from the source folder to the destination folder.

Use your browser to view your web site periodically as you upload pages. Refresh your browser and check all links.

You may move files or folders singly or in multiples, whichever is simpler and more understandable for you.
 

Troubleshooting uploads: If you cannot see your uploaded page, . . .

Try my homepage on the student server and click on the link to your home page. When you have problems with uploading pages other than your "index" page, . .
If you still cannot access your web page, use FTP Explorer to examine the file name of the page (index.html). just modify these trouble shooting instructions to suit the new situation and see whether you can help yourself out of a jam.
Mouse Right Click -> Rename: check for mistakes in naming. As needed change the name of the file.
If there are no obvious errors, delete the "index.html" page (right click on your mouse and select delete), and upload your "index" page again.

Please note: Revision dates are to be posted at the lower right corner of each web page showing the latest change date.

Some Useful Links

email me

UMED's home page

Phil's Place on UMUC Faculty Server

WebTycho

 

Phil Richardson; prichard@faculty.ed.umuc.edu  
Revised 13 June 2004