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Accessing Your Account
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The first thing you need to do is learn how to
access your account. You will use FTP (file transfer protocol)
to transfer files from your computer to the server, and vice versa.
You will also use FTP to setup email redirects, autoresponders, and
infobots for mail lists. There are other tasks that you will need to
use Telnet for, and and even a few things you can do with your
browser.
If you use FrontPage much of this will not apply
to you. However, at the very least, you will want to review the
sections on Email Management to learn about setting up and managing
your email.
FTP Access
FTP (File Transfer Protocol) is the preferred method
of uploading files to your website, and vice versa.. You have
unlimited access to your account via FTP 24 hours a day. This allows
you to create and maintain your web pages on your own computer, then
upload the files to your website at your leisure.
NOTE: If you use FrontPage you should NEVER
use regular FTP to upload your files as this will damage the
extensions. Please refer to the instructions in the FrontPage
section for uploading files.
FTP is not a program, it is a
"protocol", a specific method of transferring data from
one place to another. Some online services such as AOL,
CompuServe, and Prodigy may have a built-in FTP interface. If
you have a PPP (Point to Point Protocol) Internet account, you
will need an FTP program. We strongly recommend WS_FTP for PC
users, and Fetch for Macintosh users . Please see
instructions below for setting up and using these two programs.
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WS-FTP For
PC Users
In order to FTP into your website you will need the
following information which was included in your account activation
notice.
· USERID
· PASSWORD
· FTP HOSTNAME
When you have this information, and a copy of WS_FTP
installed on your computer you will be ready to setup a Session Profile and FTP into your
website.
1. Launch your WS-FTP program. A panel
titled Session Profile will be displayed with the
WS_FTP program window behind it.
2. Click the New button and
type a Profile name into the Profile Name entry box at the top of
the panel. This can be any name you choose, "My
Website" for example.
3. Enter the appropriate information into
the following entry boxes:
 | Host Name/Address: Enter yourdomainname.org |
| Host Type: Select UNIX (standard) from
the menu |
| User ID: Enter your User ID |
| Password: Enter your Password |
| Check the Save Password box if you
wish. |
| Leave the other entry fields blank. |
4. Click on the Save button at the
top of the panel to save this Profile. This will eliminate the
need for you to enter this information the next time you launch
WS_FTP
5. Click on the OK button at the
top right of the panel. WS_FTP will now attempt to connect to your
website. When you are connected to your home directory on
the server, the Profile panel will close.
Left Window
WS_FTP will now display a split screen. The
window on the left contains the folders and files on your own
computer. Use the green arrow at the top of the window and the
scroll bars to browse your system.
Right Window
The window on the right will contain the folders
and files contained within your home directory. This is your space
on the server. This is where you will place your website will
be. You will see folders with names such as www, infobots
and access-log.
Binary vs ASCII
or Auto
You will see two radio buttons below the display
windows, one labeled Binary and one labeled ASCII .
There will also be a check box labeled Auto. If you
select Auto WS_FTP will automatically apply the correct
setting, either Binary or ASCII to the document you
are transferring. If you elect not to use the Auto
setting please note that it is very important to transfer images
in Binary mode. Everything else, HTML
documents, cgi scripts etc. should be transferred using ASCII
mode. If you fail to set this correctly your files may not
appear as they should.
Upload Files
1. Double click on the html
directory in the right window to open it. This is the
directory you will upload your web pages, files, images etc. into.
2. Highlight a file (or files)
from your computer in the left window.
3. Click the right arrow button
(->) in the center bar between the windows.
That’s it! Your file transfer is complete.
Download Files
1. Double click on the folder
you want to download files into on your computer to open it in the
left window.
2. Highlight the file (or
files) you wish to download from your website in the right window.
3. Click the left arrow button
(<-) in the center bar between the windows.
That’s it! Your file transfer is complete.
Create
A New Directory (Folder)
To create a new directory on your website, click
on the MkDir button when you are inside the html directory
or a subdirectory of the html directory. You will be prompted to
enter a name for the new directory. Once you do this, the new
directory will be created.
Multiple
File Transfer
To transfer more than one file at a time,
highlight the first file, then hold down the Shift key on
your keyboard to select more. All highlighted files will be
transferred when you click on the appropriate arrow button to
begin the transfer.
Disconnect
When you are finished transferring your files,
click on the Close button at the bottom of the WS_FTP
window. This will close your FTP connection.
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Fetch For
Mac Users
In order to FTP into your website you will need the
following information which was included in your account activation
notice.
USERID
PASSWORD
FTP HOSTNAME
When you have this information, and a copy
of Fetch installed on your computer, you will be ready to
setup a New Connection and FTP into your website.
1. Launch your Fetch program.
2. Select New Connection from the File
menu to create a new Connection.
3. Enter the appropriate information into
the entry boxes as indicated below.
| HOST: Enter yourdomainname.org |
| USER ID: Enter your User ID |
| PASSWORD: Enter your Password |
| DIRECTORY: Leave this entry field
blank for now. |
4. Click on the OK button to
connect to your website on the server. When you are
connected the New Connection panel will close, and the main
Fetch window will pop up.
Bookmark
Connection
Once you have established a connection you
should bookmark it. This will save you the time and trouble of
entering your log in information each time you want to FTP into
your account.
1. From the Customize
menu select New Shortcut.
2. A window titled Bookmark
Editor will pop up. The Name, Host, and User ID entry boxes
will contain the information you used for your current
connection.
3. In the Type field, select File
from the pop-up menu..
4. If you would like Fetch to remember
your password
type it into Password field.
5. Under the same Customize
menu, choose Preferences, and make sure the connection
you just entered is selected as the default shortcut under the General
tab.
Your Bookmark has been created. The next
time you run Fetch your shortcut will be opened
automatically. All you'll have to do is click the OK
button to establish your FTP connection.
Binary
vs. ASCII or Auto
There are three radio buttons at the bottom of the
Fetch Window. One labeled Binary, one labeled ASCII
and one labeled Auto.
If you want Fetch to automatically select the
correct setting, either Binary or ASCII, when
transferring your files, do the following:
1. Select Auto in the Fetch window.
2. Select Preferences, then the Upload
tab.
3. Be sure that the following settings
apply:
Default text format---set to TEXT
Default non-text format—set to RAW DATA
Check "Add .bqx suffix to BinHex files"
Check "Add .bin suffix to MacBinary II
files"
Uncheck "Add .txt suffix to text files"
Check "Encode and decode files and folder
names"
Word Wrap Margin…72
If you elect not to use the Auto setting
please note that it is very important to transfer images in Binary
mode. Everything else, HTML documents, cgi scripts etc
should be transferred using ASCII mode. If you fail to set
this correctly your files may not appear as they should.
Fetch
Window
Your main window will be divided into two parts.
On the left will be a large window which will display the files
and folders on your domain. The narrow section on the right
will contain your current Status, a File command
link and a Transfer command link.
Upload Files
1. Double click on the html
directory in the Fetch window to open it. This is the
directory you will upload your web pages, files, images etc
into.
2. Highlight the file (s) on your
computer that you wish to transfer to your website, and click on
the Transfer command link. Or, you may also drag the
file(s) you wish to upload from your hard drive onto the Fetch
window and drop them into the appropriate directory.
Download Files
1. Double click on the folder you
wish to download files to on your computer to open it.
2. Highlight the file (s) on your website
in the Fetch window that you wish to transfer to your computer,
and click on the Transfer command link. Or, you may
also drag the file(s) you wish to download from the Fetch window
onto your hard drive and drop them into the appropriate directory.
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Go To Top of Page Telnet Access
Your Telnet account is setup automatically for you
when you open your account. Each User ID has it’s own Telnet
account. See the Fee Schedule to add User IDs to your account.
Each Telnet account has it’s own Home Directory, but will share
the same www Directories and FTP Directories.
Telnet is much like a DOS program in both use and
appearance, requiring specific typewritten commands. There are
"power" uses for Telnet, but only Advanced Users will be
able to understand or implement them. The novice user will probably
not need to use Telnet very much or very often, but some basic
knowledge of it will be useful.
Connect With
Telnet
You will need a Telnet program to access your
Telnet account. If you use Windows, you should have a Telnet
program already on your system. To find out, do the following:
Go to Start, select Run and type telnet
into the entry box.
Once you have a Telnet program, launch it, and be
sure that you have a live connection to the Internet.
| Enter yourdomainname.org into the
entry box for HOST, and click on the Connect
button, (exact label will vary depending on the Telnet program
you are using) |
| When you are connected, you will be prompted
for your User ID (or userid or login) Type in your User
ID. |
| You will then be prompted for your password.
Type in your Password. |
Once you are logged in you will see several lines
of text scroll down the screen. When it is finished you will see a
blinking cursor after a word that may look something like this:
helius:~$
This is called the prompt, and indicates
the name of the server machine you are logged into. That is
where you will begin entering your commands.
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General
Info For Advanced Users
Some of the programs available at the shell
prompt are:
mail - a primitive
email program
pine - a more
powerful email program
ftp - to FTP onto
other sites
telnet - to telnet
to other sites
pico - an easy to
use text editor
vi - a not so easy
to use (but standard) text editor
Joe - another easy
to use text editor
lynx - a text-based
world wide web browser.
In general, it's a pretty complete POSIX
environment. You access these programs by typing in their names,
and then following commands relevant to each program. If you need
help with any of the programs, at the shell prompt, type man
and the name of the program to get instructions for that
program online. If your problem is not knowing the name of the
program, try apropos subject (i.e. apropos mail). It is important
to remember that Unix is case sensitive. "Index.htm"
is not the same as "index.htm."
Note:
If you experience problems with your Telnet
program when accessing the above programs you will need to make an
entry in your login directories bash_profile file. Just add the
following to the last line export TERM=vt100. This will allow you
to access all shell programs properly.
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