File Transfer Protocol, better known as FTP, is a procedure used to upload and download files to and from your web server. FTP is a special way to login to another Internet site for the purposes of retrieving and/or sending files.
In order to use FTP, you'll need to download and install a software program on your computer. The most widely used FTP program is WS FTP. You can find it here: http://www.ipswitch.com/Products/WS_FTP/index.html.
When you first launch the FTP program, a startup screen will appear. This screen will enable you to add your website information and allow the program to connect with your server. You simply fill in the information where indicated with the following information:
Profile Name - This name will be added to the selection list of profile names. Select your profile name according to your domain. For example, if your domain name were smiths.com, your profile name might be Smiths.
Host
Name/Address
- Your domain name address.
Example - www.netcoservices.com
Host Type - The type of server in which your website is hosted. The standard is Unix. But you can probably skip it.
User ID - Your hosting User ID. Example - netco123.
Password - Your hosting password.
Depending on which FTP client you use, the names may be slightly different.
Once the FTP program has connected with your server,you will see the files on your computer in the left window and the files on your server will be displayed in the right window.
To maneuver through your folders, simply double click on them. To transfer your files, either double click on the file or highlight it and then click on the transfer files arrow.
PLEASE NOTE: When you log in as the site administrator by ftp, it will put you in the /users/YourName/web/ directory. You need to go up two directory levels until you see 4 or 5 folders (depending on your level of services) - certs, ftp, logs, users, and web. Go into the "web" directory to publish files to your main site.
To select more than one file at a time, click on each file you'd like to transfer while holding down the Ctrl key on your keyboard. Keep in mind, all of the files you select must be uploaded in the same mode. In other words, you could upload all of your HTML files at the same time, or all of your images.
If all of the files you'd like to upload are all together, you can click on the first file while holding down your Shift key and use the down arrow on your keyboard to highlight all of your files.
Files such as text, HTML, and most scripts should be uploaded to your server in ASCII mode. Any file that isn't ASCII text, such as programs (EXE, ZIP), graphics, ebooks, sounds (WAV, MID) and movies should be uploaded to your server in Binary mode.
When
using scripts on your website, you will be required to set file
permissions in order for your scripts to run properly on a Unix
server. The most common setting for CGI/Perl scripts is 755. When
working with scripts, you may receive an Internal Server Error
when you try to run it. Many times, this error is caused by improperly
set file
permissions.
Permissions:
- Read permissions are enabled with the number 4 or the letter r.
- Write permissions are enabled with the number 2 or the letter w.
- Execute permissions are enabled with the number 1 or the letter x.
- No permissions are enabled with the number 0 or a dash.
Each of these permissions will be set for each of the following:
To give you a better idea of how permissions are set, below is an example of a script that requires the permissions to be set to 755 -- it breaks down like this:
7 - Represents the permissions for the Owner (you). The owner has been given Read, Write and Execute permissions. 4+2+1=7. This can also be written like this: rwx
5 - Represents the permissions for the Group (individuals with access to your server). The Group has been given Read and Execute permissions. 4+1=5. This can also be written like this: rx
5 - Represents the permissions for the Others (website visitors). The Others have been given Read and Execute permissions. 4+1=5. This can also be written like this: rx 755 is equal to rwxrxrx
If you would like to set your file permissions through your FTP program, you can do so like this:
In addition to setting permissions with your FTP program, most web hosts will enable you to set permissions through your web page management system.
You can use Internet Explorer to FTP your files from your computer up to your website. If you try it first and it doesn't work, check your settings in the Tools menu for "Using Web Based FTP".
Go to the Tools Menu, then to Internet Options, and Advanced Tab: Under "Browsing", if using Version 5.x, "Use Web Based FTP" should not be checked as shown in the picture below on left. If using IE6.x, "Enable folder view for FTP Sites" as shown in the picture below on the right.
To make your connection to the server, open Internet Explorer and using your own username and server/domain, type the following into the URL [address] field:
ftp://username@domainname
As an example, in connecting
to www.apple.com, I would type
ftp://ogrady@www.apple.com
If you are connecting to a server
that is on the same LAN that you are on, you would use the server
name instead of "www". So if I was using a computer
at East Stroudsburg University and connecting to a server at
ESU also, I would type:
ftp://ogrady@servername.esu.edu
Next, hit Enter.
Now you should be prompted for
your password.
Type password and hit Enter.
You should now have a view of all your folders and files on you are mapped to the server.
To copy your files up to the server, simply drag and drop into the window or folder on the domain server. If you want to copy the files down to your computer to work on them, you can't drag and drop them back to your computer. You need to select the file(s) and then go to the menu - on a PC, right click to get the menu - and select "Copy to Folder" and then select the folder on your hard drive you want to put them into.
If you're managing your own website, having a good FTP software program is an absolute must. Not only will it provide you with some independence, but it will also enable you to have complete control over your files.
Some of the FTP software programs which we had found useful are:
FTP Downloads |
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| For Windows | |
| For Macintosh | |