FTP Maintenance (Uploading Your Files to the Server)
The process by which files are transferred to the web server is called "FTP" (File Transfer 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.
Online services which offer an Internet gateway, such as AOL, CompuServe, and Prodigy may have a built-in FTP interface. If you have a PPP Internet account, you need an FTP program.
If you are using FrontPage, you must create your new web on the "localhost" system. This is accomplished by selecting "create new web," and then entering "localhost" in the line where it asks for the web location. Once you have completed your web on your computer, you can then select the "publish web" option from the file menu in FrontPage Explorer. You will be prompted for your IP address and web name and then it will send it to our servers. Please note that you will be prompted for a user ID and password, and depending on your system configuration it may be the one that we issued you or it may be the one that you entered when you first installed FrontPage. If one does not work, then simply try the other. If you have forgotten what that password was, then you will need to reinstall FrontPage and select a new one.
NOTE: If you are using FrontPage, you should NEVER use regular FTP to upload your files. This will damage the extensions. Stick with one or the other all the time.
For instructions for the most popular FTP client software for both PC and Macintosh users, see the instructions to follow.
For PC Users (WS_FTP)
The following information is contained within your account activation notice and is needed to connect you to your website via FTP:
USERID
PASSWORD
FTP HOSTNAMEEach time you run WS_FTP the Session Profile window will be displayed. A profile contains the information needed to connect to your website. 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 profile, click the "New" button and enter a generic profile name at the top of the Session Profile window, such as "My Website." Next, enter your Host Name/Address (yourdomain.com), User ID (yourdomain), and Password for your website as illustrated in Figure 1A.
Figure 1A
Next you need to click "OK" to continue. This will connect you to the webserver, where 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. You will see several folders on the right-hand side such as www, and infobots which are landmarks suggesting a successful connection to your website, as illustrated in Figure 1B.
Figure 1B
You need to double click on www to get to your web directory. This is where all your files will be downloaded, and/or you will create subdirectories. The only system directory that you may need to use is cgi-bin; this directory is reserved for custom scripts. To make your home page load automatically, name the HTML document "index.htm" in lowercase and upload it to the www 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 window. 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). To create a new directory, click on the MkDir button when you are inside the www directory or subdirectory.
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, try hitting the "Refresh" or "Reload" button. If that fails, 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.
For Mac Users (Fetch)
The following information is contained within your account activation notice and is needed to connect to your web site via FTP:
USERID
PASSWORD
FTP HOSTNAMEThe hostname tells your FTP software to connect to the web server upon which your web site resides.
Each time you run Fetch, the New Connection... 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, select "New Connection..." from the File menu. Next, enter the Host (yourdomain.com), User ID (yourdomain), and password for your web site as illustrated in Figure 2A.
Figure 2A
Don't worry about the Directory option right now. When you have your Host, User ID, and Password entered, click on the OK button.
The next window which will pop up will look virtually the same as Figure 2B, except that yourdomain will be in the popup window.
Figure 2B
Bookmarking the Connection
You should take the time, now that you have established your connection, to make it easier for you to get here next time. Under the Customize menu, select New Shortcut. A window will pop up called Bookmark Editor, as shown in Figure 2C. It will already have your name, Host, and User ID filled in. Under Type, choose File from the popup menu. If you would like Fetch to remember your password so you won't have to type it in each time, type in your password in the Password field. Now, under the same Customize menu, choose Preferences, and under the General tab, make sure the connection you just entered is selected as the default shortcut. Next time you open up Fetch, your shortcut will be opened automatically and all you'll have to do is click the OK button!
Figure 2C
How to Transfer Files
Refer again to Figure 2B. You need to double-click on www to get to your web directory. This is where all your files will be downloaded, and/or you will create subdirectories. The only system directory that you may need to use is cgi-bin; this directory is reserved for custom scripts. To make your home page load automatically, name the HTML document "index.htm" in lowercase and upload it to the www directory of your account. To upload a file or files, simply drag them from your hard drive onto the Fetch window when you are in the appropriate directory or subdirectory. Be sure to upload HTML documents and scripts in Text mode and images in BINARY mode. Or to make life easier, click on the Automatic button as shown in Figure 2B, and Fetch will decide the proper format. To transfer a file to a subdirectory, double-click the appropriate subdirectory to open it before transferring the desired file(s).
To insure that the Automatic selection works properly, make sure the selections under the Upload tab in the Preferences window looks the same as Figure 2D below.
Figure 2D
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 hit the Reload button in the Netscape button bar. Remember that you must first be connected to the Internet through your local Internet service provider in order to connect to the web server.
Microsoft Front Page Extensions
Publishing a Web
After you have built your html documents and are ready to upload them to our server:
1. Open the web you've created on your PC using FP Explorer.
2. Choose File > Publish
3. If your "Destination Web Server" doesn't appear in the Publish window (it won't the first time you publish to our server)
CHOOSE "More Webs" and type the location of the web to publish to. Hit return.
IMPORTANT: Use www.yourdomain.com as the Destination Web Server to publish to our server.
Leave the "Destination Web Name" BLANK.
4. You will be asked for your USERNAME and PASSWORD. This is your domain's
USERNAME and your FrontPage PASSWORD (which may be dfferent than your regular telnet/ftp/POP password). If you're not sure what it is or if you aren't allowed past this point, you'll need to contact us for a new FP password.
5. You can watch the progression of the upload by looking at the bottom left corner of FP
Explorer.Opening an Existing Web
Troubleshooting Common Problems with FP98Getting error - "Root Web Busy"
FTP or telnet to your site and remove the "service.lck" file in /www/_vti_pvt. This usually happens when an FP session is interrupted before completion.
Server timing out when publishing large sites.
This difficulty arises when the uploading link times out in the process of copying the web to our server. The only suggestion Microsoft has offered so far is to break the main web into a group of sub webs on your PC, then upload these individually. If this problem persists for you, please contact support.Getting Error - "Front Page Extensions not Installed"
We often see this error being reported even when the extensions have been installed. If you get this error, please contact support and we'll make sure the extensions are installed and repair them if necessary.
NOTE: The extensions are easily corrupted. Please use only FP Explorer to update your web site on the server, not FTP.I published but my web's not there!
This will happen when the "Destination Web Name" is filled in when publishing to our server.
This box should be left blank. If you put any other name in this box it will create a subdirectory off of your root web and copy all of your files into it. Your site will exist under a subdirectory instead of at the top level /www where it should be.
My counter, bbs, guestbook, etc isn't working.
These problems are generally due to incorrect permissions on either the directory, file(s) or cgi script(s) that are associated with them. Please don't change the permissions of your files or directories unless you have a specific reason for doing so and you know what effect it will have on your site.
My forms won't work through the Secure Server.
The call to a cgi script using the Secure Server must not be within a webbot. Use a normal cgi call in your html script for Secure Server calls.My search bot doesn't return any results.
The /www directory must be world readable AND you need to recalculate links BEFORE publishing (or after editing directly on the server). If it still doesn't work: FTP to
the server and go to the /www/_vti_txt/default.wti directory. Delete any files that begin with "ALL.". Don't delete any other files. Then using Windows Explorer, do the same thing on your PC. Recalculate links, test locally with your browser and publish.FP starts the Web Publishing Wizard when I try to publish.
Cancel the operation and contact support to have the FP extensions installed/repaired.Why is my page renamed on the server when I publish?
The "Default Document" of your web is automatically renamed by the server to what is required by the configuration of the server. For example, if you've named the main page "index.html", it may be renamed "default.html". Just check the links to your main page to make sure they refer to it the same way.
NOTE: If you are using FrontPage, you should NEVER use regular FTP to upload your files. This will damage the extensions. Stick with one or the other all the time.
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