Using the Web Publishing Service
Contents
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- Introduction
- Pre-requisites
- Required Software
- Other Software
- Required Software
- Logging into the UNIX service
- Transferring Files
- Setting Permissions
- Notes
- Note 1 - Creating folders
- Note 2 - The 'Execute' Permission
Introduction
This guide will explain how to transfer files from your desktop computer to the UNIX service and how to set appropriate permissions on those files so that they may be accessed over the web.
Pre-requisites
In order to follow this guide you must have already done the following:
Required Software
This guide will explain how to use the Secure File Transfer Client, as found on the Common Desktop.
Other Software
If you are wishing to publish files on the web from a machine which doesn't have the Secure File Transfer Client, there are alternative programs.
It is recommended that you work through this guide firstly on a Common Desktop computer using the Secure File Transfer Client so that you understand the principles before attempting to use another piece of software.
Alternative Software
- Windows
- WinSCP - http://winscp.sf.net/
- Mac OS X
- Fugu - http://rsug.itd.umich.edu/software/fugu/
Logging into the UNIX service
Select Secure File Transfer Client From 'Communications and Internet' on the Start Menu (see Image 1).
Image 1
click to enlarge
Enter the host-name unix.ncl.ac.uk and your UNIX username in the pop-up box labelled 'Connect to Remote Host' (see Image 2) and click 'Connect'.
Image 2
click to enlarge
You may be asked whether or not you want to save the new host key to
the local database, as in The following image:
Click 'Yes'.
You are now presented with the main program window. The left-hand pane represents the files on the local computer, whilst the right-hand pane represents those on the remote machine.
If there is a small floating window entitled 'Add Profile', you can dismiss it using the 'X' button in the top-right corner.
Transferring Files
To transfer files from one machine to the other, drag them across from one pane to the other.
On the remote machine there should be a folder called public_html. This was created when you registered for the Web Publishing service. If it is not there, you can create it yourself (see Note 1).
The files within this folder are accessible to the world via the world-wide-web.
Setting Permissions
Files on UNIX have associated permissions, which dictate how the files can be accessed. It is important that your files have the correct permissions, so they can only be read and written to by those you intend.
A file's permissions are divided into three sets:
- User
- The owner of the file (i.e. You)
- Group
- Users' within the same group as you
- Other
- Other people
Each of these three sets can have three types of permission:
- read
- The file may be read.
- write
- The file my be written to.
- execute
- The directory may be traversed (See Note 2).
In normal circumstances, the web server who reads your files will be considered as Other. Thus, you would desire that this group would have read permissions for your files, and execute permissions for your directories.
You would definitely not want anyone other than yourself, User, to have write access to your files or directories. This is a common mistake that people make and it allows malicious users to `hack' other web pages.
Read access to a directory means the contents can be read. On the web, this typically means viewing the directory results in a 'Index Of...'-style page. If you do not want people to be able to look at the contents of your web folders, do not grant read permissions on your directories to anyone but User.