Setting up your account on the web server.
1.
Be sure you have
an account activation through the DePaul School of Computer Science and Digital
Media (CDM). This is needed both to use CDM labs and to have an account on
their web server.
2.
Download an FTP
client such as FileZilla. I’d recommend starting with this one, even if you
choose a different client at a later point in the course.
3.
Configure your
FileZilla account to connect to the web server.
This is an important step
as you will need to activate your account through CDM not only to have access
to the web server, but also in order to use any CDM lab at DePaul. This only
needs to be done once a year Go to https://accountactivate.cdm.de
There are many different
FTP clients out there. FileZilla is probably a good choice as it is simple and
free, and is available for both PCs and Macs. There are also a few minor
drawbacks which I will discuss in class. You can download the client at
http://filezilla-project.org/
Here are the basic
instructions if you are using FileZilla. However, please note that different
versions may work slightly differently. We will also go over this step together
in class.
1.
Click on File
-> Site Manager -> New Site
2.
Choose a familiar
name for this connection such as CDM Web
Server
3.
Under ‘Host’
enter the server name (studentweb.cstcis.cti.depaul.edu) – fortunately you’ll only have to enter this once!
4.
Under ‘Protocol’
choose SFTP
(not FTP)
5.
Under ‘Login
Type’ choose ‘Ask for password’.
·
If you are at
home or using a laptop, your may choose ’Normal’ and it will remember your
password.
6.
Enter your name
and password in the appropriate fields
7.
Click on Okay
8.
The first time,
you may be get a dialog box saying ‘Unknown Host Key’ and offering you the
option to Always trust this host. If
you see this dialog, click okay (you may have to check a box first). This
should be the only time you see this dialog unless you later use a different
computer.
We will demonstrate in
class. Briefly:
·
The left side of
the screen shows your local computer. The right side is the web server.
·
To upload, you
can simply drag-and-drop from the left side to the right. To download, do the
opposite.
·
You can also
right-click one or more files and choose upload or download.
·
You can also
delete files, create and remove directories, and other standard file management
procedures.
http://studentweb.cdm.depaul.edu/your_login_name/file_name.htm
For example, the URL to a
file called ‘my_first_page’ on my account on the server would be:
http://studentweb.cdm.depaul.edu/ymendels/my_first_page.htm
Some of you may wonder why
the host name in the URL is different from the host name when you created your
FTP profile. In fact, the host name is the official/proper name of the server.
However, because it is fairly long and awkward, the server administrators,
thoughtfully provided us with a slightly friendlier
server name (studentweb.cdm.depaul.edu)
that you can use when providing URLs to your page. However, don’t forget that when creating your
FTP profile, you must enter the
official name for the Host field.
As far as I know, these
accounts are available through the quarter following your IT-130 class.
However, you may be able to request an extension by contacting the site
administrators. Also, if you take additional courses, the account should remain
active.
While this is not common,
some students encounter an error saying “You do not have the proper permissions
to view this file.” If you are one of the unlucky few, don’t panic, the fix is
easy. Please see this file.