How to Publish HTML by FTP

Key Information

  homedir
    |
    ----- public_html
            |
            ----- index.html     <- ascii file | image.jpg <- binary file | .. 

FTP works by connecting to a remote machine and allows you to either place files on the remote machine from your computer (upload), or allows you to put files onto your computer from the remote machine (download). Files also must be transmitted by their file type. Binary files are images and programs, while ascii files are text and HTML.

Most FTP programs have a window that shows the contents of a directory on the remote machine (Fetch, CuteFTP), but some also show the contents of a directory on your computer (WS_FTP).

How to upload files

  1. Open up your FTP program
  2. If a window asking you for information does not come up automatically, find a button usually labelled "connect" and press it.
  3. This is the basic information you need to set:
    • Sometimes is asks for a name. You can just call it EPUD.net
    • The remote machine is ftp.epud.net
    • Enter your username (the name before the @ in your e-mail address).
    • Enter your password
    • Leave the initial directory blank. After your first time, you can replace this with public_html to automatically enter the directory with your HTML files. The first time though you can't because you must first create it.
    • If is asks for server type, enter either automatically detect or standard unix
  4. Now you should be connected and see the contents of your home directory. Find either a button called mkdir or a pull down menu item to make a directory. Call the directory public_html
  5. Double-click on the newly created directory in the window to change into it.
  6. Now you are ready to upload your files. If you have choice boxes for either binary or ascii choose ascii first. Click upload and select all the files that are HTML to place in the remote directory. With WS_FTP select the files on your computer first, then press the -> button. With Fetch for the Mac, when you go to upload it will ask for file type. Enter just text and NOT text with line breaks.
  7. Now repeat the same proceedure for you binary files like gifs and jpgs. With Fetch for the Mac the file type should be raw data.
  8. You should now be all set. By default the permissions on created files should be adequate to allow Web browsers to view your files.