In this section:
FTP (File transfer Protocol) is the name of an underlying mechanism that is used to transfer computer files across the Internet. You don't need to know the details of how it works, except that you need FTP 'client' software at your end and FTP 'server' software at the other end.
FTP client software such as WS_ftp (for the PC) and Fetch (for the Macintosh) allows you to look into the directories (or 'folders') of FTP server machines and to fetch ('download') files to your machine. It also allows you to put ('upload') files to the other machine if you have the right permissions and passwords.
Netscape and other WWW browsers allow you to use FTP simply by clicking on some hypertext. If the URL begins with 'ftp://' then any type of computer file can be fetched, not just a hypertext document. The file can be saved to your disk - thus completing the file transfer.
It is easier to use a browser than FTP software, but many browsers do not yet allow you to 'upload' files from your machine onto another machine.
We will use Netscape to look at the directories of an ftp server and fetch a file.
In the File Menu of Netscape, choose Open Location... and type in the URL of the ftp server at Sydney University, viz: ftp://ftp.usyd.edu.au
This will display the contents of a directory on the ftp server machine, showing the names of documents and directories (folders). Click on pub/ to open up the 'pub' sub directory. Similarly, click on inet-apps/ and then on either mac/ or win3/. Then click on README.1ST. By convention a README or INDEX file will explain a little about what is to be found in the current directory, as this file does.
Click Back to return to the directory listing, To download (fetch) a file to your machine, click on its name. For example to feth the Eudora e-mail software, in the Mac directory click on Eudora1.5.3Fat.sea... ,or in the PC directory click on weudora.exe . This will cause a prompt to appear, asking where you want to save the file. Nominate the Mac Desktop or C:\temp, then click Save to initiate the download. The progress of the transfer is reported as it proceeds.
Both of these files are self-extracting archives. Once you have downloaded one you double-click (run) it and it will create all of the files needed to install the Eudora e-mail software.
WS_ftp is an FTP client, that is, it contacts an FTP server on the network and asks that server to send or recieve files. We will use WS_ftp to upload (put) a file onto a machine that is running ftp server software.
The file we will upload is called 'c:\temp\doug.htm' and we want to put this file in the directory 'public-html' of the account called 'eudoraa' on the machine called 'extro.ucc.su.oz.au'. Files placed in this private directory are automatically published to the World Wide Web.
Run Ws_ftp. The WS_FTP window appears, and in front of it, the Session Profile window.
Click New. We will create a 'session profile' that allows us to easily return to our chosen FTP server.
Fill in the blanks:
Profile name: eudoraa
Host Name: extro.ucc.su.oz.au
Host_Type: Automatic detect
UnCheck the Anonymous Login box.
If the Anonymous Login Box is checked it will set the User ID to Anonymous and the password to your e-mail address. This gives you access to the public files. If you want access to restricted files (as we do) then you need to type in a username and a password.
User ID: eudoraa
(The Password and Account fields can remain empty.)
Remote Host: /public-html
Local PC: c:\temp
Click Save to save this session profile. The next time we want to upload to this directory we will simply choose the profile name from the pull-down list and click OK.
Click OK. The Session profile window disappears, and another window appears asking for the password. When this is supplied a message box at the bottom of the window reports progress in connecting to the server.
Once the connection has been established, the left hand side of the display shows the contents of the current directory on your PC, while the right hand side shows the contents of the current directory on the remote machine. Be sure it says /home/eudoraa/public-html. If not, you may need to click on the public-html folder to make it the current directory.
Select doug.htm on the left side and Click the --> button. This causes the selected file(s) to be copied to the remote machine. The file name(s) should appear in the list on the right hand side. Check that this is so.
Click Exit to shut down WS_ftp.
Fetch is an FTP client, that is, it contacts an FTP server ('host') on the network and asks that server to send or recieve files. We will use Fetch to upload (put) a file onto a machine that is running ftp server software.
The file we will upload is called 'Doug.htm' and we want to put this file in the directory 'public-html' of the account called 'eudoraa' on the machine called 'extro.ucc.su.oz.au'. Files placed in this private directory are automatically published to the World Wide Web.
After you start Fetch, in the File Menu choose, New Connection.. the Open Connection dialog box will be displayed.
Enter the host name, User ID, password and specify the directory as shown below. Then click the OK button.
After some activity Fetch will log-on to extro and display the contents of the directory. A window similar to the one below appears (the list of files may well be different).
We will now copy the file Doug.htm onto extro.
Click on the Put File button.
A dialog box appears (make sure you are in the folder where you saved the document and then select that document):
Make sure you have the html document selected.
Click on the Open button.
A dialog box appears:
Delete the .txt extension from the filename (eg from the above we would want to store it as Doug.htm). Click the OK button.
Your document will now be on extro and in the appropriate directory for access by the WWW server.
The document could then be accessed by a browser using the URL: http://www.usyd.edu.au/~eudoraa/Doug.htm