File Transfer Protocols

Pat's
Web Page
Tutorials

Getting Started with FTP

CREATING WEB PAGES:

COPYRIGHT&PRIVACY ISSUES:

UPLOADING:

FUN THINGS TO ADD:

MORE HELP:

Betsy Mills:

Pat Geary:

Marcia Hellam:

Cliff Lamere:

Robin Moore:

Rod Neep:

Cheri Zuber:

Your web pages are all done, they're gorgeous, and you're ready to share them with the rest of the world. How do you put them online? You upload them to the server using a File Transfer Protocol. That's not as mysterious, or as complicated as it sounds. FTP is computerese for the method computers use to exchange or copy files to each other. The chart below shows several different ways for you to upload your web pages, where to find or download the necessary software, and links to setup or instruction pages for each.

Perhaps the easiest to use is the FreePages Online File Manager and Editor. This is the only option for WebTV users.

Drag and Drop is easy, if the right software is available. The server must be running a program that will allow it (RootsWeb does). On a PC or clone, Internet Explorer 5.0 or higher supports it. On a Macintosh with OS9 or higher, the Network Browser supports it. The transfer rate is slower than a stand-alone FTP utility, but if you're used to the drag and drop feature of Windows, you may like this familiar way of copying files.

Publishing Wizards are included with some web creation software, and you may already have one of these on your computer. While you can upload with these wizards, you will not be able to delete, move or rename files or folders.

Stand alone FTP utilities are the most versatile. They can delete or rename files; create, rename, or delete folders; and upload the entire contents of a folder with one command. If your website has a great many pages, you will probably find it easier to use a stand alone FTP utility.

View/Download	Instructions/Set up
Alternate FTP Methods
FreePages File Manager&Editor Login	Only way for WebTV users to upload to FreePages. Instructions
Drag and Drop	Windows Explorer (MS IE 5.0+) Macintosh OS9+
Publishing Wizards	DreamWeaver MS FrontPage Netscape Composer ^{( See Tip #1 )} Netscape Navigator
Stand-alone FTP Utilities ^{( See Tip #2 )}
CuteFTP	Setup
WS_FTP Pro	Setup
Fetch (Mac)	See the program documentation. Host: users.freepages.rootsweb.com

Tip #1 - Netscape Composer and the RootsWeb Counter

The RootsWeb counter code is a URL within an <img> tag. When you revise your page, Composer will "help" you out by saving a copy of the current counter image to replace the host image from RootsWeb (the one that shows the changing count). Thus, every time you revise your page in Composer, you have to replace the code for the counter. To prevent this from happening, when you first insert the counter code in the HTML for your page, double click on the image for the counter, or open the "image properties" dialogue. The top box shows the image location. Under this is a box that says: "Leave image at the original location". CHECK THIS BOX. Now you can save your page, and the counter code will not be modified by Composer.

Tip #2 - Lower case file name option

Some FTP utilities (including the Freepages File Manager) have an option to convert all file names to lower case when transferring. If you or your genealogy software has named files in a combination of upper and lower case, be sure to turn this option off.