Hello All!
Here we go again...This time to explore Internet Management. There are times when you need on the Internet to do a little "Site Management", as I like to call it. In your travels (Telneting (moving from one location on the Net to another and actually logging in that location, a preset user I.D. and password) here and FTPing (logging on to another location on the Net usually another i.d. and password is not required merely the the i.d. of of your Internet address and password of anonymous,thus anonymous FTP)there) your can for one pick up a number of files.
Here's what happens... There are numerous files on the Internet. How do you get them?
First you need to know where the files are. Getting them can be compared to logging on to
a friends computer and coping them on to a disk. Well first, you need to know where on
your friends computer the program you want is. Let's say your friends say oh...that is
easy...you can get the file in my C drives Compuserve/Information Highway Directory. Are
Dos Directories that long? Not. On the Internet Using a Unix (Basically Unix is another
operating system (e.g.DOS)other can break this down better
When you use the FTP program, one of the first things you are prompted for is the FTP Address you which to access. You will see a command prompt, in dos you would see c:> in our case you would see (OPEN) indicating that the systems wants to know what address you want to "cyber travel" to. You would type your FTP Address (ex. netcom.com) Once there (the program should tell you if your connection was successfull or if the system was "unable to initiate") You will be able to change to the appropriat Directory to get your file. (Unix based system are VERY case sensitive and usually to mainly lower case letters)
***Important Note*** If you are traveling with very good navigator, you will even have less commands to type. We are using examples that you are traveling with the "bare neccessities".
Typing the Command ls will list the files that are in the current directory with broad width (similar to the dos command dir c:\cis\*.* /w the /w does this ) You will also see a listing of sub directories. These you can type CD to get down to or CDUP to get up from. One you spot your file you can get GET and your file name and that will begin the transfer process.
The CD commands work differently at an FTP site, then it does at youe Home Site location. At an FTP site you can move up and down via the above commands. AT your Home Site you must navigate similar to does but using the forward slash as opposed to the back slach. (cd /root directory/home directory)
At this point, unfortunately the file is transfered rather quickly, but it is not yet on your PC! It is only now at your Internet Site address in your home directroy. you can usually type Quit at this point and be placed back at your Home directory. Doing the ls command here should show the file in your home directory. Usually typing sz (send the file to me! via zmodem) will send the file to your PC, alternatively rz (receive this file from me! via zmode) will send files on your PC to your Internet Site (granted sufficient space is available. Most sites offer about 2mb)
Some Site Management Commands are as follows:
ls - will list a directory,subdirectorys and files
cd - will change to another directory followed by forward slash and dir name
mv - will move a directory or file name (similar to DOS 6 MOVE command)
rm - will remove a directory or file name
dir - will give a directory and file listing along with size and attributes
Executing dir will show Directories,Sub-Directories,File Names and Attributes or Permissions. Attributes or Permissions play a key role in Site Management. You will notice that executing DIR shows a funny listing of r's w's and x's. These have to do with the Attributes or Permissions given on files at your Internet Site. Basically it says who can do what with your files. It is good to look at this set in groups of three. You will also notice some groups are preceded with the letter d. These are usually directories. The first Three are know as the owner Permissions. What you as the owner of the Directory and File can do. The next represent what those who are in your group can or cannot do (usually determined by the System Administrator) The last set of three represents what all other can do.
The Breakdown:
r = read permission
w = write permission
x = execute permission
- = no permission defined for that set of three
***The chmod command changing permission when used in the statements below****
u = the owners permissions
g = the groups permissions
o = all others permissions
a = set all permissions at once
So rwx rwx r-x
^^^ ^^^
owner group others
can can can
read read read
write write BUT not write
execute execute execute the program
d
^
preceding this line indicated that this is a directory
Bye typeing something like chmod a(all permissions) +(to add) or - (to take away) and r (to read) and a file name (ex. chmod a+r myfile) you can give read permission to all levels for the file called myfile at your site.
Your prompt may look like this holman% in Unix as oppossed to c:holman> in DOS
To recap...
chmod a+r myfile = everyone can READ the file MYFILE
chmod u+r myfile = ONLY the OWNER can READ the file MYFILE
chmod a+x myfile = everyone can execute my file
chmod a+rwx myfile = everyone can read,write and execute the file MYFILE
The x(execute) and r(read) commands are important in setting up an FTP site granted your System Adminstrative has FTP available. Sometimes CHMOD is used in conjunction with number such as CHMOD 755 which needs to exected on a directory not file at some sites that are to be made open for FTP. There are other neat little items that can be at your FTP site such as a file .message which will user a sign message about your site and what it contains. You upload (rz) your file as the name "message" no quotes and then type "mv message .message" and that will change the name. Give that file x(execute permission) and r(read permsision) to all and it will be display whenever someone visits your FTP site. For even mor info on YOUR site in particular you may want to consult your System Administator AND also see if your provider has a newsgroup (via a newsgroup search utility). This will be of GREAT assitance in managing YOUR site as other users who use your provider can add assistance to site management.
That wraps up this short