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webdrive

1-Page RCI | Full RCI | 1-Page Eden | Full Eden

Here is a fuller version of the same information. This version goes into more detail on setting up and using your public_html folder:

I have RCI space?
Every faculty member at Rutgers can sign up for an account with RCI. Your RCI account allows you to receive e-mail with a Rutgers address (username@rci.rutgers.edu), as well as use a variety of computing services at Rutgers University (such as the various computer labs).

When you sign up for an RCI account, you're also given storage space on the RCI server for school-related web pages, mail, etc. Twenty megs (20MB) are allowed for mail, and sixty megs (60MB) are allowed for web storage space.

Setting Up Your RCI Account
If you have not yet established a faculty account on an ICI (Instructional Computing Initiative) server at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, called "RCI" after its address, you will need to do so first. All faculty and staff are eligible; however, you must first be within the Rutgers system, which generally occurs after the first or second paycheck.

Just click on the URL below (which will open in a new window), read the "Acceptable Use Policy" guidelines, then go to the bottom and click on the "Accept" button. A form will appear on your screen. Fill in the form, press "Create Account," and in 15 minutes you will have a new RCI account.

Start here to establish your RCI account: < https://www.rci.rutgers.edu/rats/rats.cgi >

Setting Up Your "public_html" Folder
Once you have an RCI account, you will need to establish a folder (or "directory") to which you can publish your web pages. This is called a "public_html" directory. You also need to change the settings (or "mode") of that directory to make it available to the public (so that anyone can read but not write to what you post there).

To accomplish these things, you will need to access the UNIX server using telnet and give the server some basic UNIX commands. The following instructions make those written by New Brunswick Computing Services somewhat more understandable.

Follow these steps:

  1. Use telnet (or a local shortcut) to access your RCI account. Or press the link below, which will open a telnet window in your browser. telnet://rci.rutgers.edu/
  2. The system should request your "login." Type your username and press return (or enter). Then type your "Password" when prompted, and press return (or enter).
  3. You should now arrive at a command line that allows you to enter information. (If for some reason you do not have a command line but are directed to a menu, you will need to "Quit" the menu in order to see the command line).
  4. At the command line, enter the following code in order to make a directory called "public_html" in your account, to which you will be able to publish html files:
  5. mkdir public_html
  6. (Press Return)
  7. You should see the command line again.
  8. At the next command line enter the following code in order to change the mode of your directory so that it can be accessed and read by everyone:
  9. chmod a+rx public_html
  10. (Press Return)
  11. You should see the command line again.
  12. Now let's check the protection of your public_html folder. Type:
  13. ls -ld public_html
  14. (Press Return)
  15. You should see a code that says "drwxr-xr-x" which means that you have set up your public_html folder so that you can write to it and others can read it. If the protection does not read "drwxr-xr-x," you should reissue the command "chmod a+rx public_html" in order to correct this.
  16. Now open a browser window and go to your site, using the following address:

    http://www.rci.rutgers.edu/~username

    where username is your username on RCI.

* NOTE: Alternatively, there is a much simpler method. If you are familiar with any FTP (File Transfer Protocol) programs (such as CuteFTP or WS_FTP), simply connect to your RCI space (ftp.rci.rutgers.edu, where your log-in and password are what you signed up for with your RCI account). Make sure the read/write permissions are set correctly, as well.

Viewing Your "public_html" Directory
Now that you've got your "public_html" directory set up, you can view it and its contents directly on the web. The address to your directory would be as in the following:

http://www.rci.rutgers.edu/~yourusername

Where "yourusername" is the unique user name you signed up for with your RCI account. This will automatically take you into the contents of your "public_html" directory on your RCI space (you have no need to enter www.rci.rutgers.edu/~yourusername/public_html"; this is not correct).

If you place a web page, for example, in your "public_html" directory, called "index.html," you could have a personal web page at the address linked above.

Setting Up Your WebDrive
Open up the WebDrive program by clicking through: Start >> Programs >> WebDrive.

Your "Site Name" box should read "RCI." The "Site Address/URL" should have the following entered: ftp.rci.rutgers.edu (this sets an FTP connection to your RCI space). Server type should read "FTP" (for above reasons), and the "Drive" should read "X." Enter in your username at the bottom of the window. Go ahead and click "Connect"; the program will ask you for your RCI password. Once you enter in your password and hit "OK," you have successfully set up a "virtual" drive to save to.

You'll notice that in all applications, now (such as Windows Explorer), a new "X" drive appears in the list of available drives to save to. This "X" drive is your RCI space.

If you open your "X-Drive" in Windows Explorer, you may notice several folders already exist. Do not alter or delete any of these folders. These are set up for your RCI account to run properly.

What WebDrive has essentially done is set up a connection to your RCI space, and has tricked the computer into thinking that your RCI space is just another hard drive that can be saved to! This makes the transferring of larger files much easier for you. Floppy disks only hold 1.4 MB, and not all computers on campus have CD burning devices. With your RCI space holding 60 MB, you now have this 60 MB to save and download files to and from. If you are connected to the Rutgers network through an office or computer lab, you will be able to access your RCI space at extremely fast speeds, which also helps the transferring of these large files. Of course, you can always access your RCI space through traditional dial-up modem efforts, as well.

Effectively Using Your X-Drive
Your best option for saving is to save files into the "public_html" directory of your RCI space with the X-Drive. If you save a file in here, any computer with a web browser and an internet connection can access files you save in here, making it much easier for you to obtain your files on computers that may not have all of the software you are used to using.

Advanced Options
Click the "Advanced" tab in the WebDrive application to bring up a wide selection of tabs to customize your connection.

The first "Advanced" tab should look familiar to any users of traditional FTP programs. You can set the default directory to upload to (such as your "public_html" directory), assign a different port to connect to, an initial command to always enter upon connection, set a passive connection, set an option to delete files upon uploading one with the same filename, etc. The rest of the tabs alter much more advanced-type options than are necessary for general use, and should not be altered unless your are absolutely familiar with what you are working with.

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