how to FTP private docs

[rg27]

Hi
I'm trying to set up a private directory on our F2S domain so that I can upload a few documents to it and have other people go there to download them. To do this I would like them to have a different from the main one we use to get to our F2S details.
I've managed to get File Zilla to upload a test.doc file into the public folder but if I go to the ftp URL http://www.ftp.rg27.f2s.com/ or even http://www.ftp.rg27.f2s.com/public_html it says 'no page to display'. I assume it's not that easy! I also assume I wouldn't actually put docs in there but in a different directory.
Can anyone help please? I would really appreciate it.
(I'm off home now, but will try and login this evening to see what's what.)
Thanks

[aos101]

Well firstly you are getting an error when using those two links as they are wrong (and I'm not sure where you got them from). You website address is www.rg27.f2s.com, and ftp.rg27.f2s.com is the address of the FTP server which you connect to with FileZilla to manage files on your website.

Did you upload the test.doc file into the public_html folder? public_html is the folder you should upload files to for them to show up on your website, but if I try and download your test.doc from that folder I get an error suggesting that file isn't there (or has a different name).

Originally Posted by rg27

To do this I would like them to have a different from the main one we use to get to our F2S details.

I'm sure there's a word missing in there somewhere, so do you want people to just be able to go to your site and download the files, or do you want them to have to login?

[rg27]

Hi Adam

I took the addresses from the F2S help pages - just copy/pasted them.

I need people to login to collect the files using a login (eg username & password) which I determine - or a secure one if it's automatically generated by the system. This can be the same for everyone as I will give it to trusted people. I'm usre anyone can guess an ftp site otherwise and these are confidential files. (Is it still safe using this system?)

[aos101]

For a login system you can either enable the webmaster account so you have a different password another user can use to login via FTP, or you can create a folder on your website and password protect it by following the tutorial on the F2S site and then just give them a link to the file (e.g. www.mysite.f2s.com/folder/myfile.doc) and it will ask for a username and password. I think it would probably be better to have a password protected folder on your website rather than have people loggining in via FTP (as you can better limit what they can do/see).

First of all you should create a folder under the public_html folder using FileZilla and upload a file into it, and then check you can download that file from your site. The address will be www.rg27.f2s.com/folder_name/file_name.doc where obviously folder_name is the name of the folder you created in the public_html folder using FileZilla. Once you've got that working you can try the tutorial on the F2S site to password protect anything in the folder you created, although I know that can be a bit daunting if you've never done anything like it before.

[rg27]

Thanks, Adam. I will have a go.

Lynda

[rg27]

Nearly there - I'm using the 'password protect the folder' option. I've followed the tutorial exactly and successfuly uploaded a test doc.

I get the login screen to the folder, but it doesn't accept the login - I've used both the unencrypted password and the encrypted one. (HTTP500 - page cannot be displayed).

Also, although I haven't got through, it looks as if it's taking me directly to the file, but I really want to have several files in there which users can choose from. Is that going to happens using this method?

Your assistance very much appreciated.

Lynda

[aos101]

OK, in your .htaccess file does the path you got from the members area currently end in "rg27.f2s.com/cgi_bin/.htpasswd"? If so you need to make sure it ends in "rg27.f2s.com/public_html/.htpasswd" (basically just change "cgi_bin" to "public_html") assuming you have placed the .htpasswd file in the public_html folder using FileZilla. Try that and see if it now accepts the password (you might need to close and reopen your browser to get the password prompt up again).

To have a listing of files on your site, once you've got the password protection working just add "Options +Indexes" on a new line in the .htaccess file after the "</Limit>" bit. Then if you give someone a link to www.rg27.f2s.com/folder_name/ it will show a list of all files in that folder once they've entered the correct username and password.