HTML, XHTML and CSS All-In-One for Dummies - Andy Harris [329]
Fortunately, most hosts have the FTP (File Transfer Protocol) system available. FTP is a client/server mechanism for transferring files efficiently. To use it, you may have to configure some sort of FTP server on the host to find out which settings, username, and password you should use. Figure 1-10 shows the Freehostia Control Panel with this information displayed.
Figure 1-10: Configuring the FTP server.
You also need an FTP client. Fortunately, many free clients are available. I like FireFTP, for a number of reasons:
♦ It’s free and open source. That’s always a bonus.
♦ It works as a Firefox plugin. I always know where it is.
♦ It’s easy to use. It feels just like a file manager.
Figure 1-11 shows FireFTP running in my browser.
Figure 1-11: FireFTP is a complete FTP program that runs inside Firefox.
If you want to connect to your server with FTP, follow these steps:
1. Look up the configuration settings.
You may have to dig around in the server documentation, but you should find the server name, username, and password to access your server. Sometimes, you have to configure these elements yourself.
2. Create a profile for your server.
Use the Manage Accounts feature to create a profile using the FTP settings. Figure 1-12 shows a profile for my aharrisbooks account.
3. Connect to the remote server.
FTP programs look a lot like the file explorer you might have on your machine, except that they usually have two file panels. The left panel represents the files on your local system, and the right panel shows files on the remote system.
4. Navigate to the directories you’re interested in.
If you want to move a file from the local system to the remote one, use the two file explorers to find the appropriate directory on each system.
Figure 1-12: The profile editor for FireFTP.
5. Drag the file to transfer it.
FireFTP automatically determines the type of transfer you need to make.
6. Wait for the transfer to complete.
It usually takes some time to transfer a large number of files. Be sure the transfer is complete before you close the FTP window.
7. Manipulate remote files.
You can right-click on the remote file system to display a context menu. This menu has commands for changing permissions, creating directories, and performing other handy tasks.
FTP is a completely unsecure protocol. Anything you transfer with FTP is completely visible to any bad guys sniffing the Internet. For this reason, some servers use a different protocol: Secure FTP (SFTP). FireFTP supports this and other protocols your server might use.
Naming Your Site
After you have a site up and running, you need to give it an address that people can remember. The Domain Name System (DNS) is sort of an address book of the entire Internet. DNS is the mechanism by which you assign a name to your site.
Understanding domain names
Before creating a domain name, you should understand the basics of how this system works:
♦ Every computer on the Internet has an IP (Internet Protocol) address. When you connect to the Internet, a special number is assigned to your computer. This IP address uniquely identifies your computer. Client machines don’t need to keep the same address. For example, my notebook has one address at home and another at work. The addresses are dynamically allocated. A server needs a permanent address that doesn’t change.
♦ IP addresses are used to find computers. Any time you request a Web page, you’re looking for a computer with a particular IP address. For example, the Google IP address is 66.102.9.104. Type it into your browser address bar, press Enter, and you see the Google main page.
♦ DNS names simplify addressing. IP numbers are too confusing for human users. The Domain Name System (DNS) is a series of databases connecting Web site names with their associated IP numbers. When you type http://www.google.com, for example, the DNS