Can't FTP files into my web page-can't be seen

[MamaMoose]

I have a web page hostedby the same ISP that hosts my domain name and e-mail. Using Fetch and giving the host, user ID, and password, I can easily upload files to the page. They reside in a directory called /. The latter contains the folowing files and folders: folder ., folder .., folder cgi-local, index.html,  folder mpc, folder stats, and the uploaded files. However, when an anonymous user enters the web page, they cannot see any of the files I have uploaded.

In fact, when I enter anonymously via Fetch, to the web page, I still get only one directory, folder /. Inside / are the following:
10k.html, folder bin, folder dev, folder etc, folder incoming, and folder pub. None of these contain any of my uploaded files. Nor do they contain any of the directories that I see when I enter with user ID and password.

I thought that one should be able to upload files and folders to pub and then otherscould download these files by entering the web page anonymously.

So afterthis long discourse, how do I enter, using Fetch, my web page, find folder pub, upload files to folder pub that can be read by anonymous users?

I think, somehow, when I enter the web page using Fetch with ID, I am in the wrong place.

Thanks for any help,

MamaMoose

[kps]

I'm not sure if I'm clear on what exactly you're trying to accomplish, so correct me if I got it wrong.

Anonymous FTP requires a FTP server, a FTP account and the "anonymous" feature to be enabled. Most ISPs will not provide you with a separate FTP capability with a standard account. A web server is not the same as a FTP server, just because you can FTP to your web space account, does not mean you have a running FTP server which allows anyone to obtain files from your directories. You don't, unless you paid for it. When you do, your ISP will enable the FTP capability, you'd then create your directories and enable "anonymous" access to the pub directory. You could also create accounts for other people --who would be able to upload  files as well as read and download. So, to use this FTP server, you's login to "ftp://your-domain.com" or some such. If the 'anonymous' login is enabled, then anyone can login and download files, but not upload. Anonymous users are generally limited to one directory.

Now the ISP may have an anonymous FTP server running, and that's where you probably end up when you try to login as "anonymous", as in "ftp://isp-domainname.com"

[Diana]

Hi MamaMoose,

You can do what I think you're trying to do without an "anonymous FTP server". But, I think the problem is that you have uploaded your files to the wrong directory.

Directory structures can be confusing so I'll try to layout a likely scenario in your case:

The server is obviously shared so your access is limited as is everyone elses. The root of the public server is probably something like this:

/home/clients/
You probably can't reach this high with your access, so your first point of contact maybe something like this:

/home/clients/mamamoose/home/
Now note that the last home is yours and anything you put there is private. When you connect via FTP, this may look like this to you: /

Remember I'm guessing here, but the next directory of interest to you might be:

/home/clients/mamamoose/public_html/ or web/
These will be your "public" web directory. To you, this might look like:  /web or /public_html

If the index.html page you created is in/under the public_html directory and has links to the files you wish for people to download, and those links are properly pointed to the files' locations, then you're all set. Give people the URL to your index.html and they can click links to download. Karl is correct though, this is NOT an anonymous FTP setup. It is you just enabling a normal HTTP download.

Every / denotes a directory ..(folder in PC/Mac talk). Files will show up by name "under" their respective directories. You can create sub-directories anywhere you wish. Any sub-directory you create in / that is beside, in the same list as, or equal to the /web or /public_html directory is private. It can't be seen with a web browser. Any sub-directory you create in the public area becomes part of any URL that you give to someone for access
one further example:
/home/clients/mamamoose/home/stuff is private and the same as
/stuff. There is no URL that can reach there.

/home/clients/mamamoose/web/ is public and the same as /web. The URL for that would be
http://www.yourisp.com/~mamamoose/index.html

/home/clients/mamamoose/web/stuff is public and the same as /web/stuff. The URL for that would be:
http://www.yourisp.com/~mamamoose/stuff/index.html

I hope this clarifies some for you. I find that this directory structure often causes confusion at first. But once you're aware, then it will begin to make sense. If it doesn't yet, please let me know and I'll try to re-clarify.

see ya,

EDIT: I just reread your post MamaMoose and feel I should make one more note: The directory structure is as I described above because even though you have a domain, it is hosted on a "shared server. Having a domain though will change the URLs I used as examples to something like this:

http://www.mamamoose.com/index.html and
http://www.mamamoose.com/stuff/index.html

Hopefully this will help others whether they own a domain or are publishing a personal website related to their ISP.

[tacit]

"I have a web page hostedby the same ISP that hosts my domain name and e-mail. Using Fetch and giving the host, user ID, and password, I can easily upload files to the page."

Yes. When you log in with administrator privileges (which is what you are doing when you log in with your username and password), you see everything.

"They reside in a directory called /. The latter contains the folowing files and folders: folder ., folder .., folder cgi-local, index.html, folder mpc, folder stats, and the uploaded files."

You say "index.html" and the uploaded files. Did you not upolad a file called index.html?

When you first got the site, it already had an index.html in it. This was your "This web page is coming soon" screen. In order for you to upload your site, you delete this index.html file and you upload your HTML files, making sure that your home page is named index.html.

If you do not replace the original index.html with your own index.html, then visitors to the site will see the original index.html page.

"However, when an anonymous user enters the web page, they cannot see any of the files I have uploaded."

That is correct. An anonymous user should NEVER be able to see into your Web site directly!

Anonymous users can only see into your "pub" folder.

"I thought that one should be able to upload files and folders to pub and then otherscould download these files by entering the web page anonymously."

IOn order for this to happen, you must change the permissions on the Pub folder to permit anonymous users to see and download files. By default, anonymous users are not allowed to do anything unless you explicitly authorize them to.