Job Aid:
File management using Cyberduck for Mac users
On this page you will find the following sections:
- A change for Ouray
- Step 1 - Install Cyberduck
- Step 2 - Configure Cyberduck's preferences
- Step 3 - Connect to Ouray
- Step 4 - Upload your work to your Ouray account
- Step 5 - Confirm your upload using a Web browser
A change for Ouray
Beginning August 18, 2006, file transfers (uploading and downloading) for the Ouray server must be done using a secure method called SFTP. This change is being made because the insecure methods that have been used in the past for file transfer transmit passwords without encryption, whereas the secure methods encrypt all transmitted data, including usernames and passwords. Security on the Internet has become a big issue in recent years. The ILT program supports this change for better security, which was implemented by UC Denver Information Technology Services, since it protects both individual users as well as the Ouray server itself.
This change will require you to use more sophisticated tools for file management, however.
A Problem
Dreamweaver MX 2004 and Dreamweaver 8 are equipped to support SFTP. The problem is that new files and folders that are uploaded to Ouray using Dreameaver's SFTP tool are configured with permissions that do not allow the general public to initially view the new Web pages you upload. This is a flaw in the programming of the Dreamweaver software that may be corrected in future upgrades.
This problem with Dreamweaver does not affect permissions on existing files and directories that you naturally overwrite during an upload process.
Dreamweaver 8 is equipped with a tool that is supposed to allow you to reset the permissions on new files and folder after they are uploaded to the server. Unfortunately, Dreamweaver's permissions tool is unreliable. Even if it were reliable, it would be time-consuming to manually set permissions particularly if you uploaded a larger number of new files distributed across several new directories.
If you know how to use UNIX commands, like cd, ls, pwd and chmod, you can use a secure terminal program (like SshClient or PuTTY) to issue permission-changing commands to the Ouray server after new files and folders are uploaded. Most people find it difficult to learn how to use these commands, however.
A Solution
A recommended solution if you work on a Mac is to use Cyberduck for file transfers using SFTP. Cyberduck is open source software.. Permissions settings for the Cyberduck software can be set through its preferences before you upload. In this way, you are guaranteed that all new files and folders you upload to Ouray will have the corrent permissions so that the general public will be able to view all the new Web pages you upload.
This job aid is designed to help you use Cyberduck for SFTP.
Step 1 - Install Cyberduck
Download the DMG file for Cyberduck from http://cyberduck.ch/ your desktop. The link to download is located on the right side of the Cyberduck Home page. A virtual disk for Cyberduck will now appear on your desktop.
Open that virtual disk. Now create a new Cyberduck folder in your Applications folder and drag the contents of the virtual disk into that new Cyberduck folder.
Step 2 - Configure Cyberduck's preferences
Launch Cyberduck. The "browser" window will open.
Open up the Preferences window (Cyberduck > Preferences). If it's not selected, click the General preferences button as circled in red below and configure the preferences on this screen as shown:
Now configure the Browser and Transfer preferences as shown in the following two images:
The Permissions settings of the Transfers preferences (to the left of the red bracket above) are extremely important--be sure these are accurate.
Also, check the download path in the Transfers preferences (circled in red directly above the Permissions) to ensure that any automatically downloaded files go to the Desktop. Typically, you will manually control the placement of downloaded files and folders using Cyberduck by dragging them from the Cyberduck browser window and dropping them where you want them on your hard disk.
Close the Preferences window once you've configured the settings as shown above.
Step 3 - Connect to Ouray
Click the New Connections button in the upper left corner of the Cyberduck browser window (circled in red below):
When you click the New Connection button, a new dialog box will appear. Configure it as shown below:
Now, click the Connect button in the lower right corner of the dialog box. The Cyberduck browser window will now display the contents of your Ouray account:
Step 4 - Upload your work to your Ouray account
Working with files and folders in Cyberduck is just like working in the Finder. To upload files and/or folders, simply select them and drag and drop them in the location where you want them to be within your Ouray account.
So, open your local root folder. The root folder is the folder on your computer that contains all of the files and folders for your Web site. Place the two windows (Cyberduck's browser window and the root folder window) near each other. Select the items in the root folder you want to upload.
Drag and drop the selected items into the public_html folder on the Cyberduck browser window as shown below:
If you are replacing an existing file, you will receive a dialog asking if it's OK to overwrite the file:
Click the Overwrite button. [Note: it's a good idea to examine the details to be certain that overwriting is the correct choice.] When the upload process is complete, your public_html directory on Ouray may look similar to this:
If you are uploading a single file that's within one of the folders in your local root folder, for example the resume.html file that's in the portfolio folder as shown below, be sure to drop it into the correct folder on Ouray:
Step 5 - Confirm your upload using a Web browser
Before you close the Cyberduck application, open a new Web browser window (like Safari or Firefox) and check to make sure your uploaded pages are displaying properly in your browser. The URL of your uploaded pages should begin with your basic Ouray Web site address: http://ouray.cudenver.edu/~yourOurayusername
Caution: There is a folder level above the public_html folder in your Ouray account. It is strongly suggested that you not work with or modify any of the "dot" or hidden files in that higher level folder. The files at that level control the functionality of your Ouray account. If you don't know what you're doing and you modify or delete any of those files, you may limit or ruin the functionality of your Ouray account. The default settings of Cyberduck should keep these "dot" or hidden files from being displayed in the SFTP browser window.
You will upload many times using Cyberduck. The above steps may seem quite complicated and lengthy at first. Now that you've configured Cyberduck's preferences, you won't need to do those configuration steps again. You'll find over time that the upload process can be completed quickly, though care should always be taken when overwriting or deleting remote files.
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