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Job Aid:
File management using SshClient for PC users

On this page you will find the following sections:

 

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 Dreamweaver'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 PC is to use SshClient for file transfers using SFTP. There is a non-commercial version of SshClient that can be freely used for educational purposes. Settings for the SshClient software can be configured before you upload. In this way, you are guaranteed that all new files and folders you upload to Ouray will have the correct 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 SshClient for SFTP.

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Step 1: Download, install and run SshClient, and connect to Ouray

  1. Visit http://ftp.ssh.com/pub/ssh/. SshClient version 3.2.9 is free for non-commercial use (note: in case you're interested, the info page for the non-commercial version of SshClient is https://support.ssh.com/rqcustomer/servlet/faq?page=faq_detailed&faqid=40).
  2. Click the link for "SSHSecureShellClient-3.2.9.exe" as circled in red below. This will generate a file download for the SshClient installer.
    SshClient (non-commercial) download page
  3. You can choose to "Run" the installation setup program directly from the dialog box that appears or you can choose to "Save" the setup file to your computer. If you choose to save it and then run it from its saved location on your computer, it is suggested that you save it to a common location on your computer like the Desktop so that you can easily find the installer file.
  4. Follow the instructions on the screens of the installer program as it runs. Use the default installation settings that the installer displays during the installation process.   
  5. Once the software is installed, launch it. The SshClient window will display as shown below. Click the "Quick Connect" button (circled in red):
    The 'Quick Connect' option for SshClient
  6. The "Connect to Remost Host" dialog box appears:
    Connect to Remote Host dialog box
    Enter ouray.cudenver.edu as the Host name. Enter your Ouray user name. The Port Number should default to 22. Select Password from the Authentication Method drop down list. Click the Connect button.
  7. The first time you connect to a server, the Host Identification dialog box will display. Click the Yes button as shown below.
    The Host Identification dialog box
  8. Now, the Password dialog box will appear:
    The Password dialog box
    Enter your Ouray password and press the Return key. If your password is not accepted, try again. If on the second try your password is still not accepted, you may need to reset your password (see the info on this near the top of this page).
  9. Momentarily, the Add Profile dialog box will display:
    The Add Profile dialog box
    Adding a profile makes it faster to connect using the software the next time you use it (which will be next week and several times over the next four weeks). Type Ouray for the profile name and click the Add to Profiles button.

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Step 2: Configure the settings of SshClient

  1. To make SshClient work effectively for you when doing SFTP, you must first configure several settings of your SshClient software. Once you configure these settings, you should not need to configure them again the next time you use SshClient for uploading (and, you will use SshClient a lot!).

    Locate and click the Settings button on the SshClient interface as circled in red below:
    Location of the Settings button on the SshClient interface
  2. In the left navigation tree of the Settings dialog box, select Remote Favorites (as shown below). Enter public_html in the "Home folder" text box.
    Configuring the Remotes Favorites setting in SshClient
  3. In the left navigation tree of the Settings dialog box, scroll down to and select the Local Favorites (as shown below).
    Configuring the Local Favorites setting of SshClient
  4. In the "Home Folder" text box (shown above), enter the local pathway to the local root folder you will use for this Web site. A local root folder is the folder that contains all of the files and folders for your Web site. An easy way to discover that pathway is to open the local root folder and copy the pathway from the address box in the window (as circled in red below):
    The ilt folder open in a window with its pathway circled in red
  5. Select File Transfer just above the Local Favorites item in the left navigation tree of the Settings dialog box. Configure this Settings screen as shown below. The "View Layout" option of remote files on the left and local files on the right (circled in red below) is the same as the Files Panel layout you'll see in Dreamweaver.
    Configuring the File Transfer setting of SshClient
  6. Finally, select Advanced just above the Local Favorites item in the left navigation tree of the Settings dialog box. Configure this Settings screen as shown below.
    Configuring advanced permissions settings of the SshClient software
  7. Now click the OK button on the Settings dialog box. The Settings dialog box should close and the SshClient terminal window (the one you used to login to Ouray) should be visible again. On that window, click the Save button (circled in red below) to save the settings you just configured as part of your profile:
    Location of the Save Settings button in the SshClient interface

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Step 3: Launch a File Transfer Window and upload

  1. Locate and click the Launch New File Transfer Window button (circled in red below):
    Location of the Launch New File Transfer Window button
  2. A file transfer window will be displayed similar to the one shown below. Notice that your local root files and folders are shown in the right pane. The remote files are displayed in the left pane.
    Initial File Transfer window in SshClient
  3. There are several different ways that your local files and directories can be uploaded to the public_html directory in your account on Ouray using SshClient. Three are described below. You might examine all three (as shown in the next few steps) to see which method you like the best.
  4. One way is to highlight all of the local files and directories you want to upload. If you hold the Shift key down, you'll be able to highlight all of them. Then, right click on one of the selected items and choose Upload from the popup menu as shown below:
    Right-click upload method for SshClient
  5. Another method is to highlight all four items as described in the method above. Then select Upload from the "Operation" menu.
  6. A third method is a "drag and drop" method. You can drag and drop the selected items from the local (right) pane to the remote (left) pane. Interestingly, you can also drag and drop from a Windows "window" into the remote (left) pane. Place the window for your local root folder near the SshClient file transfer window. Select the items in the local root folder window (not in the local files pane of the transfer window). Now drag and drop the selected items onto the remote files pane (the left pane) of the file transfer window as shown below:
    The drag and drop method of file transfer for SshClient
  7. No matter which method you use, a file overwrite confirmation dialog box may be displayed if you are uploading a file with a duplicate name:
    Confirm a file overwrite in SshClient
  8. Answer "yes." When the upload process is complete, the SshClient file transfer window should look similar to the one below. Notice the symmetry.
    The SshClient file transfer window after a successful file transfer is completed
  9. 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 maintain the symmetry between the two panes. In this case you would maintain the symmetry by opening the portfolio folder in the remote (left) pane to ensure the local resume.html file is uploaded into the correct folder on Ouray:
    Uploading single files using SshClient

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Step 4: Confirm the upload using a browser

Open up a Web browser window 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 SshClient keep these "dot" or hidden files from being displayed in the file transfer window (see step 7). The other settings you saved above cause the file transfer window to open at your public_html folder. As a result, you shouldn't end up working with these files by accident.

You will upload many times using SshClient. The above steps may seem quite complicated and lengthy at first. Now that you've configured and saved the settings in your profile, 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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