CST.net Posting Webpages

How to put up your page

How do I post web pages at Cyberstation?
*Note* The following information will assume that you have a fairly comfortable knowledge of UNIX and the way it works to access any pages that you put on our servers. If this seems a bit over your head then give us a call and we'd be happy to get you going with your website!

everyone at cyberstation has a home directory in /home - yours is under your username, for instance my home directory is /home/chris - you are automatically in your home directory when you log on, you can see this by typing pwd and hitting enter
to make a web directory, make a directory called pubhtml under your home directory - mkdir pubhtml - this results in (my example again) a directory whose full path is /home/chris/pubhtml
any files you put in your pubhtml directory will be available to the outside world as (again my example) http://www.cyberstation.net/~chris
to make a home page that will be opened every time the URL in 3) above is accessed, simply name the page home.html
we have templates available for your use (basic pages you modify with your info) here is the address: http://www.cyberstation.net/help/template.html and http://www.cyberstation.net/help/template2.html
you can upload pages you make on your machine to your pubhtml directory either with ftp or zmodem - just be sure and name the main page home.html
you can edit these files on the server by telnetting to your shell account (telnet to cyberstation.net, login with username and pwd) cd to pubhtml, then use pico (an easy to use unix editor) cd pubhtml pico home.html
finally, there is the matter of permissions. Cyberstation's default permissions for files including your web pages and directories, are left unreadable to all but the owner, for obvious reasons. You must change these permissions to make your web pages visible to the rest of the world.

login to cyberstation
chmod 755 .
cd pubhtml
chmod 755 .
chmod 755 *

Now your permissions for your web directory are set. NOTE: this action makes your home directory world readable!! Keep sensitive files in subdirectories with closed permissions.
enjoy it, have fun, and tell everyone when your ready for the cyberfolk to visit your page! Get yourself a beginning unix book, it will help tremendously. Also always look at the cyberstation home page, then get to information about World Wide Web, look for information for authors. Remember to look in www.cst.net/help for templates for your home pages.
Still need help? Email help@cst.net and we'll give you a hand.
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Why does my URL have this ~ thing in it?
The funny ~ thing is called a tilde. It is located on the upperleft on most keyboards, usually above the backquote. Traditionally, a UNIX user's home directory has been known as ~. Therefore, hostname.domain.name/~username is the generic form for a user's home web space, located in his or her pubhtml directory. When the Web server sees a URL like this, it knows to look in username's home directory for a pubhtml directory. Cyberstation's unique use of BSDI's web server means that our subscribers do not have to utilize the tilde in their url.
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How can I make a password protected website?
*Note* The following information will assume that you have a fairly comfortable knowledge of UNIX and the way it works to access any pages that you put on our servers. If this seems a bit over your head then give us a call and we'd be happy to get you going with your website!

How to create password protected web space ... The first step to create your own password protected web space is to logon to Cyberstation with your shell account. (Note: Win95 trick while browser is running, click on 'Start', 'Run', type in telnet, select 'OK'. Logon with username only to quartz2.cyberstation.net) Change directories to your pubhtml directory and make another directory (example: mkdir "your private directory**").Change the permissions for the new directory by issuing the command; chmod 755 "your private directory**"

Change directories to "your private directory**"
Create a new file called, .htaccess Type pico .htaccess and enter the following lines;
<Limit GET>
<limit GET>AuthUserFile /usr/home/username*/pubhtml/your private directory**/.htpasswd </limit>
<limit GET>AuthGroupFile /dev/null
AuthName "Whatever you name your private web page"
AuthType Basic
require user user1 user2 user3 etc...</limit>
</limit>

Press Ctrl-X and select, yes to write the file.
Then: chmod 644 .htaccess
*substitute with your user name. **substitute with the name of the new directory you made in the first step without the quotes (Note: Please see security note at bottom)
Win95 trick: highlight the above text of the file .htaccess, right click and select copy. Switch to the Telnet terminal; select edit and paste in the text. Finish by editing the required changes.
Congratulations! You have now made your very own private web space. Now, how do people get in? You are the caretaker of your private space. You must issue passwords for the people that you define (substitute user* with the name of the user you wish to allow into your private area). While you are in your private directory you make your user's passwords with the following command;

htpasswd -c .htpasswd user*

user* is the name of the allowed person included on the 'require user' line of the .htaccess file and you will need to repeat this command for each user in the list. To add additional people to the list you will have to edit the .htaccess file and add the new name to the end of the 'require user' line, then make their password as stated above. After the .htpasswd file is created do the following:

chmod 644 .htaccess

*Security Note* Although people cruising to your private web area are challenged with a password, shell users can change to the private directory (although they cannot list out what is in the directory). A determined hacker could possibly quess the name of a file in the private directory and read the file. As an added measure of security place another directory (preferably named with a combination of letters and numbers like a password) and place the secure web page in this directory.

Still confused? Email help@cst.net and we'll lend you a helping hand.
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How can I add a counter to my web page?
To add a counter to your pages, add the following HTML:
<img src="/cgi-bin/Count.cgi?df=username.dat">
Where username is your accnt name, the string before the @ sign in your email address. the result looks like this:

This is the actual counter for this page.
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What is SSL?
SSL stands for Secure Sockets Layer. It is used to assure security when sending information via the Internet by encrypting the information content.
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What is Cyberstation's Secure Web Server? CyberStation's Secure Server is a special Internet server that we have set up with an SSL web server, and secure (encrypted) shell access that is only granted to cyberstation staff. It is on this server that we host our secure services, using SSL and PGP, encrypting and de-encrypting potentially sensitive documents for our clients and keeping the information secure. We can use this for online commerce, sensitive email or file transfer, etc.
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What is HTML?
HTML stands for Hyper Text Markup Language. It is the language used to develop and write web pages.
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How do I see the HTML on a web page?
On most WWW browsers, you can click on 'view' then 'source' to examine the underlying code that makes up a page. This may give you ideas for your own code. Source code is the text (HTML code) from which a web page is created by your browser.
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What is a good tool to make web pages?
Around our office most of the staffers use Microsoft Frontpage or Frontpage Express, however, there are still many that prefer to open up notepad or pico and code it all by hand. This page and all of the new Cyberstation site, for instance, was created with Microsoft Frontpage except for all the CGI work which was coded by hand in pico.
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What is CGI?
CGI, or Common Gateway Interface, is a way of using a programming or scripting language on a server, to respond to requests from a web client by executing a file that returns HTML built 'on the fly'. In other words, a CGI script is called from a web client, the script is executed by the web server, and the script returns HTML to the web client as the output of its execution. Basically CGI, expecially in combination with Java, Javascript, and VBscript, can turn any WWW client into a GUI for a client/server application. Netscape can become an interface to server resources on any network.
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How can I use CGI on my page?
We use a utility called cgiwrap so that you can write CGI scripts and use them in your web page. It has the advantage of running your scripts under your account, instead of the web server's, and thus keeping any data you may have more secure.
To use cgiwrap, you place your CGI scripts in a directory called cgi-bin under your pubhtml directory. To call the script, you use a URL of the form http://www.cst.net/cgi-bin/cgiwrap/username/script.
For access to use cgiwrap, you need to e-mail the Cyberstation staff, and we will add you to the cgiwrap access list. The current cost for access to cgiwrap is $15.00 per month. For information on writing your own CGI scripts, you may want to check out NCSA's excellent tutorial on CGI with examples.
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What is java?
Java is a new programming language developed by Sun Microsystems. It is a language especially made for writing client/server and networked applications, and expecially well suited to the internet. Java can be used to write applets that animate web pages, or to create interactive web sites that are 'alive.' Java can also be used to transmit objects and modules that a Java enabled client might put together on the fly to create a new type of application.
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What is javascript?
Javascript, is a scripting language from Netscape that is only marginally related to the Java programming language. Javascript is embedded as a small program in a web page, that is interpreted and executed by the Web client. The time and nature of the execution is controlled by the scripter, and javascript functions can be called from within a Web document, often executed by mouse functions, buttons, or other actions from the user. Javascript can be used to fully control the Netscape and MS Web browsers, including all the familiar browser attributes.
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What is VBscript?
VBscript, is a scripting language from Microsoft that is Microsoft's answer to Netscape's Javascript. VBScript, which is based on the MS Visual Basic, is, like Javascript, embedded as a small program in a web page, that is interpreted and executed by the Web client. The time and nature of the execution is controlled by the scripter, and VBscript functions can be called from within a Web document, often executed by mouse functions, buttons, Active X controls, or other actions from the user. VBscript can be used to fully control compatible browsers, including all the familiar browser attributes.
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How do I use Microsoft Frontpage to create my web page?
Cyberstation now supports the FrontPage 98 and 2000 server extensions!
Note: You must have an account here at Cyberstation. Call the help desk at 940.691.1081 to establish your username and password. You will also receive specific instructions for editing your FrontPage Web.
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What is FormMail? How can I use it?
How to Use FormMail
Version 1.5
THE web->email gateway allows you to implement a web form, and receive information entered into the form into your email box without having to worry about writing a cgi script to handle the form. It is suitable for most form feedback purposes, including surveys, questionaires and general information forms.
This facility is available to any CyberStation subscriber, including those with commercial, business and personal pages.
Using It
To access, the following code should be included in the web page (change fields as required):
<form method=POST action="http://www.cst.net/cgi-bin/FormMail.pl"> <input type=hidden name="recipient" value="recipient@address.domain.au"><input type=hidden name="subject" value="Test Form Submission">
[STANDARD FORM FIELDS GO HERE]
</form>
Detailed instructions for the form parameters:
This script can be used as a universal WWW form --> E-mail gateway. There are just a few restrictions on the HTML Forms and what they have to have in them. The script works for both the POST and GET form methods.
Form Configuration:
The action of your form needs to point towards this script (obviously), and the method must be POST or GET in capital letters. Version 1.5 of FormMail offers many new ways to code your form to tailor the resulting HTML page and the way the script performs. Below is a list of form fields you can use and how to implement them.

Necessary Form Fields:
There is only one form field that you must have in your form, for FormMail to work correctly. This is the recipient field.
Field: recipient
Description: This form field allows you to specify to whom you wish for your form results to be mailed. Most likely you will want to configure this option as a hidden form field with a value equal to that of your e-mail address.
Syntax:
<input type=hidden name="recipient"value="email@your.host.xxx">
Optional Form Fields:
Field: subject
Description: The subject field will allow you to specify the subject that you wish to appear in the e-mail that is sent to you after this form has been filled out. If you do not have this option turned on, then the script will default to a message subject: WWW Form Submission
Syntax:
If you wish to choose what the subject is:
<input type=hidden name="subject" value="Your Subject">
To allow the user to choose a subject:
<input type=text name="subject">
Field: email
Description: This form field will allow the user to specify their return e-mail address. If you want to be able to return e-mail to your user, I strongly suggest that you include this form field and allow them to fill it in. This will be put into the From: field of the message you receive.
Syntax:
<input type=text name="email">
Field: realname
Description: The realname form field will allow the user to input their real name. This field is useful for identification purposes and will also be put into the From: line of your message header.
Syntax:
<input type=text name="realname">
Field: redirect
Description: If you wish to redirect the user to a different URL, rather than having them see the default response to the fill-out form, you can use this hidden variable to send them to a pre-made HTML page.
Syntax:
To choose the URL they will end up at:
<input type=hidden name="redirect"value="http://your.address/to/file.html">
To allow them to specify a URL they wish to travel to once the form is filled out:
<input type=text name="redirect">
Field: required
Description: You can now require for certain fields in your form to be filled in before the user can successfully submit the form. Simply place all field names that you want to be mandatory into this field. If the required fields are not filled in, the user will be notified of what they need to fill in, and a link back to the form they just submitted will be provided.
Syntax:
If you want to require that they fill in the email and phone fields in your form, so that you can reach them once you have received the mail, use a syntax like:
<input type=hidden name="required"value="email,phone">
Field: env_report
Description: Allows you to have Environment variables included in the e-mail message you receive after a user has filled out your form. Useful if you wish to know what browser they were using, what domain they were coming from or any other attributes associated with environment variables. The following is a short list of valid environment variables that might be useful:
REMOTE_HOST - Sends the hostname making a request.
REMOTE_ADDR - Sends the IP address of the remote host making the request.
HTTP_USER_AGENT - The browser the client is using to send the request. General format: software/version library/version
There are others, but these are a few of the most useful.
Syntax:
If you wanted to find the remote host and browser sending the request, you would put the following into your form:
<input type=hidden name="env_report"value="REMOTE_HOST,HTTP_USER_AGENT">
Field: sort
Description: This field allows you to choose the order in which you wish for your variables to appear in the e-mail that FormMail generates. You can choose to have the field sorted alphabetically or specify a set order in which you want the fields to appear in your mail message. By leaving this field out, the order will simply default to the order in which the browsers sends the information to the script (which isn't always the exact same order they appeared in the form.) When sorting by a set order of fields, you should include the phrase "order:" as the first part of your value for the sort field, and then follow that with the field names you want to be listed in the e-mail message, separated by commas.
Syntax:
To sort alphabetically:
<input type=hidden name="sort" value="alphabetic">
To sort by a set field order:
<input type=hidden name="sort"value="order:name1,name2,etc...">
Field: print_config
Description: print_config allows you to specify which of the config variables you would like to have printed in your e-mail message. By deafult, no config fields are printed to your e-mail. This is because the important form fields, like email, subject, etc... are included in the header of the message. However some users have asked for this option so they can have these fields printed in the body of the message. The config fields that you wish to have printed shoul dbe in the value attribute of your input tag separated by commas.
Syntax:
If you want to print the email and subject fields in the body of your message, you would place the following form tag:
<input type=hidden name="print_config"value="email,subject">
Field: title
Description: This form field allows you to specify the title and header that will appear on the resulting page if you do not specify a redirect URL.
Syntax:
If you wanted a title of 'Feedback Form Results':
<input type=hidden name="title" value="Feedback Form Results">
Field: return_link_url
Description: This field allows you to specify a URL that will appear, as return_link_title, on the following report page. This field will not be used if you have the redirect field set, but it is useful if you allow the user to receive the report on the following page, but want to offer them a way to get back to your main page.
Syntax:
<input type=hidden name="return_link_url"value="http://your.host.xxx/main.html">
Field: return_link_title
Description: This is the title that will be used to link the user back to the page you specify with return_link_url. The two fields will be shown on the resulting form page as:
<ul> <li><a href="return_link_url">return_link_title</a> </ul>
Syntax:
<input type=hidden name="return_link_title" value="Back to Main Page">
Field: background
Description: This form field allow you to specify a background image that will appear if you do not have the redirect field set. This image will appear as the background to the form results page.
Syntax:
<input type=hidden name="background"value="http://your.host.xxx/image.gif">
Field: bgcolor
Description: This form field allow you to specify a bgcolor for the form results page in much the way you specify a background image. This field should not be set if the redirect field is.
Syntax:
For a background color of White:
<input type=hidden name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF">
Field: text_color
Description: This field works in the same way as bgcolor, except that it will change the color of your text.
Syntax:
For a text color of Black:
<input type=hidden name="text_color" value="#000000">
Field: link_color
Description: Changes the color of links on the resulting page. Works in the same way as text_color. Should not be defined if redirect is.
Syntax:
For a link color of Red:
<input type=hidden name="link_color" value="#FF0000">
Field: vlink_color
Description: Changes the color of visited links on the resulting page. Works exactly the same as link_color. Should not be set if redirect is.
Syntax:
For a visited link color of Blue:
<input type=hidden name="vlink_color" value="#0000FF">
Field: alink_color
Description: Changes the color of active links on the resulting page. Works exactly the same as link_color. Should not be set if redirect is.
Syntax:
For a visited link color of Blue:
<input type=hidden name="alink_color" value="#0000FF">
Any other form fields that appear in your script will be mailed back to you and displayed on the resulting page if you do not have the redirect field set. There is no limit as to how many other form fields you can use with this form, except the limits imposed by browsers and your server.
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CST.net Posting Webpages

How to put up your page

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