Making Your Files Available on the World Wide Web from the OCF

This document describes how OCF users can make files available via the OCF's http server and what restrictions are placed on this service.

Making a directory for the HTTP Server

To create a directory for your homepage in /services/http/users/, simply run the command: makehttp at the machine prompt and it will create the appropriate directory for you. Here's an example:

	apocalypse [2] makehttp
	Creating dirs for johndoe
	Creating /services/http/users/j/johndoe: Done.
	Adding you to the add log.

Files placed in this directory will then be available using a WWW client. For example, if the user with the account name foobar followed the above directions and put a file called stuff.html in her /services/http/users/f/foobar/ directory, anyone on the Internet with a WWW client could read it by going to the URL http://www.ocf.Berkeley.EDU/~foobar/stuff.html

If you put a file named index.html in your directory it will be shown when no file is specifed (continuning the above example this is the URL http://www.ocf.Berkeley.EDU/~foobar/ ). If you don't have such a file, a list of all the files in your directory will be shown instead.

File Types

The WWW server determines what type of file something is by checking the end of it's name. The full list of recognized types is too long to list here, but some of the more common ones are:

       Suffix               File Type
       ======               =========
        .html               Hypertext
        .shtml              Server-parsed Hypertext
        .txt                Plain Text
        .ps                 PostScript
        .bin                Binary file
        .gif                GIF image
        .jpg                JPEG image
        .tiff               TIFF image

CGI Scripts

Scripts provided by the OCF

Finger

You can put in a link to finger your OCF account using this format:


	http://www.ocf.Berkeley.EDU/cgi-bin/finger-ocf-account?accountname

Counter

You've probably seen the counters on other people's home pages, which say something like, "You are visitor #00241!". We also have a counter installed that will allow you to do that. It's called WWW Count 2.2, and it also allows you to display the current time and date on your home page.

The counter has a wealth of options and parameters that control its look. If you would like to learn more about them, please consult the WWW Count Home Page for further info. If you are satisfied with the default counter look (green digits on a black blackground with a bluish frame; see the first counter on the WWW Count Home Page), use the following line to display the number of times your page was accessed:


	<img src="/cgi-bin/Count.cgi?df=CHANGE_ME.dat" align="absmiddle">

You will have to replace CHANGE_ME with your OCF username, otherwise the counter will display a random number. The counter datafile that contains the number of hits displayed on your page will be created for you automatically.

Be aware of the fact that the counter displays the number of times your page has been visited, not the number of unique visitors. If you want to inflate your ego, you may reload your page N times, thus incrementing the counter by N.

Running your own CGI scripts

OCF users may install their own cgi scripts either by putting them in a directory called cgi-bin in your web directory (i.e. /services/httpd/users/j/joe) or having the script name end in ``.cgi''). By modifying the name you call the script, you can also see very verbose debugging output to help you fix problems in your cgi's.

Script: /services/httpd/users/j/joe/cgi-bin/my-script

URL for regular output:: http://www.ocf.berkeley.edu/~joe/cgi-bin/my-script
URL for debugging output:: http://www.ocf.berkeley.edu/~joe/cgi-debug/my-script

Script: /services/httpd/users/j/joe/my.cgi

URL for regular output:: http://www.ocf.berkeley.edu/~joe/my.cgi
URL for debugging output:: http://www.ocf.berkeley.edu/~joe/my.cgi-debug

RealAudio and RealVideo

The OCF also runs a RealMedia server that uses the same directories as the web server. To serve a real media file, you provide a link to a Real Server metafile which in turn links to the Real Audio or Video file. An example of a Real Server metafile (*.ram) on the ocf system for a user John Doe, with account name jdoe and a file called welcome.rm in their web directory (/services/httpd/users/j/jdoe) looks like this:

pnm://realserver.ocf.berkeley.edu/users/j/jdoe/welcome.rm

The full documentation for RealAudio/RealVideo can be found here.

Restrictions

The OCF places very few restrictions on the contents of your WWW area. We do reserve the right to have any materials removed from your area that cause problems with the OCF machines or that pose a security risk. OCF Staff reserves the right to decide exactly what "causes problems" as unexpected cases arise, but things that definitely cause problems are anything that might cause legal problems (copyright violations, etc.), is so popular that it overwhelms our server (either through volume of traffic or cgi resource usage), or violates OCF or University policy (for example, putting up a Web page on the OCF for a business).

There is also a size limit on your WWW area since it does count towards your disk quota. (If you have a really good reason for needing more space, you can ask quotas@ocf for a disk quota waiver or ask www@ocf to put the files in the central OCF server area where they don't count towards quota.)

Helping others find your documents

If you want your page to be listed in the list of OCF user pages send mail to www@ocf and we'll add you in.

If you have any questions about setting up your WWW area, or any other questions, comments, or suggestions about the OCF's WWW/http services, send mail to www@ocf.berkeley.edu.

About the OCF's Server

The OCF is currently running version 1.3.0 of the Apache Web Server. More information about various features of this server is available from these sites: