Setup your webpage

Need help? Contact the Help Desk at 972-883-2911 or assist@utdallas.edu

Home

To set up your homepage, perform the following steps:

  1. Get a NetID. You can set it up in the Student Microcomputer Labs or at http://netid.utdallas.edu.
  2. Launch an SSH client such as Putty. Putty is available for download here.
  3. Type apache.utdallas.edu into the Host Name field and select the SSH circle below. Click Yes at the following notice window.
  4. Enter your netid and password when prompted.
  5. Type makeweb, then press enter. Do not close Putty.
  6. Place your index.html file in your home directory’s public_html folder, called your H: drive in the Labs (ask a Computer Assistant if you need help accessing it).
  7. Go back to Putty and type cd public_html to get to your personal web space.
  8. Ensure that you are in the public_html directory and type chmod 755 index.html, then enter.
  9. For all subsequent pages you wish to add, it is required that you type chmod 755 filename.html (where filename.html is the directory and the name of your webpage), as this will set read and write permissions for each page.
  10. Your homepage should then be accessible as http://www.utdallas.edu/~netid.

You will automatically be added to the list of personal homepages the following day.

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CGI Under Your Own Homepage

We allow CGI access under personal homepages with the following restrictions:

• Scripts are limited to 9 seconds of CPU time.
• Information Resources offers absolutely no support for CGI programming.

To set up a CGI script, complete the following steps:

  1. Under your public_html directory, type mkdir cgi-bin, then enter.
  2. Type chmod 755 cgi-bin, then enter.
  3. Type cd cgi-bin, then enter.
  4. Write your script.
    You can use PHP on your web pages, but it has to be done in CGI scripting format. This means that your script must be executable (chmod u+x scriptname.php) and the first line of your script must be the following:

    #!/usr/local/bin/php

    If you want to run a perl script, you must begin the script with the following:

    #!/usr/local/bin/perl

  5. To execute it, use the url: http://www.utdallas.edu/~netid/cgi-bin/scriptname.

  6. For further assistance, contact the Help Desk at 972-883-2911 or assist@utdallas.edu.

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Moving Your Files via VPN

You can also move your files to the public_html folder through the UTD VPN if you would like to avoid using and SSH client. In order to move your files via the UTD VPN, you must take the following steps.

  1. Log into the UTD VPN at utdvpn.utdallas.edu with your NetID and password, select Unix as your home folder server.
  2. After you have logged in correctly, you can access your public_html folder under the web-based file structure by selecting the Unix home link under files.
  3. By selecting upload you can copy all of your files pertaining to your website into the public_html folder.
  4. After all your files are copied over to your public_html folder, you will have to edit the permissions of the files so your web page can be displayed to others.

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Fixing Permission Issues

In case your web page is not showing up, or others cannot see it, you may have permission issues.  In order to change these, you will need to follow the steps below, whichever one is more appropriate for you.

Fixing Permissions Issues for Windows Users


  1. Launch an SSH client such as Putty. Putty is available for download here.http://www.utdallas.edu/ir/local/
  2. Type apache.utdallas.edu into the Host Name field and select the SSH circle below. Click Yes at the following notice window. Enter your NetID and password when prompted. The password is typed in silent keystrokes. In other words, you will not be able to see it physically while you are typing it in, but the information is there.
  3. Type in ‘fixmywebsite’ and hit enter. It will then list only the files that it will modify and ask for your confirmation.
  4. Once you have confirmed the pages that you want changed, your webpage should be visible to others at http://www.utdallas.edu/~netid/

Fixing Permissions Issues for Mac Users

  1. Launch an SSH client such as Terminal.  You can use Spotlight to search for and launch Terminal on your Mac.
  2. Type “ssh –l ‘YOUR NetID’ apache.utdallas.edu” into the host field name and hit enter.  Enter your NetID and password when prompted. The password is typed in silent keystrokes. In other words, you will not be able to see it physically while you are typing it in, but the information is there.
  3. Type in ‘fixmywebsite’ and hit enter.  It will then list only the files that it will modify and ask for your confirmation.
  4. Once you have confirmed the pages that you want changed, your webpage should be visible to others at http://www.utdallas.edu/yourNetID/

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