Serving Files From Your Web Pages

One of the questions frequently asked of the Webmaster is, "How can I make files available for downloading from my home page?"

If you have ever wanted to make a file available from your web page, here's how to do it.

Making Files Available

If you have a Macintosh or PC file you would like to make available from your home page, follow the steps below.

• Put the file on the server as you normally would. Using Fetch, or your FTP client of choice, upload the file to your home directory.
  • If the file is a Macintosh file, turn on the BinHex option in Fetch.
  • If the file is a PC file, you may need to turn on the Binary option in your FTP client, especially if the file is a .ZIP file.
• Make a link to the file as you normally would for any web page. For example:
  • You can <A HREF="pictures.sit">download</A> a set of photographs.
• After saving your updated HTML file back on the server, view it in your web browser.

You will notice that when you follow the link (i.e., click on it), the file downloads to your computer through your web browser. It will be saved in the area of your personal computer you have designated for downloads. This is usually your desktop, or the Downloads folder in your Documents folder.

Questions?

If these instructions are confusing, or if you run into problems getting your files to download properly, send e-mail to webmaster@dartmouth.edu.

You should also review Adding Custom File Types, which you may need if you are trying to serve a non-standard file type.

This document assumes you already have an account on www.dartmouth.edu or cobweb.dartmouth.edu. If you do not, go to Applying for a New Account.