How to allow ftp downloads from website?

[Steve]

I think this is a question with an easy answer, but I don't know what it is.[nbsp][nbsp]What do I have to do to allow users on my website to click on a link and automatically download a file by ftp.[nbsp][nbsp]Do I have to set up a separate directory with specific CHMOD settings (see, I did learn something from installing UBB :))?

Related question:[nbsp][nbsp]How do I put a file into Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) format so that users can dl it and view in Acrobat?

Thanks,


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Steve[nbsp][nbsp]
www.childpastlives.org (http://www.childpastlives.org)
www.bizwriting.com (http://www.bizwriting.com)[nbsp][nbsp]

[ChrisH]

To download and view a file in Acrobat, just
put a link to the pdf file as you would
a link to an html file. Best bet is to make
sure the file ends in ".pdf" (for MS IE).
So, my advice is to just put it up and try it.

ftp is harder. You have to give other people your
user name and password (yikes!). But I'm sure FQ
has some reasonable service to set up another
restricted account in your site. Someone official
will probably answer for that . . .


[nbsp][nbsp]ch

[Justin]

Best thing to do for the ftp thing is create an FTP account ($5 / month) with username and password as guest/guest - then your link would simply be:

ftp://guest:guest@ftp.yourdomain.com/file.blah

Also will want to limit that ftp account to a certain directory as anyone can ftp in there... might also make the directory read only...
<!-- NO_AUTO_LINK -->
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Justin Nelson
FutureQuest Support

[Steve]

Thanks for the quick response.[nbsp][nbsp]So FTP isn't as easy as I thought it would be.[nbsp][nbsp]$5/month isn't worth it to me because I might have a dozen requests per month at most for FTP files.[nbsp][nbsp]I'll work something else, like making text-only files for easy download.

One question remains:[nbsp][nbsp]how do I CREATE .pdf (Acrobat) files?[nbsp][nbsp]Do I need expensive software to do that?

Steve

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Steve[nbsp][nbsp]
www.childpastlives.org (http://www.childpastlives.org)
www.bizwriting.com (http://www.bizwriting.com)[nbsp][nbsp]

[Steve]

On second thought, I remember seeing something about password-controlled access to certain subdirectories.[nbsp][nbsp]Wouldn't that work for the FTP bit.[nbsp][nbsp]I only want to allow people to download, not upload.

Thanks,

Steve

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Steve[nbsp][nbsp]
www.childpastlives.org (http://www.childpastlives.org)
www.bizwriting.com (http://www.bizwriting.com)[nbsp][nbsp]

[jokesplus]

Do you have to use ftp?[nbsp][nbsp]I thought that if you have a file with a url or http://domain.com/acrobat.pdf most browsers would download no problem.[nbsp][nbsp]Might be worth a quick try.

Jarrod
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For humor on-line check out Jokesplus
http://www.jokesplus.com

[Justin]

If you're just looking for a way to let people download files, just zip it up - I think everyone has an unzip utility - if not, just point them to www.winzip.com (http://www.winzip.com) or offer pkzip as a download (or make self extracting zip or rar/sfx files)...

If you need the downloads password protected, just protect the file and/or directory: http://aota.net/Tutorials/pwprotect.shtml

As for PDF files, I know the reader is free but the software to create them is expensive I think - www.adobe.com (http://www.adobe.com) I think is the URL...

Personally, I'd go with HTML or Word format (Word Pad will read a .doc file) over PDF, as for some reason PDF files are huge in comparison. Plus you can't copy/paste from a PDF file as far as I can tell, and the reader seems primitive, almost 16 bit like... or even just regular rich text (.rtf) format (unless you absolutely need cross platform compatability - in which case plain text or HTML might be suitable - depending on what it's needed for).

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Justin Nelson
FutureQuest Support

[Deb]

Jarrod is correct.[nbsp][nbsp]You could just create a directory within your www directory and store the files (of any type) and link to them for download.[nbsp][nbsp]

Also to password protect that directory, so they need permission to enter, you may find this tutorial helpful http://aota.net/Tutorials/pwprotect.shtml

Deb

[Armand]

Word doc format.... errggh... all viruses I've ever gotten were in a .doc file... I'm now protesting .doc files... no macros please!

<edit>I say go with zip it's the most common these days it seems and if someone's on the net they better well have a zip proggie.[nbsp][nbsp]I'd only worry about ftp is you're talking about 2 - 5 mb worth of files that are real popular.<edit>
[This message has been edited by Armand (edited 05-28-99)]

[Terra]

Besides, I'm sure Steve isn't planning to virus anyone

Justin

ROTFLMAO!!!

--
Terra
--Happy Happy, Joy Joy, Happy Happy, Joy Joy--
FutureQuest

[Armand]

Yeah I'd like to believe Steve isn't the next Melissa creator.[nbsp][nbsp]But after Melissa though I'd hope netizens would be a lot less likely to download anything to do with doc file.[nbsp][nbsp]I won't at all.[nbsp][nbsp]Either put it in txt, rtf or even pdf or don't bother at all is my take now.

[Justin]

Point taken... will I ever live that down??? :)

[Steve]

All points well taken.[nbsp][nbsp]Thanks.[nbsp][nbsp]I'll see what I can do with .txt files.

No, I do not intend to virus anyone.[nbsp][nbsp]

Just so happens, today my virus software nabbed a macro virus in a file my son got at school.[nbsp][nbsp]I love it when WinGuard shows the dead bug image.

What does ROTFLMAO!!! mean.[nbsp][nbsp]I know ROTFL, but not MAO ... Oh! I just got it![nbsp][nbsp]:D[nbsp][nbsp]Never mind.[nbsp][nbsp]:o


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www.childpastlives.org (http://www.childpastlives.org)
www.bizwriting.com (http://www.bizwriting.com)[nbsp][nbsp]

[Justin]

Macros don't execute in Word Pad :)[nbsp][nbsp]I don't own nor do I plan to own M$ Word or Office etc - allowing executable code in a document is pretty stupid anyway - but they are 100% safe, even if infected, if you have no way of executing them :)

Besides, I'm sure Steve isn't planning to virus anyone :D

Justin