Dreamweaver CS3 Issue with local files/connecting to remote host.

[ghigby]

I have an 8 month old MBP. I am currently taking a web design class and am trying to upload to the FTP site for the school. I set it up by following the picture by picture instructions for the class. It connects to the remote server but my local files do not display correctly. It shows the folders but once you try to expand them the little expansion arrows disappear. If I try to send the files to the remote server, it tells me that my web140 local folder does not exist. It keeps asking me to redefine the root directory.

I figured that I must be doing something wrong. I setup the same way on a PC and my wife's powerbook. Both work. I took my laptop to school and none of the professors could figure it out. I reformatted my laptop and reinstall Mac OSX and DW CS3. I put my class files at :Users:ghigby:Sites:WEB140: and try again. Does the same thing. Is there something wrong with my mac? Is there something setup that not even a reformat can reset that's preventing me from doing this?
Any suggestions greatly appreciated since it is causing me to get behind in class.
Thanks

Exact issue warning is: Before using this feature, you must define a site that contains the selected files. Would you like to define one now. The folder that I am defining as my root is the one that contains all my website folders. Either it says it doesn't exist or when I try to transfer specific folders out of my WEB140 folder, it gives me this error.

 

[SrWebDeveloper]

You actually reinstalled the OS due to this? Next time, please consult us first!

One thing you need to remember is if you're manually typing in paths insteading browsing to a directory and selecting it, all paths on local and remote are case sensitive. You mentioned both "WEB140" and "web140" in your post so let's hope it's as simple as that.

It could also be permissions or ownership - i.e. /Users/ghigby/Sites/WEB140 is owned by a user different than you were logged in as when using your FTP program. If so, go into terminal mode and and use chown and chmod to resolve. Ask if you're not sure how to do this.

This is how it's all supposed to work:

The paths setup on the school's FTP server are unique and may not match your local setup on your MBP. Traditionally, FTP administrators associate an FTP login name with a specific directory on the remote web server so the user gets right to their web stuff (base directory of your web site where home page index.htm or index.php etc lives, known as the document root) without changing dir's. Whatever that remote base directory is named has NOTHING to do with your local version, but for simplicity sake it often matches. If this is not the case, the school instructions will tell you to change into a certain remote directory, and do so if so instructed. Then...

Browse to the document root on your MBP which based on your post is:

/Users/ghigby/Sites/WEB140

I expect all your web files (and any sub-folders) to be inside the "WEB140". Select what you want to upload and start uploading into the document root on the remote site, whatever it might be named.

-jim

 

[ghigby]

I'm not sure that I completely understand everything in your reply. Sorry! Let me take a stab at it though.

I have done the same thing on multiple computers now. It's only this one that doesn't work. I've created a new user and tried that. No luck.

Someone tried this already and I was told that my user WILL NOT have the permissions to do chmod?

I am browsing to locate the root directory. So it's not a typing error though I wish it were.

I don't think that I can change the server name to match. It's the teachers site if I understood that correctly. I had a friend take over my screen last night who is a software developer. He spent about an hour on it and was stumped. Here are the steps given to us to upload to ftp.

Defining Your Site

You will need to create a new site definition to post your finished work on our remote server at www.sccporter.com. You will post your finished class work on this server each week. If you are new to publishing files to a web server, you may want to review the text on pages 12-4 to 12-5 to learn the vocabulary.

1. Click Site on the menu bar, and then click New Site.

2. Select Local Info from the Category menu. Refer to the diagram on page 1-20 of your text. (Click the advanced tab if necessary for this view).

3. Type SCC_Porter in the Site Name text box.

4. To set the local root folder, click on the File icon next to the Local Root Folder text box. Browse until you find the WEB140 folder where your site folders (striped_umbrella, blooms_bulbs, tripsmart, and portfolio) are stored. Click only on the WEB140 folder. Do not click on the individual site folders such as tripsmart or portfolio). You may get a message “that the root folder you have chosen is the same as the root folder” for another site. Ignore the message!

5. Select Remote Info from the Category menu. Refer to the diagram on page 12-7 of your text.

6. For Access, use the drop-down menu and choose FTP.

7. For FTP host, enter 69.24.75.178 (this is the IP address of the SCC_Porter server).

8. For Host directory, leave blank.

9. For Login, type 140 and your full last name. For example, Kay Akers’ login is 140Aker.

10. For Password, type your full college ID number.

11. Leave the remaining boxes unchecked.

12. Do not check the Save box next to the Password entry if you are working in the labs!

13. An example of a completed Remote Info menu is in this folder (Figure 1).

This is the first time that I have been completely stumped on something since I started using a Mac last April. I suppose thats not bad to only have one disappointing thing in a year compared to what issues I had with a PC.

Thanks
Jerry

 

[SrWebDeveloper]

If you don't have administrative access to chmod/chown on your own MBP, I find that hard to believe. If that user meant on the school's server, they are correct.

I didn't say match server names, I said paths don't match between local and server, usually.

The instructions you included do not seem to be about just uploading from your MBP to the schools server. They are apparently about setting up your account on the school's server, so you have follow instructions exactly. After that, read the rest of the instructions (which you did not include here) about how to upload files.

BTW, in another topic a student had a similar issue and ended up doing this:

I did talk to a teacher and she told me to download a FTP program and I downloaded Fetch and now I can upload files to the server!! Yeah

FYI

-jim

 

[needshelp09]

I've got the same problem

I'm on a PC, and now I've got the same problem. Most current version of Windows XP. The only recent change I made to my computer was switch the sata cable from one hard drive to the one I'm using now.

Does anyone have a solution for the problem with the program and not an alternate solution?

I have clients that need their websites uploaded and I support a family and kids, with this I must get this site done.