FTP Uploads to Memset's Cloud Storage (more)

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David Gibson
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Joined: Thu 16 Mar 2006 23:45

FTP Uploads to Memset's Cloud Storage (more)

Post by David Gibson » Sun 13 Oct 2013 10:32

This is just a recap of earlier discussions (e.g. here), intended to help BCA/BCRA staff who are accessing BCRA's cloud storage for Speleology files.

I have now moved all the Speleology 'working files' into one location in cloud storage, and you will no longer find them in the 'uploads' folders, neither on the web site 'proper' nor in the cloud storage. They are accessible via the FTP address I have given you. FTP is best used with a dedicated FTP package. However, on the basis that most of you probably wont have such a thing, this is what you need to do...
  • Although you can use a web browser, it is not ideal. so instead...
  • If youre using a Windows system, it is probably easiest to use Windows Explorer (i.e. not Internet Explorer, but the application you use to view files on your computer). So... open Windows Explorer
  • Windows Explore might be configured with some minimalist display options so click on the View menu, then click Toolbars, and check that the Address Bar is visible.
  • Type the FTP address into the address bar, e.g. ftp://ftp.bcra.org.uk. Because anonymous login is not allowed to this site, this will produce an error message in a pop-up box - possibly a strange error message.
  • Now youve done that, and failed to get access, you can do a signed login. In Windows Explorer (sic: not Internet Explorer) click on the File menu. It should now give you an option 'Login as...', which will allow you to login to the FTP site whose address is in the address bar. Type in the user name and password that you have been given.
  • Now you can view files and you can upload and download by dragging things around.
If that doesnt seem to work, open Internet Explorer, click on the Tools menu and select Internet Options. Next, click on the Advanced tab in the box that pops up, and scroll down to 'Browsing'. Scroll on down, and check the box next to the option 'Enable FTP folder view (outside of Internet Explorer)'. Click on OK.
A note on file dates: If you are uploading a file, please never re-use an existing file name. Always write a new version number to the file name. Also please note that the FTP server does not implement the extension to the MDTM command that allows you to timestamp files. This means that the 'last modified' date of any file you upload will be shown as the time you uploaded it and not as the time you actually last modified the file contents.