This tutorial, written by Tracey Watts, will show CWRL instructors how to access their teacher folder and change folder permissions on both PCs and Macs. It also points users to web sites that have the programs necessary to access their teacher folder from home. The programs are available for free. Students can find information on how to access the teacher folder on both cwrl computers and their personal computers.
NOTE: As of Fall 2005, your teacher folder has been expanded to include a "public_html" folder, which can be used for your websites, and a "private" folder, which can be used to store personal files that others cannot access. In addition to those two default folders, you can create others that your students will have access to for assignment submission and the like.
Opening the teacher folder from a cwrl Mac
When you log on to one of the Macs, the first box you see will appear like the one below. If you choose not to open your teacher folder now and close the box, you can re-open it later in the session. Simply click to open the All Applications folder on the desktop, and scroll down to "teacher_open." The dialog box will appear again.
At the following prompt, enter the teacher's last name.
The following box will appear. Log in using the password that you've set for your inital log-on to all cwrl computers.
A globe with the teacher's name beneath it will then appear on the desktop, just below the the globe marking the transfer volume.
Opening this globe will bring you access to the set of folders that are relevant to your course.
Creating new folders and setting permissions using a Mac
Open the Transmit program. In the dialog box that appears, enter syverson.cwrl.utexas.edu as the server and port 1701. Log in with the user name and password that you use to access all cwrl computers.
Once you're connected, a box like the one below will appear. Your folders will be on the left hand side. In order to create a new folder, simply click on the "New Folder" icon in the main menu.
A box like the one below will appear. Name the folder and hit "ok."
The new folder will then appear in the left side space of the main dialog box. At this point, you'll need to set the permissions for your folder. To do so, go to the File menu, and select the "Get Info" tab.
The following box will pop up. Under permissions, you must click all three buttons corresponding to "User" and "Group." What you choose to give the World, however, is up to you. Marking "read" will allow users to read files, while "write" will allow them to write. "Execute" should always be checked.
Once you've set these permissions, each folder within that original will have the same permissions that you just set. The change, in other words, goes down through the generations of folders.
Accessing your teacher folder from home, using a Mac
You'll need to download an FTP program in order to log in to the system. Fugu is a good option, and you can reach it here: http://rsug.itd.umich.edu/software/fugu/.
Opening the teacher folder from a cwrl PC
Open the Teacher-Transfer Folders icon on the desktop. If you are logged on to the cwrl computers as an instructor, the following screen will appear.
Select the folder with your name on it. This is your teacher folder.
Creating new folders and setting permissions using a PC
To create new folders and set permissions on your teacher folder using a PC, first connect to the server using a secure FTP (SFTP). On the cwrl computers, you can click on the SSH Secure File icon (a folder with a ring of blue dots over it) at the menu bar at the bottom of the screen. The following box will appear.
Click on the Quick Connect link. Enter syverson.cwrl.utexas.edu as the host name and 1701 as the port. The user name, as well as the password you'll next be asked for, will be the same as you currently use to gain entry to cwrl computers.
Choose the New Folder icon in the menu bar just above the Remote Name series of folders (on the right side). This icon is the folder with the starry graphic on the upper right corner of the folder. A new folder will then appear under Remote Name, and you'll be prompted to name it. Then right-click on the folder that you wish to set permissions for.
Choose Properties.
Under permissions, you must click all three buttons corresponding to "Owner" and "Group." What you choose to give the Other, however, is up to you. Marking "read" will allow users to read files, while "write" will allow them to write. "Execute" should always be checked. Once you've set these permissions, each folder within that original will have the same permissions that you just set. The change, in other words, goes down through the generations of folders.
Accessing your teacher folder from home, using a PC
If you wish to access your teacher folder from home, you can download the SSH program for free from UT. Go to http://www.utexas.edu/its/bevoware/ to view a list of downloads. SSH is listed along with many other downloads under the heading Utilities. Once you've installed SSH, you can then follow the instructions given above for using the teacher folder.