Fetch Softworks

help using iweb and fetch (9 posts)

• Started 16 years ago by mattparker
• Latest reply 16 years ago from camel1010

• mattparker Member

  I have published a website using iweb and uploaded it using fetch, however, i can't seem to make that page work as my homepage. If i just type in the site fivestarkayak.com - it gives me an error message. but if i type in fivestarkayak.com/home/coming_soon.html - it views fine. How can i get it to work as just fivestarkayak.com? I feel like it is a simple problem but just can't figure it out. Thanks.

  Posted 16 years ago #

• Scott McGuire Administrator

  Hi,

  The most common problem when trying to upload pages created with iWeb is that for your website to work correctly once you upload it, after you publish your website to a folder, you need to upload the contents of the folder - but not the folder itself - to your server.

  For example, let's assume your website is called "Family Trip", and when you use "Publish to a Folder," you tell iWeb to put its files in a folder called "My New Website."

  Once iWeb is done, in the Finder you will see:

  My New Website (folder)
    index.html
    Family Trip (folder)

  Inside the "Family Trip" folder will be folders and files corresponding to each page of your website.

  For your website to work correctly, you must be sure to upload both that index file, and the website folder - that is, upload the entire contents of the "My New Website" folder, but don't upload the "My New Website" folder itself.

  Do not rearrange or rename files before uploading, or your website will stop working.

  It may be best to delete the files that you've already uploaded to the server and start fresh before trying again.

  We have a help topic on using Fetch to upload websites created with iWeb (click the link to read it) - it has tips and covers a lot of possible problems that you might be running into, and it may be helpful to read it over if you haven't already.

  If you're still having problems after looking this over, please let us know and we'll try to figure it out.

  Thanks,

  Scott McGuire
  Fetch Softworks

  Posted 16 years ago #

• mattparker Member

  Scott - thanks so much. I read that exact same advice in other posts, but just didn't "get it" until this morning. Thanks again.

  Posted 16 years ago #

• Scott McGuire Administrator

  Hi,

  I apologize for repeating what you already read. :-)

  If you have any suggestions for making the above advice clearer - or additional advice to include - please let us know, feedback is always welcome!

  Anyway, glad to see your site is up and working now, and please let us know if you have further questions.

  Thanks,

  Scott McGuire
  Fetch Softworks

  Posted 16 years ago #

• PCKid Member

  Can I hop in on this thread please. Just new to this and used Fetch to initially upload my website no problem but I can't work out how to update it. Very unoriginal in that iWeb made a default folder called Sites under my Mac username which is PCKid. So I made one in there called Site (Yeah I know pretty unoriginal could have at least called it My Site. So to update I first of all save my changes in iWeb with File/Save. Then I republish it to the same folder Site and that works fine as I go and physically check the changes in Finder. Then I launch Fetch and select the little clock and select my default hostname info which it does automatically and shows that the initial folder is still called Site. Then I click Connect and it goes away and says connecting and the little dog runs madly all over the place. Finally it stops and says Connected. And that's it. The Fetch window has the contents of Site folder visible then run my webpage in Safari but there are no changes. What am I doing wrong? My website is fine just need to know the whole procedure to get it updated regularly.

  Posted 16 years ago #

• Scott McGuire Administrator

  Hi PCKid,

  I have responded to your question in the separate message board topic that you started.

  Thanks,

  Scott McGuire
  Fetch Softworks

  Posted 16 years ago #

• camel1010 Member

  Help! I would like to hop on this thread as well. I am new to this whole website thing and am not sure what I need and what I don't need.

  I have iWeb on my computer but I'm not sure what to do from there to publish the site to my own domain. I'm also not sure if iWeb has the capabilities I'm looking to accomplish on my site (for example, I would like for images to change or pop up when you move the mouse a certain area).

  Also, do I need an FTP to publish my site once it's created? How is the FTP used? How do I "upload" my website information to the FTP (for example, upload it to a folder = what folder?)? I know someone else that has an FTP, should I just use theirs or is it one FTP per website? Lastly, what exactly does Fetch do to help me in this situation?

  I'm sorry for all the basic (and possibly stupid) questions but I have read a number of other message boards and it is too complicated for me to understand...but the previous threads on this message board have given me the best, simplistic understanding "how to" so far. Can someone please start from the beginning for me? THANK YOU! :)

  Posted 16 years ago #

• Scott McGuire Administrator

  Hi camel1010,

  > Help! I would like to hop on this thread as well. I am new
  > to this whole website thing and am not sure what I need and
  > what I don't need.

  I'm afraid detailed answers to some of your questions are beyond the scope of this message board, but I will try to help out some.

  > I have iWeb on my computer but I'm not sure what to do from
  > there to publish the site to my own domain.

  The first thing you need is a place to publish your site to; that is, a service that "hosts" your website for you. Such companies run a dedicated server computer whose purpose is to make websites available to the world. You take the website you create, and put it on the web hosting server.

  Apple has their .Mac service, which does this for you; there are many other web hosting companies in the world. Nearly all charge a fee for this services. Your Internet provider may also provide web hosting services for the fees you are already paying them, although typically the services they offer are limited. However, a good place to start is to ask your Internet provider what they offer.

  Most web hosting companies can also set you up with a domain name that will take people to your website. (You cannot use your own domain name easily with Apple's .Mac service.)

  > I'm also not sure if iWeb has the capabilities I'm looking
  > to accomplish on my site (for example, I would like for
  > images to change or pop up when you move the mouse a certain
  > area).

  I'm sorry, but we aren't familiar enough with iWeb's features to answer that question.

  Apple's Getting Started with iWeb manual:

  http://manuals.info.apple.com/en/iWeb_08_Getting_Started.pdf

  may tell you what you need to know. There may be other iWeb documentation on Apple's website.

  > Also, do I need an FTP to publish my site once it's created?
  > How is the FTP used?

  FTP is a method of transferring files over the Internet. It takes files from one computer, a client (usually, your Macintosh) and moves them to a server (usually, a computer run by another company). Or you can use it to move files from a server to your Macintosh.

  Fetch is an FTP client that makes it easy to exchange files with a server. The typical way to share webpages that you create on your Macintosh with the world is to use an FTP client to move them to the server.

  Once your website is working, you can use Fetch to upload updated versions of your website to the server, or delete unneeded files from the server.

  > How do I "upload" my website information to the FTP (for
  > example, upload it to a folder = what folder?)?

  You do not upload files to "an FTP," you upload them to a server - another computer somewhere on the Internet. FTP is the way you upload them. It's like the mail: you do not mail files to the postal service; the postal service is what delivers the mail. FTP is kind of like the postal services; it's what delivers your files to a server.

  Once you've selected a web hosting provider, they give you an "account" - a space on their server that is reserved for only your files. They can tell you what information to use to connect to your account on the server with your FTP client (Fetch), and what folder to use.

  > I know someone else that has an FTP, should I just use
  > theirs or is it one FTP per website?

  Usually someone's account on a server is only for their website and files, and can only be reached using their address. You will most likely need your own web hosting account on a server.

  > Lastly, what exactly does Fetch do to help me in this
  > situation?

  As I mentioned above, you must get your website files from your computer to the server (another computer), usually using FTP to move them. (While email is one way to move files, you cannot email website files to a web server.) Fetch is an FTP client that you can use to move your files to the server.

  iWeb can automatically move your website files to the server for you, but only if you use Apple's .Mac service (which costs $99 a year). Otherwise, you need a second program to help you move the files that you create in iWeb to the server.

  So the outline of the process is this:

  * Find a company to host your website for you, and that can set up a domain name for you.
  * Create your webpages in iWeb.
  * Export your pages from iWeb to a folder on your Macintosh.
  * Use Fetch to upload them to the web server.

  For more information, you may also want to read this Macworld article about getting started with iWeb:

  http://www.macworld.com/2006/06/features/iwebmain/

  (It leaves the bit about where to put your pages until the end of the article)

  and also look at Apple's Getting Started with iWeb manual, linked to above. (Note that the iWeb manual assumes that you are going to use Apple's .Mac service, which many people do not.)

  Good luck,

  Scott McGuire
  Fetch Softworks

  Posted 16 years ago #

• camel1010 Member

  Scott -- THANK YOU. Finally someone that was able to bring it back to the basics. I definitely understand now. I am using Yahoo! Small Business as my Web Host provider and will start building that way. I'll certainly be in touch to use Fetch 5 to transfer my files from my MacBook Pro to the server. Thank you again for making it so simple...the links have been helpful as well!:)

  Posted 16 years ago #