Tech: Find site root directory

Subject: Tech: Find site root directory
From: wilbyhillbilly
Date: 27 Dec 11 - 03:10 AM

I am trying to become a part of the Ebay Partner Network and have some code that I have to insert in the root directory of the sites I want to register.

My problem is, how do I find the root directory.

Help Please!

Subject: RE: Tech: Find site root directory
From: WindhoverWeaver
Date: 27 Dec 11 - 04:35 AM

The root directory is the one you get to if you just type the website address without any extra stuff ( i.e www.website.com rather than www.website.com/subdirectory). It is where your main index.htm file is kept, and for simple websites is probably the only directory.

Oddly, the root is also the top directory in your directory tree -- not sure how that came about!

Subject: RE: Tech: Find site root directory
From: wilbyhillbilly
Date: 27 Dec 11 - 04:53 AM

Thanks for that, but I still cannot see how to enter the code into the directory.

If I type in the website address, obviously all I get is the website, I right clicked and got the "source" but it won't let me put the code in. In fact it won't let me do anything.

I'm now totally 100% confused. There must be another way!

Subject: RE: Tech: Find site root directory
From: WindhoverWeaver
Date: 27 Dec 11 - 05:02 AM

There is. If you are the website creator/maintainer you must have a way to put in the files (often by ftp or through a web interface). If you are not the website creator/maintainer then you won't have the required permissions to do it anyway.

Subject: RE: Tech: Find site root directory
From: Will Fly
Date: 27 Dec 11 - 05:08 AM

The browser can display the source page on the screen, but you can't edit it without an html editor such as Dreamweaver or Bbedit. Once you've edited the page, you then have to transmit it, usually by ftp (file transmission protocol) to the server which hosts your web pages. If you're not the creator of the original web page, then you'll have to find the creator and get him/her to do the editing and transmission for you.

Subject: RE: Tech: Find site root directory
From: Newport Boy
Date: 27 Dec 11 - 05:37 AM

Not quite true, Will - you can edit html with any competent text editor - I use kwrite. I think even Notepad will do.

Phil

Subject: RE: Tech: Find site root directory
From: WindhoverWeaver
Date: 27 Dec 11 - 05:51 AM

Actually, Newport Boy, you are also not quite correct--one can use any program that will save a text file, it need not be a competent one!

Subject: RE: Tech: Find site root directory
From: Newport Boy
Date: 27 Dec 11 - 06:09 AM

True, WW, but some of them won't helpfully colour the code.

Subject: RE: Tech: Find site root directory
From: wilbyhillbilly
Date: 27 Dec 11 - 10:51 AM

I am the creator/maintainer, so it looks as though I'll have to take a course in ftp.

It'll be easier to just forget it methinks.

Subject: RE: Tech: Find site root directory
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 27 Dec 11 - 10:59 AM

If you open the source code and save that to a txt file but give it the extension .htm or .html (for macs) then you can insert the proper language onto the page where it needs to go and then upload the corrected file to the server that hosts it. I have an old copy of FrontPage in my computer that I still use, but there are lots of editors around, or as they've said, do it by hand in a simple text editor.

I use Filezilla for uploading ftp files. It's a free one that works very nicely - once you're logged onto the host site it will retrieve the file you want to edit then once you've made the changes you can put the new file back.

SRS

Subject: RE: Tech: Find site root directory
From: WindhoverWeaver
Date: 27 Dec 11 - 10:59 AM

If you created the sites, what did you use and how did you get the files there? Did you use a commercial package, or a website creation package?

Subject: RE: Tech: Find site root directory
From: wilbyhillbilly
Date: 28 Dec 11 - 04:10 AM

One I did a long time ago (2001) through Webs.com and the other two are Wordpress.

Subject: RE: Tech: Find site root directory
From: WindhoverWeaver
Date: 28 Dec 11 - 05:24 AM

Don't know the first, but with wordpress you should have a separate administrator login that gives you access to all of the maintenance, account details, stats, and so on. You need to use that one, not the public address, to do the stuff you want to. If you have forgotten the address or your login details, you can probably get them back from wordpress as long as you still have the same email address.

Subject: RE: Tech: Find site root directory
From: wilbyhillbilly
Date: 28 Dec 11 - 06:48 AM

Yea, thanks WW I'll explore that now.

Subject: RE: Tech: Find site root directory
From: wilbyhillbilly
Date: 29 Dec 11 - 06:37 AM

Well I went through all the tags in the dashboard and still couldn't find where to insert the code.

I think I'll have to give it up altogether and go on my merry way none the wiser.

Ah well, win some lose some:-)

Subject: RE: Tech: Find site root directory
From: WindhoverWeaver
Date: 29 Dec 11 - 06:43 AM

Hmmm, odd. Should have been one called something like "file manager" but I have only used wordpress to keep a blog, so I don't know their website tools.

Subject: RE: Tech: Find site root directory
From: wilbyhillbilly
Date: 30 Dec 11 - 08:45 AM

I'm trying to connect to a server on Filezilla but their instructions are obviously for people who know how, not pc illiterates like me.

How do I get the site I want to appear, I put in the web address but it just keeps coming up with unable to connect.

Can someone just explain the following boxes please, which appear at the top of the page.

Host, Username, Password, Port

Any help is greatly appreciated.

whb

Subject: RE: Tech: Find site root directory UPdate
From: wilbyhillbilly
Date: 31 Dec 11 - 06:36 AM

Refresh Info still needed!

Subject: RE: Tech: Find site root directory
From: WindhoverWeaver
Date: 31 Dec 11 - 07:44 AM

The host is the name of the machine that has your website on it. If you have had no luck using the web address, try replacing the www with ftp (e.g. www.website.com becomes ftp.website.com).

Password and username are the ones you use to maintain the site.

Port is usually optional, so try leaving it blank. If it requires one and you do not know what it should be, try 21, 22, or 23.

Been quite a while since I used an ftp service, but I hope this helps.

Subject: RE: Tech: Find site root directory
From: wilbyhillbilly
Date: 31 Dec 11 - 08:11 AM

Thanks WW, I'll try that. Much appreciate the help.