Setting Up Core FTP for LIS 458

Core FTP LE is a classic, lightweight Windows FTP client. Follow these steps to connect to your subdomain and upload your project.

01_download_and_install

Step 1: Download and Install Core FTP LE

Make sure you get the LE version — that stands for "Lite Edition," which is the free version for students.

  1. Go to the Core FTP download page.
  2. Select Core FTP LE (free version).
  3. Run the .exe file and follow the "Next, Next, Finish" steps.
  4. Open the program. When you first open it, a Site Manager window will usually pop up automatically.
02_connection_setup

Step 2: Setting Up Your Connection

The Site Manager is where you save your school login so you don't have to type it every time.

  1. Site Name: Give it a name like "School Project."
  2. Host / IP / URL: Enter the server address provided by your professor.
  3. Username & Password: Enter the credentials your professor gave you.
  4. Connection: Leave it on FTP (unless your professor specifically said "SFTP").
  5. Port: Leave this at 21 (or 22 for SFTP).
  6. Click Connect at the bottom.
03_interface

Step 3: Navigating the Interface

Core FTP uses a "Split Screen" view:

  • Left Side: Files on your Windows PC.
  • Right Side: Files on the Web Server.

Since your professor has "jailed" your account to the public_html folder, the right side should look mostly empty. That empty space is exactly where your website files need to go.

04_uploading

Step 4: Uploading Your Files and Folders

Windows makes this easy because Core FTP works just like your normal file folders.

  1. On the Left Side, browse to your project folder.
  2. Highlight your index.html file and all your folders (css, images, etc.).
  3. Click the Up Arrow icon in the middle of the two screens, OR right-click the highlighted files and select Upload.
  4. Watch the progress bar at the bottom. Once it hits 100%, your folders have been recreated on the server.
05_check_your_work

How to Check Your Work

Once the Transfers window says "Complete," open your web browser and go to your subdomain:

http://firstinitial-lastname.lis458.com

If your site appears, you're all set! If you see a list of files instead of your page, double-check that your main file is named index.html and not Index.html or home.html.

06_hidden_extensions

Fixing "Hidden" File Extensions in Windows

Windows sometimes hides the .txt extension. If your file is secretly named index.html.txt, your website won't load.

To fix this on Windows:

  1. Open any folder on your computer.
  2. At the top menu, click View.
  3. Look for the checkbox that says File name extensions and check it.
  4. Now look at your index.html file. If it actually says index.html.txt, right-click it, choose Rename, and delete the .txt at the end.
07_pro_tips

Pro-Tips for Core FTP Users

  • If you ever get a popup saying "Overwrite?", it means you already uploaded a version of that file and you're uploading a newer one. Always click Yes or Overwrite All to make sure your most recent homework is what people see online.
  • Core FTP might look intimidating with all the tiny icons, but Left Side = You and Right Side = The Web is all you really need to remember!