Websites

Websites for Individuals

All users with Physics Department accounts can set up a personal website by putting HTML documents into the subdirectory "public_html" of their home directory. (If this folder does not exist, simply create it.) These documents become visible on the world-wide-web at the URL "http://physics.harvard.edu/~username/", where you should, of course, substitute your real username for "username" in the URL.

If your computer is part of the department's single sign-on system, then your home directory will be found at the path "/home/username" on Linux and Macintosh OS X computers, and at the path "Z:\" on Windows XP. You can create the subdirectory "public_html" in the usual way and copy your website into it.

UNIX/LINUX users please note: If you are locking down permissions on your home directory, you must set permission levels on the root of your home directory no stricter than 701 for the web server to be able to see your public_html directory (public_html should be 744 or 755, preferably).
To add the execute bit:
chmod o+x /home/[your username] (Example: chmod o+x /home/mmcfee )
-or-
chmod 701 /home/[your username] (Example: chmod 701 /home/mmcfee )

Group Websites

In addition, the department runs a virtual web hosting service for research groups. Any name (not yet taken) in the "physics.harvard.edu" DNS zone can be configured to be a virtual web site for a research group so that the URL "http://something.physics.harvard.edu/" will take visitors to that group's homepage. The group has complete control over content; usually we provide secure author access to the website using the WebDAV protocol. Please be sure you have a genuine need for such a site as each one adds additional support burden for the Computer Services team.

WebDAV clients:

• Windows: Open 'My Network Places', select "Add a network place", select "Choose another location", in the location box enter "https://physics.harvard.edu/websites/xxxxxx" (where xxxxx is the site name as given to you by us - usually the same as the sub-domain name. Example: If your site is http://something.physics.harvard.edu, then the WebDAV path to connect would be https://physics.harvard.edu/websites/something ), click 'Next' and enter the username and password given to you when your access to this site was enabled (it will be a different password from your unix or windows password). Finally, give the new network place a name that's meaningful to you and click Finish. A new drive/share will be mapped and can be accessed like any other network drive/share.
  NOTE: Even though the path looks like a normal web URL, this _does not_ work from a web browser. You _must_ connect it as a drive. You cannot do this from Internet Explorer. Once connected, you can edit, copy, delete, add, etc. the files directly.)
• Mac OSX: No software needed. From the Finder, select Go->Connect to Server (or Command-K from the Finder) and enter the server information you received from Computer Services. You will be prompted for the username and password we provided you. Your WebDAV path should be "https://physics.harvard.edu/websites/xxxxxx" (where xxxxx is the site name as given to you by us - usually the same as the sub-domain name. Example: If your site is http://something.physics.harvard.edu, then the WebDAV path to connect would be https://physics.harvard.edu/websites/something ).
• Linux: We recommend you install CaDAVer - Your WebDAV server path should be "https://physics.harvard.edu/websites/xxxxxx" (where xxxxx is the site name as given to you by us - usually the same as the sub-domain name. Example: If your site is http://something.physics.harvard.edu, then the WebDAV path to connect would be https://physics.harvard.edu/websites/something )

Administrative staff - Please contact Computer Services to have WebDrive installed.