Great job! Now you have an AMAZING website stuck on your computer where no one else can find it or view it. How do you get your website onto the Internet so it can be shared?
The basic answer is FTP - but what is FTP, how does it work, and how can I use it to get my website on the Internet?
FTP means file transfer protocol and in short, is the method used to share files from your computer (a client) to another computer called a server, and back again over the Internet. This is something we do ALL THE TIME, but we refer to it as 'uploading' and 'downloading'.
Note: Though FTP stands for file transfer protocol, you are not really transfering or moving your files from your computer; instead they are copied to the server. Fear not.
In order to transfer your website files (also called your website's directory) to a server you will need access to the Internet, an FTP Client, and a server that is connected to the Internet where you can send your files.
Assuming you all can manage accessing the Intenet on your own, let's focus on the latter two.
An FTP client is a software designed specifically for the purpose of sharing files between computers. There are widely-used, freely-available GUIs that you can download for use (Ex. Filezilla and Cyberduck. You can also run an FTP client program through the command line on most computers, though the process varies by operating system.
You also need a server to transfer your files to, where they can be stored and shared on the Internet. This is what we call web hosting and there are multiple options here as well. The GCDI website contains a list of low-cost cloud hosting services for students.
You can also treat your computer as a server, and host a website directly from your computer.
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