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Back-ups, managing files and FTP accounts in cPanel

July 20th, 2008 Posted in Building my websites

Managing your websites in cPanel

The best way to manage your website is via an FTP package.

FTP is basically how web files get from your PC or laptop (where only you can see them) onto a server (where everybody else can see them).

You can manage your files in cPanel, but I don’t recommend it, life’s a lot easier using an FTP package.

If you can’t face getting into FTP, then head straight for the ‘Legacy File Manager’ or ‘Web Disk’ in cPanel as these allow you transfer files from your PC to your live website very easily and intuitively.

cPanel makes its own recommendations about free FTP downloads, but I prefer to go elsewhere.

FTP options in cPanel

I actually manage all my files via Dreamweaver’s built-in FTP, so I don’t have a separate FTP package.

My personal favourite is WS_FTP which I’ve used at home in the past and which I use to train people at work.

You can get it free here - I like it because it’s very straightforward and won’t overwhelm you with teccie options.

I don’t like Filezilla I’m afraid, I just don’t get on with it.

I haven’t tried Core FTP, but I do like Coffeecup free FTP, so you’ve plenty of options to choose from.

Although cPanel’s file managing system is useful for doing many tasks, I don’t use it to manage my sites.

I mainly use it to change chmod permissions on files and it has a very useful method of uploading and unpackaging zipped downloads which I really like … I’ll cover both of these later.

Basic file management

The screen grab below shows the key icons I’ll be covering in this section:

File managing options

What the icons do

Backups: Make full or partial backups and/or restore a backup you made previously.

Backup wizard: Same as above, only with lots of prompts and guidance More below

File Manager: Access files on your website - upload, download, change permissions on files, edit, delete, move … but better done with FTP software in my opinion! More below

Legacy File Manager: Simpler to use than ‘File Manager’ and the best alternative if you don’t fancy getting into FTP programmes.

Web Disk: Allows you to create a download which, once opened and authenticated with your passord, means you can just ‘drag and drop’ files to your website like it’s a folder on your own PC. Again, worth a look if you just can’t face FTP!

Disk Space Usage: Find out where the evil, disk-filling files are and delete them or move them if they’re not really needed. If you’re about to exceed your disk storage limit look at this to weed out unnecessary large files.

FTP accounts: You need to download an FTP programme to use this. Once you have, this allows you to create the account information you need to access your sites via FTP.

FTP Session Control: Really only used if many people have access to your website via FTP, maybe if you run a business or work collaboratively on a site, so mainly ignore this.

I thoroughly recommend the cPanel User Manual for more guidance on using the file manager and/or this unofficial guide which is also very clear.

Also, for much more detailed guidance, siteground.com has an excellent step-by-step guide to everything related to cPanel.

Useful things you can do with files

There are a couple of things I like to use ‘File Manager’ for which, in my opinion, are simpler this way than any of the alternatives.

1) File permissions: When you get into Fantastico and php you’ll learn that all files have permissions, and when you’re getting into password protected areas and important files that hold all your database and configuration information, you have to protect some of these files from snoopers.

The process of changing permissions on files is called chmod … at it’s very simplest, it’s like putting a padlock on certain website files so that only people with the right key can access them.

Don’t worry too much about it unless something you’re working on stipulates that you need to change permissions on files.

If you do need to do it:

- Go to ‘File Manager’ in cPanel

- Tick the box next to the file you need to change permissions for

- Click on the key icon (’Change permissions’)

- Change the permissions of the file as prescribed by whatever installation you’re using

2) Extracting zipped files: If you use a php installation that isn’t provided with Fantastico, the chances are you’ll download it as a zipped file.

Once downloaded, these files need to be unzipped, then uploaded via FTP to your website … and that takes ages.

Here’s a quick way.

Once you’ve downloaded the zipped file, go to ‘File Manager’ in cPanel and select the ‘Upload’ icon.

Once it’s uploaded (much, much quicker than unzipping it and doing it via FTP) click on the ‘Extract’ icon in the ‘File Manager’.

You have to stipulate a directory to extract to (ie ‘newsletters’, ‘news_pages’ or maybe it’s a top level installation and no directory title is required).

It’s a really useful way of getting files ready to use extremely quickly.

Backups

I said in the previous post that if there’s only one thing you take from this blog, make sure it’s a recognition of the importance of backing up.

Backup your websites, your settings, your databases, your email settings.

You only need to lose all your stuff once and you’ll never let it happen again.

cPanel makes backing up easy … so please make it a regular routine.

By clicking on the ‘Backup wizard’ icon, you’ll be presented with the screen below:

Backup wizard

Simply follow the prompts to backup:

- Your websites
- Your MySQL databases
- Your email forwarder settings

The files are all saved onto your PC or laptop, so once they’ve downloaded, store them safely in named folders and make sure you have a backup regime for your PC or laptop too.

The restoring process is just as easy … you follow the on-screen prompts, browse to your backed-up files (which of course are by now safely stored and well organised on your PC!), upload those files to your site and find to your great delight that the website you thought you’d lost forever has been restored because of your diligent backup regime.

See more cPanel posts on laptopmanpaul.co.uk

Managing your domain in cPanel

Managing email options in cPanel

Fantastico, php and MySQL databases in cPanel

Using cgiemail to send forms via cPanel

Hidden extras in cPanel