Haven't ever built a site from scratch before - the sites I've done have been "plug n play" from my other hosting. So - OK so I got a bug and decided to try to do a site from scratch for grinz and see if I could do it. Got a free hosting account and uploaded an index html file by using the host's CP and can see it in the FTP file manager program in my list of files but cannot get it seen if I type in my site's address - all I see is a placeholder for the domain. BTW- the free host has no help desk and no forum to get help from -- sooooo turning here for any insight anyone can offer... What step am I overlooking - I figured if my index.html file was in my root directory it should be live on my site's domain name? Any help at all would be appreciated - a total rookie here
Usually but sometimes it could be index.htm, default.html, default.htm as well as a lot of others but since it is free I doubt that it is using server side language
when you login to the ftp, are you uploading it to the very first directory you're in? you may need to go to a subdirectory such as public_html
Sounds like a possible solution. I believe (s)he is just using a subdomain from the host, usually it doesn't take that long. Can you verify whether it is in a public_html or similar folder and if you are using a subdomain from the host or not? If you aren't sure it's index.html you can always just type in the domain name with any subdomain or whatever files they gave you. How long did you wait after the hosting account was setup? If it hasn't been 2 days, you might want to wait it out, but you can look into other possible areas of the problem.
It has only been about a day or so since I signed up and started on this deal. I made a folder called index.html and have it there too. Seems like it was supposed to work right away. Scratching my head here... and yes it is a subdomain from the host so I didn't figure it would be this hard. The free host is ifastnet and they have no support at all. Is there a basic step to making a page "live" that I am missing?? When I log in I see the ZPanel v2.5 and then go to file manager and it is an FTP deal and I can see all the folders and it has several buttons like install, upload, copy, chmod etc. And it's there I can see a list of folders in one section and then a lower section I see a list of files. I made the index.html folder and the welcome page I made is there and is called index.html and I also copied the file and put it in the list of files (which is very short and includes some that were there already = .bash-logout, bash-profile, and bashrc -- whatever the heck they are). The index.html directory is shown located as root/index.html -- is that proper or is there a different path that is right?
If you made a folder called index.html (which you did not need) can you call the file from that folder as well? Or can you call any other file?
Not quite sure what you mean by call...? If you mean can I type in my domain followed by a file name -- no. I can't see anything except for the server's adsense littered placeholder page. (BTW- the placeholder comes up no matter what I type in the address bar after my domain name) Here's the site's addy with my index page where I think I should be able to see a page I built but I keep seeing this crappy adsense littered deal with an artsy graphic border P.O.S. -- http://www.filtalr.ifastnet.com/index.html What step am I overlooking?
Are you using frames on that site? I see the frames. And yes by call - I mean typing in the URL into the browser and hitting go.
Some webhost create a directory structure like www/domain_name You need to put index.htm under www/domain_name not directly under root
Personally, I would learn on my own pc first, then move the finished product to the server. But, it you must, then at least get rid of the free host and go with one of the $4 programs and get a server without ads, such as 1and1.com or hostgator, etc. They come with better instructions as well
Just checked http://www.filtalr.ifastnet.com/index.html and found it working correctly now. You got a nice design there -- I liked it!
Update - wellll - late - very late last night I deleted everything and tried again and still couldn't get it to work. So I went to the fantastico function and installed Joomla and got it to work with a page. The joomla path is .../joomla/index.php. Is it possible that the host does not support html??? @Cupid - that's the placeholder with all the adsense... Still gonna try to get the html deal working... somehow... or is Joomla the new kid on the block and html is the old dinosaur and not worth the trouble to learn? I've heard of Joomla before but don't know much about it. Like I stated I'm a big dummy when it comes to this stuff but I'm trying to learn. Again I'm just trying this on a free host to get a handle on how all this stuff works before I try it on a real project or two...