Digital Media Technology (Spring 2009) / Exercises 1

Exercises will be done in computer classes. These first exercises, then, don't need to be done in advance. Just make sure you can log in to cs dept computers. Instructions (for both major and minor students).

These exercises are meant to check that all things needed for the course works. Group instructor will help you select an applicable text editor for the course. Next week we'll really get going with the good stuff!

Exercises will be done on small groups. If the instructor won't force you into groups, form a group with people sitting near you!

1. Home Directory on db

db.cs.helsinki.fi is department's separate "database server", which we'll use on the course. db has a separate home directory, where you can make www-pages just like into the "standard" fs home directory.

1. Log in to db via SSH.
2. Create a public_html directory to your home directory (if it's not there already).
3. After each step, check with WWW browser the results: http://db.cs.helsinki.fi/~USERNAME
4. Under public_html, create directory dime.
5. Under public_html, create file index.html.
6. Check that permissions are o+x for directories and o+r for files.
   • That is, unless you want a directory listing to appear on internet, in which case use o+r.
   • index.html hides the directory listing, but...
   • If yos set g+r for public_html, all cs major students can read its contents (via ssh). If you use o+r, all minor students can read its contents :)
7. Check out command wwwonly.
8. Find out how to transform files to db from department's computers, and possibly from home.

2. "What I Can Already Do" -form

Sorry! If you understand Finnish, you can try to fill the form. It'll ask some statistical data on students, as well as your interests on the course. If you don't understand Finnish, just chat with the instructor :)

3. Moodle

Log in to dept's Moodle and register for this course. SORRY, it's in Finnish only, but there's only the project work submission forms, so you'll manage!

4. Firefoxi Extensions

Install HTML Validator, Firebug and Web developer extensions to Firefox.

5. PHP-fiddling

Note! You don't (yet) need to understand any of this, but it's good to check that PHP works.

Make file test.php into db's public_html directory with contents:

PHP...
<?php
echo " works!";
?>

See in browser. Make work. Ask the instructor for help!

6. WHOLE WEB ALL WRONG!

Copy this frameset (the whole directory tree) into your own public_html directory (db or fs). Also available as zip file, if you wish not learn how to do it via ssh :)

Browse through this anti-page and try to change some things, such as:

• Frame sizes,
• text color,
• swap the image and text inside table layout,
• make flickr links open in the whole browser window, not current frame,
• ...

Now that you have seen this, NONE of these anti-page-stuff will EVER be done! That's a huge relief! From now on, it's standards only!