Physics Group Pages
Updating your content on groups.physics.ox.ac.uk
If you want to edit your research section on the main physics website, please go to the newcomers guide to the web.
There is also some flexible web-space for groups to use which supports editing in raw html. That is what this page is about. To request group web-space please contact itsupport@physics.ox.ac.uk.
This web space is located at https://groups.physics.ox.ac.uk/<groupname>.
Group directories will as standard be open for anybody to view. On request, we can configure authentication so that only people with Oxford University credentials can access your site. As default, the homepage (first page hit) should be called index.shtml or index.html.
You must not store any material or information that, if disclosed, may cause embarrassment to the Department of Physics or/and its staff, even in password- or access-restricted folders.
Where is it on the web?
To see your group web-content, access the URL https://groups.physics.ox.ac.uk/<groupname> replacing <groupname> with your group name.
Be default it is empty and is readable to the world. The content is encrypted using TLS.
How do I edit it from Windows
Users with Centrally managed machines can access the folder via the Y:\ drive. The location should be:
On the departments Windows machines, navigate to:
Y:\\LinuxUsers\\web\\groups\\<groupname>\\html
Users with their own Windows machines or those connecting from outside the department open the path:
https://winfe.physics.ox.ac.uk/dfs/LinuxUsers/web/groups/<groupname>/html
You may like to load up 'Expression Web' on your windows machine so that the content can be edited graphically.
To do this, select "Open Site" from the "File" menu, then typing in the File system path from above. This File system path should then appear in the "Recent Webs" option (also in the "File" menu) when they reload. As default Expression Web should try and reopen the last web accessed.
How do I edit it from Linux
On the departments Linux machines, navigate to:
/physics/dfs/LinuxUsers/web/groups/<groupname>
How do I edit it from outside physics or on OSX
You can use an sftp client such as cyberduck, FileZilla or winscp.
Connect to winssh.physics.ox.ac.uk using your sftp client. You will find that the web-space is in the directory /dfs/LinuxUsers/web/groups/<groupname>/html. You will need to use your physics networking credentials to log in.
What is appropriate content
Illegal, confidential or restricted material is not allowed. Note that file sharing, even for example mp3s for which you own the right to make copies, cannot be stored on the group web-space as this will constitute setting up a file sharing website. Any inappropriate content will result in the site being taken down immediately and follow up measures.
In addition, any server-side dynamic content is not permitted. If dynamic content is required, use something client-side such as java-script.
More detail is given in the "Further technical details" section.
How do I turn off directory indexes?
Directory indexes allow people accessing your website to view a list of all files in each directory. To turn this off, simply create a file called ".htaccess" in the directory with the content:
How do I change access to a folder?
By default any document stored on the web server is accessible from Internet. Limit directives affects which hosts can, cannot access an area of the server e.g. to be accessible only from computers in Physics network. Create ".htaccess " file in the folder and add this content:
What happens when I leave
The website is kept as long as it is needed. Please let us know as soon as you can to disable it - the content will be archived for an absolute maximum of 1 year.
Can other people edit the website?
All content on your site can be editable by members of your research group. It is group responsibility to ensure that content is up-to-date and used to store appropriate content (please see What is appropriate content).
How much space do I get
The default is 1GB. We will extend this on request with the provision that this space is only to be used for web-content and not for other purposes, significantly, for file-sharing.
Service provision
The service may be taken down for short periods (<10 minutes) for maintenance without notice. Notice will be given for longer shutdowns.
Further technical details
The following features are supported by default
- Server Side includes (except script execution)
- Symbolic links to anywhere else in your own web-space
- Directory Indexes are turned on by default, but you can turn them off.
- Multiviews
- Change access to folders
Note that client-side dynamic content such as Java Script or Flash is made possible by this website.
No content that can cause the web-server to write to the underlying file-system is permitted.
Any server-side dynamic content and interfaces to any databases are explicitly turned off and moreover we reserve the right to alter the way the websites operates should we find that they are able to be used by some future loophole. Dynamic content includes, but is not limited to:
- php scripts
- CGI scripts
- Server-side execution environemnts
- Content management systems and wikis (they are built on the technologies above)
Categories: Web | html | javascript
