accessing files which are not in a public web area

[anne001]

The university allocates 2 Gigs to students in non-public unix space.
The space allocated for public web area is much smaller.

So the idea is to have pictures, movies etc in the non-public unix
space
and to have a web script which will show the images or the movies.

This web script needs to access the files which I assume means
sftp or ssh connection. I have taken several recent php books
out of the library but I don't see any reference to this.

On this list I did find some references to ssh, for example
http://www.phpclasses.org/browse/package/2477.html

Is what I am trying to do so unusual? Why am I not finding books
that explain this?

[Jerry Stuckle]

anne001 wrote:

The university allocates 2 Gigs to students in non-public unix space.
The space allocated for public web area is much smaller.

So the idea is to have pictures, movies etc in the non-public unix
space
and to have a web script which will show the images or the movies.

This web script needs to access the files which I assume means
sftp or ssh connection. I have taken several recent php books
out of the library but I don't see any reference to this.

On this list I did find some references to ssh, for example
http://www.phpclasses.org/browse/package/2477.html

Is what I am trying to do so unusual? Why am I not finding books
that explain this?

Probably because it's a terrible way to do something. For instance, ftp
means every time someone requests a page with a picture on it, you will
have to establish a connection to the server, fetch the file then close
the connection. And repeat this process if you have multiple images.
SSH is even worse - there's no good way to fetch files via SSH - it's a
command line facility.

Of course, you can cache some pictures - but that runs into it's own
problems.

And yes, what you're trying to do is unusual. And if the university
wanted you to server pictures, etc., they would have given you public
space for them.

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[anne001]

The instructor would like students to share their work, which consist
of movies, pictures, links etc.
The website would allow students to identify the project from a fellow
student they want to download.

Apparently the university has not yet seen the need for students to
share videos, they are still in the image age.

Thank you for your feedback.Perhaps I could have a script that upload
the pictures when a update link is clicked, since way the slow access
would only happen as needed. Maybe this is what you were thinking of
by caching.

[=?ISO-8859-15?Q?Iv=E1n_S=E1nchez_Ortega?=]

anne001 wrote:

The university allocates 2 Gigs to students in non-public unix space.
The space allocated for public web area is much smaller.

Is that on the same server? In that case, you just need fpassthrough()...
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[Jerry Stuckle]

anne001 wrote:

The instructor would like students to share their work, which consist
of movies, pictures, links etc.
The website would allow students to identify the project from a fellow
student they want to download.

Apparently the university has not yet seen the need for students to
share videos, they are still in the image age.

Thank you for your feedback.Perhaps I could have a script that upload
the pictures when a update link is clicked, since way the slow access
would only happen as needed. Maybe this is what you were thinking of
by caching.

No, caching would be to save a copy on your server for a period of time.
But it has a lot of complications.

If your instructor wants the students to share files, then it's the
instructor's responsibility to provide a means for it to be done.

--
==================
Remove the "x" from my email address
Jerry Stuckle
JDS Computer Training Corp.
js*******@attglobal.net
==================

[Jerry Stuckle]

Iván Sánchez Ortega wrote:

anne001 wrote:

>The university allocates 2 Gigs to students in non-public unix space.
The space allocated for public web area is much smaller.

Is that on the same server? In that case, you just need fpassthrough()...

Iván,

No, fpassthru() will not work, even if they are on the same server,
unless the webserver user also has access to the private areas - and
they won't, if there's any security at all in the system.

But I also doubt very much they are on the same server.

--
==================
Remove the "x" from my email address
Jerry Stuckle
JDS Computer Training Corp.
js*******@attglobal.net
==================

[anne001]

If your instructor wants the students to share files, then it's the

instructor's responsibility to provide a means for it to be done.

A few years ago there was some file sharing facility. But last year,
when I took the course
there was nothing in place. I was told someone had written some php
code which was
then lost so I figured it was possible, and I volunteered to look into
this
to gain some experience and help next year's students if I can.

I was thinking that the webscript could know the username and
passwords of the students.
But for that we would need unix folders assigned to each student only
for the course.I bet
the tech center won't like that.

It seems to me the files will have to sit in the public space, with
maybe only the last two
assignment left there at a time... or whatever there is space for.

Thank you for your time and advice.