Using WebSpinner
WebSpinner is the way in which files are loaded onto the Library server. To use WebSpinner, log in at:
http://www.lib.umd.edu/cgi-bin/WebSpinner and choose the appropriate directory from the welcome screen.
To Create A New File:
Select the appropriate directory where you want to load your file.
Select New File , and enter the File Name (which must end in one of the following: .pdf if a PDF,
.html if an HTML file, .jpg if a JPEG, .gif if a GIF).
Click on Browse to upload the local file to the server.
Click on Create File . Your file should appear in the file list box. You may then launch a
second browser and type in the URL of your file to view it. Make changes as needed.
NOTE: You would follow this process to upload any type of file to the server (.pdf, .jpg, .gif, .html). To upload
multiple files – contact Web Services at webservices@itd.umd.edu, for instructions on how to FTP files and
use the “Upload” feature in WebSpinner.
To Update An Existing File:
Select the appropriate directory where you want to edit the file.
Highlight the file name, and press .
Either edit the file as needed and press Update File when you are finished, or copy and
paste the entire text to notepad, edit the file as needed, and then use the Browse and Update File
buttons to upload your local copy.
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NOTE: Do NOT save a file from the website through your browser and then upload it to the site. This will
“break” several features of our web pages, such as included files (the header image, etc.).
If you need to change directories when working on pages, choose the button.
To delete a file from the server, select the file name from the list, and choose the button. At the
“Delete Confirmation” screen, select . (If you change your mind, use your browser's "Back" button to
cancel the deletion.)
NOTE: If you rename, move, or delete a file – first check to see who is linking to it at Link Checking
(http://www.lib.umd.edu/itd/web/link/all/ALL.html), and notify the information providers.
When you have finished editing your pages in WebSpinner, select the button.
REMINDER: If you have questions or problems with WebSpinner, contact Web Services at
webservices@itd.umd.edu.
Let’s use WebSpinner to load our file into the “Junk” directory. Go to WebSpinner (using the URL above, or by
going to the Library Home Page – http://www.lib.umd.edu, and choosing Web Credits and Maintenance
Web Author Resources WebSpinner). Follow the steps below to preview your page on the web server.
At the WebSpinner welcome screen, choose the /JUNK directory,
and click “Go to directory”.
When you are in the /JUNK directory, scroll down until you see the
html101/ subdirectory, and select Open
Select New File , and enter the File Name of the file you had saved on your A: drive (remembering
it must end in .html).
Click on Browse to upload the local file to the server.
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As the “Create File” screen indicates, any file uploads will override existing document text
Click on Create File . Your file will be added to the /JUNK/html101 directory.
To view your file, open a new browser window, and type in the URL (for example:
http://www.lib.umd.edu/JUNK/html101/myinitialspage.html).
After viewing, delete your file from the /JUNK/html101 directory by locating the file name in WebSpinner,
highlighting the name, and choosing Delete . At the “Delete Confirmation” screen, select
.
Once you are finished in WebSpinner, log off by choosing the button.
UMD WebSpinner Tutorial – available online at: http://www.webhosting.umd.edu/howto/wsthost/
NOTE: This tutorial was created by OIT, when WebSpinner was “launched” in 2000. The Libraries revised
WebSpinner for internal use, so some items covered in the tutorial (such as the TEXT->HTML, Security, Style
Template, Showpics and Prefs buttons) are not applicable to us.
