ACCC WebDisks - Linux/Unix Users

What You Will Need

In order to use WebDisks from a Linux/Unix machine you will need to download Cadaver; Cadaver is an open source command-line client for Unix machines that allows users to edit and manage files collaboratively on remote Web servers under the controlled authoring and versioning of WebDAV (Web-based Distributed Authoring and Versioning). Cadaver supports ftp-like functions such as file upload, download, and directory listings, plus it lets you create directories ("collections") and lock/unlock files.

Download and Install Cadaver
1 - Begin by downloading the Cadaver source package from http://www.webdav.org/cadaver/. Move the package to its destination directory (typically /usr/local/src/) and issue the following command to extract the package contents:

tar xvzpf cadaver*.tar.gz

The xvzpf flags you used tell the tar command to unzip and extract files from the cadaver*.tar.gz package, keep the original package permissions, and give verbose information about the process.

2 - Enter the newly-created Cadaver source directory, which should look something like "cadaver-0.19.0/", and run the following commands:

./configure --with-ssl
make
make install

Using Cadaver

Begin by pointing cadaver at your home directory on the WebDisks server:

cadaver http://blackboard.uic.edu/bbcswebdav/users/your_uic_netid

Be sure to replace "your_uic_netid" with your actual UIC netid.

When prompted for your username and password, enter your campus NetID and ACCC Common password.
Next, you will need to download the file you wish to edit using the "get <filename>" command.

File manipulation through Cadaver is very similar to using a standard ftp client. Here is a list of the most common commands and their meanings:

ls - Show a list of files available in the current directory.
cd <directory> - Go to the specified directory.
get <filename> - Download the specified file to your local hard drive.
mget <filenames> - Download multiple files to your local hard drive.
put <filename> - Upload a file from your local hard drive to the server.
mput <filenames> - Upload multiple files from your local hard drive to the server.

Cadaver allows you to lock a file while it is in use. This feature allows multiple people to have access to a file without potentially overwriting each other's work. As long as the file is locked, only the person who issued the lock command can edit the file.

To lock a file, issue the following command:

lock <filename> ??

To unlock a file issue the following command:

put <filename>
unlock <filename> ??
quit

Cadaver Help
You can bring up the Cadaver help files by typing "help" while Cadaver is running or by typing "man cadaver" from a standard command prompt.

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