Sharing Files

By default, you are the only person who can read and write to files in your home directory. Two subdirectories, www and shared, are public directories that anyone can read. Generally, this is a good system; you want most of your files to be private and you want people to be able to see (but not change) your web pages and shared files.

At times you may wish to give others permission to read or edit files and protect files from any editing. Each file and directory in your CITES NetFiles space has properties, called permissions, that allow you to specify who may access it or how much control they have over it.

Public directories

If you want to make a file available to anyone to view or download, upload the file to your shared directory. Your file will will be available at the address below. Simply substitute your NetID (ex. jdoe) for YourNetID and the name of the file (ex. CS101studyguide.doc) for YourFilename.

https://netfiles.uiuc.edu/YourNetID/shared/YourFilename

Your shared directory works the same way as your www directory. An HTML file placed in your shared directory will display as a web page, just as any file placed in your www directory is available for download. Keeping your web pages and downloadable files in separate directories is simply a way to organize your files.

Setting permissions

If you want to allow someone to edit a file or directory, you will first have to change the file permissions to give others access. Sometimes it is helpful to change your own access to a file. For instance, if you want to avoid making accidental changes to a file, simply turn off the write permission for yourself.

To access the sharing wizard:

1. Select the file you wish to share and click the Share button in the upper-left portion of the Document Manager.
2. Enter the names or email addresses of the users or groups you wish to add, then click Next.
3. In the sharing wizard, you can assign Viewer, Contributor, or Full privileges. Click the button for the access levels you wish to give other users.
   • Viewer access allows a user to look at the contents of a file.
   • Contributor access allows a user to both see and edit the contents of a file, as well as delete that file.
   • Full access allows the user to manage the file as if it were his or her own, and should not be used in most cases.
4. Optional: Click the arrow next to Ticket Options to limit how long the user will have access to your files. The default is 30 days.
5. Click Finish to grant access or Next to send the user an email informing them of the file's URL.
6. You will be returned to the Document Manager, where the file's share status will be visible in the Shared To column.

Locking files or directories

To lock any file or directory:

1. Log in to CITES NetFiles on the Web.
2. Navigate to the appropriate directory in your NetFiles account.
3. Click the Manage button in the upper-left portion of the Document Manager, and select Lock Details.
4. Choose the appropriate lock level in the Lock Status dropdown menu, and click Apply.

Creating groups

1. Log in to CITES NetFiles on the Web.
2. Click the Setup link in the top toolbar.
3. Click the My Contacts tab.
4. Click the New Group button.
5. Click the Add New Members button.
6. Provide a name for your group and click OK.
7. Click the Add Members button and enter the users' names.
8. Click Finish to create your group.

Emailing direct links to files or directories

Note: Your recipient will still need permission to access the file when you email a link, either via shared directories or guest tickets.

1. Log in to CITES NetFiles on the Web.
2. Click the Manage button next to the file or directory you wish to link to.
3. Copy and paste the Intellilink URL into your email message. The Intellilink URL is a special, shortened URL designed to keep the link on a single line in an email message.

More detailed instructions can be found by clicking the Vendor Documentation link in the top toolbar of CITES NetFiles on the Web.