How do I use WebDAV to upload files to my Oncourse CL Drop Box?

On this page:

• Introduction
• Using Windows Vista
• Using Windows XP
• Using Mac OS X 10.4
• Using Mac OS X 10.3 and earlier

Introduction

WebDAV stands for "Web-based Distributed Authoring and Versioning". It is a set of extensions to the HTTP protocol that lets users collaboratively edit and manage files on a remote web server.

Note: WebDAV is not available for use with Guest accounts.

Before you set up WebDAV, at least one object (i.e., file or folder) must be in the destination Drop Box tool. For instructions on adding files without using WebDAV, see Creating/adding, editing, or deleting an item in Drop Box.

Saving files directly to WebDAV (i.e., from within an application, such as Word, Excel, or Internet Explorer) does not work reliably. For best results, save the file to your computer first, and then upload it to your site.

Note: Filenames that include certain characters cannot be accepted. For a list of unsupported characters, see Unsupported characters.

Using Windows Vista

Note: Connecting to your site's Drop Box using WebDAV on a computer running Windows Vista does not work reliably. Developers are currently investigating this issue. For more, see Known issues with Windows Vista at IU.

To add a shortcut to your Windows Vista computer that allows you to upload and access files in Drop Box using WebDAV:

1. From the desktop, click Computer.
   
   
2. Click Map Network Drive.
   
   
3. On the Map Network Drive screen, click Connect to a Web site that you can use to store your documents and pictures, and then click Next.
   
   
4. Click Choose a custom network location, and then click Next.
   
   
5. In the "Internet or network address" field, enter a URL that points to the destination Drop Box tool, and then click Next.

   To connect to a site's Drop Box, enter the following URL, replacing siteID with the appropriate siteID:

   https://oncourse.iu.edu/dav/group-user/siteID/

   Note: For instructions on finding your siteID, see Determining your site's siteID.

6. When prompted, enter your Network ID.

You may now drag and drop folders between your computer and the sites to which you just connected. To delete an item, right-click it and select Delete.

Using Windows XP

In Windows XP, you can use the Add Network Place Wizard or Internet Explorer to upload and access your files via WebDAV, if you have the required permissions.

Using the Add Network Place Wizard

To use the Add Network Place Wizard to add a shortcut to your computer that allows you to upload and access files in Drop Box using WebDAV:

1. On the desktop, double-click My Network Places.
   
   
2. In the "Network Tasks" pane, click Add a network place.
   
   
3. On the welcome screen, click Next.
   
   
4. Select Choose another network location, and then click Next.
   
   
5. In the "Internet or network address:" field, enter a URL that points to the destination Drop Box tool.

   To connect to a site's Drop Box, enter the following URL, replacing siteID with the appropriate siteID:

   https://oncourse.iu.edu/dav/group-user/siteID/

   Note: For instructions on finding your siteID, see Determining your site's siteID.

6. When prompted, enter your Network ID.

You may now drag and drop folders between your computer and the sites to which you just connected. However, you cannot delete items from a site by dragging them to the Recycle Bin on your desktop. To delete an item, right-click it and select Delete.

Using Internet Explorer

Using Internet Explorer, you can upload and access your files via WebDAV:

1. In Internet Explorer, from the File menu, select Open... .
   
   
2. In the window that appears, check the box next to Open as Web folder. In the "Open:" field, enter the URL that points to the destination Drop Box tool, and click OK.

   To connect to a site's Drop Box, enter the following URL, replacing siteID with the appropriate siteID:

   https://oncourse.iu.edu/dav/group-user/siteID/

   Note: For instructions on finding your siteID, see Determining your site's siteID.

3. When prompted, enter your Network ID.

The contents of the destination folder will appear in a window where you can open individual files, browse to other folders on your computer, and transfer files between folders.

When you're finished, exit Internet Explorer to close your connection.

Mac OS X 10.4 (Tiger)

To use WebDAV to upload and access files in Mac OS X 10.4 (Tiger):

1. In the Finder, press Cmd-k . (Alternatively, from the Go menu, choose Connect to Server.)
   
   
2. In the "Server Address:" field, enter the URL that points to the destination Resources tool.

   To connect to a site's Drop Box, enter the following URL, replacing siteID with the appropriate siteID:

   https://oncourse.iu.edu/dav/group-user/siteID/

   When prompted, enter your Network ID.

Note: For instructions on finding your siteID, see Determining your site's siteID.

You may now drag and drop folders between your computer and the sites to which you just connected.

Optionally, you may click the + (plus sign) to the right of the server address after you enter it, and the server will be added to your list of favorite servers.

When you log in, you can choose to have the passphrase remembered in your Keychain. If you do this, you will not be prompted for a passphrase when you log into your personal Resources or the Resources for any site to which you have access. Do not do this unless your computer is secured from use by others.

Note: When you use WebDAV to access resources using this method, you may notice that .DS_store files are being created. Apple's knowledge base provides instructions for eliminating this behavior.

Mac OS X 10.3 (Panther) and earlier

Using WebDAV to upload and access files in Mac OS X 10.3 (Panther) and earlier requires a third-party client called Goliath.

Note: Goliath has some known performance issues, and may not work 100% of the time. Because of this, only limited support is available if you experience problems.

You can download a free copy of Goliath from:

Once you have downloaded the file, double-click it to decompress it. Then double-click the resulting .dmg file. A disk image named Goliath 1.0.1 should now be available. Then follow these steps:

1. Drag and drop the Goliath folder contained within the disk image to your hard disk.
   
   
2. Open the Goliath application.
   
   
3. In the "Server Address:" field, enter the URL that points to the destination Resources tool.

   To connect to a site's Drop Box, enter the following URL, replacing siteID with the appropriate siteID:

   https://oncourse.iu.edu/dav/group-user/siteID/

   When prompted, enter your Network ID.

Note: For instructions on finding your siteID, see Determining your site's siteID.

The first time you attempt to connect, you may be prompted to accept a certificate for the site. Click OK if prompted.

You may now drag and drop folders between your computer and the sites to which you just connected.