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Creating Your Homepage

Now that you have set up your UNIX account, it is time to create your homepage. In this lesson you will learn how to

  • create a file
  • enter text into that file
  • mark-up your text using HTML codes
  • save your file
  • make your file viewable on the web

Before you get started, make sure you are in your UNIX account.

  1. Type cd public_html

    2.
    All files that you want to be accessible over the web have to be in your public_html directory. Typing cd public_html ensures that you change directory to your public_html directory.
  2. Press enter, and type pico index.html
    Note: if you've already created a homepage and are adding another page type pico your_new_file.html. You can replace "your_new_file" with the file name of your choice.

  3. Press enter.

    4.
    You have just created a file named index.html in Pico. The file you just created will open when you or others visit your homepage.
  4. Type <html>

    5.
    This <html> tag tells the browser (for example, Netscape) that your file is coded in HTML .
  5. Press enter, and type <title>My Homepage!</title>

    6.
    The text entered in between the <title> tags is the title of your web page. This is the title that is displayed at the top of the browser window. Notice that you have to use a closing tag, which in this case is </title>. This lets the browser know that you are done with your title.
  6. Press enter, and type <body>

    7.
    This tag informs the browser that the following text and tags are part of the body of your homepage.
  7. Press enter, type <h3>Welcome to My Homepage!</h3>

    8. The <h3> tag specifies the level of heading you are using. HTML has six levels of headings numbered 1 through 6 with 1 being the most prominent.
  8. Press enter, and type </body>

    9.
    This closing tag tells the browser you are done working on the body of your homepage.
  9. Press enter, and type </html>

    10.
    This closing tag tells the browser you are done coding in HTML.
  10. Press Ctrl+x

    11.
    This lets Pico know that you are done working on your homepage. A dialog box will appear at the bottom of your screen that asks if you want to save the changes to your file.
  11. Answer yes by pressing y

    12.
    A dialog box appears at the bottom of your screen that asks you to name your file. The name of your file is already entered.
  12. Press enter.
  13. Type chmod 644 index.html

    This allows your new file to be accessed by the browser. It lets people go to your homepage!
    If you already have a homepage and are adding sub-pages you may replace "index.html" with the file name of your choice. To link your sub-pages please refer to NCSA's A Beginner's Guide to HTML.

You have now created your own homepage! Next, you need to see what you have created.
Go to Lesson 4.
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Last Modified: Sunday, January 13, 2008

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