Lab And Other Website Hosting

In addition to hosting personal webpages accessed as http://www.cs.jhu.edu/~account, we can also host entire websites, with custom URLs (e.g. http://your-lab-name.cs.jhu.edu).

This service is only available to CS Faculty.

To request a hosted website, you must decide on a website name and storage method for the website files. Both choices are described below. Then you need to email support@cs.jhu.edu with your request.

If you choose the "dedicated account" storage option, you'll also need to print out, fill out, and sign a website account form. As this is a type of CS account form, you'll need to hand it into MH-160 to be given to Steve DeBlasio. Alternatively, you can scan and send it to support@cs.jhu.edu

Website Name Options

This choice governs what URLs people use for accessing your website. There are three options available.

CS Domain Name

Your website name can exist under the cs.jhu.edu domain, e.g. your-lab.cs.jhu.edu.

If you request this option, we will set it up for you when we set up your website.

JHU Domain Name

You can also set up a website name within the jhu.edu domain, e.g. your-lab.jhu.edu.

We cannot set this up for you automatically. If you want this option, we'll put you in contact with the appropriate people who manage the jhu.edu domain; you'll have to request the name from them.

Other Domain Name

Finally, you can use any second-level domain you want to register, e.g. your-lab.org.

If you chose this option, you will be entirely responsible for making and maintaining the domain registration.

File Storage Method

There are two options for how the website's files will be stored on our systems. Both require CS Linux accounts.

Personal Account

The simplest approach is to simply store the website's files under your personal CS account. In this case, you create a directory to hold the files (e.g. ~/my-lab-website) and just email support to tell us what directory you want to use.

This approach works best if you are the only person who will be managing the files for the website.

Dedicated Website Account

Alternately, we can create a special account dedicated to your website. It will have its own home directory for the website's files. You and anyone else who manages the files will be given access to the account's home directory.

For this option, you will need to fill out and sign a website account form.

This approach is best when more than one person needs to be able to manage the website's files, or when the person managing those files will change over time.