computer people, help

[cj]

I am trying to clear up the OUOC website cos we're running out of space and have loads of files with the extension .html_dep, they display like a normal html and most of them are content which is already there as shtml, can anyone tell me what they are? and if it will be ok for me to get rid of them?

[chrisecurtis]

I am not 100% sure, but I think they are some sort of backup file made automatically by XEMACS or EMACS when you edit the pages. Is the html_dep file exactly the same as the shtml?

Why not try deleting one which is a page that you could recreate quickly? If it still works, try a few more. Once you are confident that they do not stop the site from working, delete the lot!

[Simon]

Download all of the files to somewhere (i.e. your own machine). Then delete them off the server. If the website still works correctly then they were not needed. If it does not work then replace the files.

[samsonite]

the easiest way is to download the dep files, store them on disc, then delete them from the server and see if it works ok

[samsonite]

simon, thats freaky

[FatBoy]

Just went to the biggest online help facility in the world, or google as it's known. The top two entries for HTML_DEP are on the OUOC site! I therefore suggest they're linked somehow to your main site otherwise google wouldn't have found them. Couldn't see much sense it other stuff though apart from as Chris says - something to do with EMacs. I'm guessing whoever is using EMacs to edit stuff must be reasonably techie therefore ask them! Personally I'm a VI man...

[Simon]

simon, thats freaky

And highlights the main form of webdeisgn: trial by error

[cj]

Thanks guys, it doesn't seem to affect so I'll get rid of them, keeping a copy of all the stuff I delete anyhow just in case. I think a few people with mac's have looked after the website so probs something to do with them

[LukeW]

I never really understood what all the DEP stuff lying around on the OUOC website was when I was OUOC webmaster. I just left it as it is. CJ's taking action as Computing Services are now sending out disk space warnings.

Deleting this DEP stuff will help cut down on the amount of stuff on the OUOC website, but probably not by very much. There's a lot of stuff that ought to get shifted elsewhere (old pictures, for example). CJ - I'll contact you later today (Thurs) about moving some of this stuff.

[ic]

i didn't put them there. and they weren't there when i last looked. hope this helps