Using the Dropbox

Sometimes you will have to submit your labs, lab quizzes, and/or programming assignments using the Dropbox. To do this, you'll put the necessary files in a designated folder on neelix. Today (Thursday 3/05/09) in lab you will turn in the files for lab 6 so that we can make sure the submission process works for you. You are to put these files into the Dropbox folder RU01. Instructions on how to use the Dropbox are below.

First, open a window on neelix. Do this by clicking on Start, Run and type \\neelix in the box and press Enter. (Those are backslashes.)

A window should appear. Double click the Dropbox folder, then the ITEC folder, then ITEC120, then the folder with the username of your instructor, then Submissions, then the folder that belongs to the section of the class you are in (ie 10am: 03), then a folder with your username on it, where you should see a folder with the specified name. (Today in lab, the specified name is RU01).

Simply copy or drag the specified file(s) from your H: drive into the specified folder (ie RU01) in your folder on Neelix. You have just submitted your file.

At the designated time (10:30 today), a collection script will run and move your file(s) from your RU01 folder to a collections folder which only your instructor can see. The collection script will leave a text file in your folder to let you know it was collected. You should always go back to your folder on Neelix and confirm that your file(s) was (were) collected.

Getting Access to the Dropbox and/or Neelix

From the RU portal you can access the Dropbox by clicking My Files and then Dropbox. You will have to repeatedly select the correct directory and then press Enter Directory.

You should be able to access neelix as described above from anywhere on campus. You can also access neelix any time that you have an Internet connection by using vpn.

To use vpn you have to load vpn onto your machine. You can download vpn from the portal (look for VPN Client) (I don't know if it's available for macs). Instructions on running vpn are also available from ITR documents. When vpn is running, you will be able to access neelix as described above. You can access your H: drive by mapping it as a network drive as \\homedir\users\yourusername.

When vpn is running, an alternate way to access neelix is to map it as a network drive as \\neelix. If you are using a network drive to access neelix, you can actually map more of the path, as in \\neelix\dropbox\itec\itec120\nokie\Submissions, etc.

To map a network drive, you can click on Tools\Map Network Drive when you have an open folder. Or do it from My Computer.