Batch Add Files doesn't even show up

[Tod]

In my admin menu bar there is a "Batch add file" selection that, when clicked, brings up a screen that states:

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Select directory

This function allows you to add a batch of file that your have uploaded to your server by FTP.

Select the directory where you have upload
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There is no other text or field displayed.  There is no way to select a directory.  Nothing.

I'm on a Mac TiBook 667 with 512MB DRAM, 25GB hard disk space, using Coppermine on a hosted server.  Tried this using Safari, Netscape and Internet Exploder with same results.

Any advice would be appreciated.  Please note that I'm not a code jockey so be gentle!

Thanks,

-Tod

[Tranz]

Did you put the files/folders in the userpics folder? You shouldn't have. Please read the documentation.

[Tod]

No I didn't move any of my photo folders.  They reside on my local hard drive.  I was expecting a dialog box similar to the one where single photos can be uploaded.  As I stated above, there was no dialog box even though I was instructed to "select the directory" and where I would have specified the local folder containing photos.

I don't even know where the "userpics" folder is - on my local HD or in the CM folder on my host, or somewhere in Bagdad.

I read what documentation I could find and there was no explanation of *how* to upload a folder of images; there was simply info that this could be done.  If there is other more informative documentation available, please direct me to it.  I'll happily download it and study it.  I am not stupid, just a new CM user.

[Tod]

WRT reading the documentation, I also searched this forum for about 45 minutes.  I reviewed endless posting about batch add but none addressed my particular situation.  I had never gotten as far in the batch add mode as any other poster.  What am I supposed to do when there appears to be no resource other than a post to this forum?

-Tod

[kegobeer]

The Documentation (/docs/index.htm) or the Documentation link at the top of this page (exact same file) contains a section about the batch add process (4.7 Uploading pics by FTP / Batch-Add Pictures).

It's recommended that the coppermine admin uses ftp to upload many pics in one go. Use your ftp software to create sub-folders within your_coppermine_directory/albums/, where your ftp uploads can go to. It's a good idea to have a folder structure within the albums folder that reflects your coppermine categories and albums, but it's not mandatory.
Important: do not create folders or upload to the userpics- nor the edit-folder by ftp: these folders are used by coppermine internally and mustn't be used for any other purpose! Folder names mustn't contain dots and it's even recommended not to use any special chars - only use a-z, numbers and maybe - or _. Make sure to upload in binary or auto-mode.

Once you have uploaded your photos by ftp, click on the Batch Add Pictures button. The batch-add is done in three steps:  etc, etc, etc...

This explains how to batch add pictures to your site.

You may also want to review the sections on how to set up albums, categories, and how to allow groups the ability to upload into them.

[Tod]

Aha!  you have done me a great favor.  Unfortunately the font for the items at the top of the page is much too small and (for me) don't have much contrast, but using your suggestion (and putting on my magnifier lenses) I *did* see the link to the online documentation.  I further found the specific section on batch adding.

I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your patience and for pointing me in the right direction.  Now that I have the online docs bookmarked, I will read them before posting a question again.

-Tod

[Joachim Müller]

there's no excuse for not finding the online docs - the same doc comes as "offline version" with your coppermine package inside the docs folder, and there's a file named "readme.txt" inside coppermine's root folder that tells you about the documentation as well. You should have been able to find it.

Joachim