Choose a Domain Name

Faculties or departments that wish to host their website on iHost can apply for a domain name in the ust.hk name space for easy reference. Please note that all websites must be Hyper Text Transfer Protocol Secured (HTTPS) and we will configurate the required server certificate for each of the iHost setup. A valid domain name registration request must meet the following criteria:

• The domain name is primarily requested in the interests of HKUST rather than for personal use.
• The requested domain name should not contain any reserved or sensitive wording.
• Obscene names are not allowed.
• Alphabets, digits and hyphens can be used, but a hyphen should not be used as the first character of a domain name string. Upper and lower case letters can be used but the domain name string is case insensitive.
• Use the shortest domain name as far as possible. A domain name should be three to 20 characters.
• To minimize the chance of duplicating domain names, you are advised to choose a unique domain name (usually an abbreviation) that can best represent the function/nature of your service or event.
• All domain names are registered on a first-come-first-served basis.
• You should inform ITSO if the requested domain name is no longer needed.
• Some departments may have their own delegated sub-domain (for example, “cse.ust.hk”, “math.ust.hk”, “bm.ust.hk”,). If you want to form a domain name under a delegated sub-domain (such as “xxx.cse.ust.hk”), you may need to contact the system administrator of the relevant department managing the sub-domain.
• When necessary, domain name applicants may be asked to provide further information to support the request.
• ITSO reserves the right to make the final decision on approving a domain name.

Apply for an iHost Account

To apply for an iHost account together with a relevant domain name representing your site, please submit an online request via Application for HKUST iHost Service.

Assign a New Password/Password Reset

Once you receive your iHost account information, you are strongly recommended to change the account password before publishing any web pages for security reasons. The password should be:

• 12 characters in length
• with at least one upper case character
• with at least one lower case character
• with at least one numeric character
• with at least one special character

To assign the account a new password:

1. Invoke the SSL VPN client Pulse Secure (see VPN Client Installation for installation)
2. Connect to HKUST Remote VPN using your account name, password and approve the connection using your mobile device (Using Secure Remote Access (VPN) with 2FA).
3. Log on to the iHost server through any SSH application e.g. “PuTTy" (please note that previous Secure Shell Client does not work with the latest version of the Ubuntu OS).
4. Change the password using the following command:

   /usr/bin/passwd

5. Type in the new password and re-enter again for verification.

If you forgot the password and need to reset your iHost account password, please send an email to cchelp@ust.hk. 

Check Your Quota

Follow the steps below to check the available disk space of your iHost account:

1. Invoke the SSL VPN client Pulse Secure (see VPN Client Installation for installation)
2. Connect to HKUST Remote VPN using your account name, password and approve the connection using your mobile device (Using Secure Remote Access (VPN) with 2FA).
3. Log on to the iHost server through PuTTy
4. Use the command below to check your quota:

   quota -u <account_name>

e.g. quota -u webitsc if you have the “webitsc” iHost account.

Publish Your Web Pages

Your iHost account already provides a public_html directory with proper access rights. You can publish your web pages under the public_html directory using any applications that support secure FTP, such as FileZilla, or Dreamweaver within campus (including eduroam WiFi).

For users outside the campus, you will need to establish a Secure Remote Access (VPN) connection before you can upload the files to the webhosting server for security reasons:

1. Invoke the SSL VPN client Pulse Secure (see VPN Client Installation for installation) if you are away from campus
2. Connect to HKUST Remote VPN using your account name, password and approve the connection using your mobile device (Using Secure Remote Access (VPN) with 2FA).
3. Start FileZilla or Dreamweaver and then upload your file

After you have published your home page, you can access it through the following URL:

e.g. https://itsc.ust.hk for an “itsc” domain name.

The web server returns the index.html file under the “public_html” directory as the default web page. If the file index.html cannot be found, a “Forbidden” page will be displayed. Please note that all websites must be Hyper Text Transfer Protocol Secured (HTTPS) and we will configurate the required server certificate for each of the iHost setup.