ProFTPd is a popular FTP server for Linux. ProFTPd was designed to be a powerful and configurable software, meaning it is not necessarily the lightest FTP server available, but it is the most well-known and widely used on servers.
It is important to note that FTP is inherently insecure, and it is advisable to consider configuring ProFTPd to use SFTP, which is a secure alternative implemented via SSH.
Installing ProFTPd
To install ProFTPd on your Clouding server, run the following command if you are using Debian or Ubuntu:
# apt-get install proftpd
And if you are using CentOS:
# yum install proftpd
During the package installation, you will be asked to choose the service execution mode, either inetd or standalone. Choose the standalone option.
Once the installation is complete, the service will be installed on your server. However, some configuration changes are still required.
Configuring ProFTPd
Once ProFTPd is installed, you can begin configuring the FTP server. By default, anonymous login is disabled, meaning you cannot connect using the anonymous user. The first step is to enable this user for password-free access:
# vi /etc/proftpd/proftpd.conf
Modify the following parameters:
Change the server name:
ServerName "mydomain.com"Uncomment the DefaultRoot line to restrict users to their home directory:
# Use this option to jail users in their home directory
DefaultRoot ~Uncomment this line:
RequireValidShell offOnce these changes are made, save and exit. Then restart the ProFTPd service:
# systemctl restart proftpd
Now you can connect from the browser by entering in the address bar: ftp://server_IP.
Additionally, if you create a new user, you can log in using FileZilla:
# adduser clouding
Configuring Passive Mode in ProFTPd
One of the reasons why you need to manually assign passive ports on the FTP server is to prevent it from failing when the server firewall is enabled, as FTP transfers in passive mode stop working when this happens.
To restore functionality, you need to set the FTP passive ports and manually open them in the firewall.
To do this, follow the steps in the following guide: Enable Passive Ports in FTP on ProFTPd
We hope this article has been helpful! 🙂 Remember, if you have any questions regarding this or any other issue related to your Clouding servers, feel free to contact us at soporte@clouding.io . We are here to help you with whatever you need!