The installation and configuration of proftpd FTP Server under Debian Linux
The proftpd server verification
The proftpd server installation
The proftpd server configuration
Introdution
ProFTPD (Proffesional FTP Daemon) is one of the most popular implementation of FTP (File Transfer Protocol) server for many unix platforms such as: Linux, Solaris and FreeBSD. It is used by FTP servers of many projects and institutions such as SourceForge, samba.org or CI TASK. As the name suggests, the destination of this application is to exchange (transfer) of files between a server and a client. The source code of the ProFTPD is open.
The proftpd server verification
The best way is to use a specific command from the super user mode:
proftpd -V
As a resault there should be an application version. If this command returns an answer about not finding such command, install the proftpd server.
The proftpd server installation
Enter from command line of the super user:
aptitude install proftpd
The proftpd server configuration
Here is a list of steps you must take to migrate proftpd application from IPv4 to IPv6.
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Verification if installed proftpd server supports IPv6.
To check if the current proftpd server installation support, type in the command line:
proftpd -V
In the "configure" section there shoud be an "--enable-ipv6" option. In the "Features" section there should be found "+ IPv6 support". When such options are not present, there is a need of reinstalling the application (the best way is installing from repositories, because the installation from the system repositories includes parameter "--enable-ipv6" by default).
In addition, as a result returned by the command above, you can also find out where is the main configuration file named proftpd.conf (see "Configuration File" field). The default Debian configuration is in /etc/proftpd/proftpd.conf for an application installation from the repository. However, virtual hosts configuration ("VirtualHost") is placed in /etc/proftpd/virtuals.conf by default.
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By default, there is the definition of "UseIPv6 on" in the proftpd.conf. If "UseIPv6 off" entry occurs, you should change it. If there is no entry "UseIPv6", configuration assumes "UseIPv6 on" as default.
- In the case of configuration of virtual servers in order to declare the addresses on which the such servers shuld be listening, use the following definition:
<VirtualHost ip_address>
- When migrating into Native IPv6 mode, "ip_address" should be replaced with an specific IPv6 address, while in the case of Dual Stack migration mode an IPv4 and IPv6 addresses should occur in VirtualHost definition e.g.:
<VirtualHost ipv4_address ipv6_address>
- There might be useful "SocketBindTight on" statement. It causes listening only on defined IP addresses and not on all found in the system. In the case of Native IPv6 migration, this declaration together with the definitions of "VirtualHost" or "DefaultAddress" results with listening only on IPv6 addresses.
- The proftpd application restart.
After changing the configuration, there must be a restart of proftpd application:
service proftpd restart