[Solved] Default FTP Directory

[TruckerJohn]

I have set an ftp server in PCLInuxOS and the default directory is my Home directory.  I want to change this.  I want to add a second hard drive and use that as the default directory.  Can this be done and if so how do I do it.

Thanks

[pags]

Which FTP server did you install?
proftpd?
pure-ftpd?
vsftpd?

Or, did you install from outside the repos?

[YouCanToo]

I have set an ftp server in PCLInuxOS and the default directory is my Home directory.  I want to change this.  I want to add a second hard drive and use that as the default directory.  Can this be done and if so how do I do it.

Thanks

Usually that setting is done in the configuration file of the ftp server. Normally the users are "jailed" within their home directory due to security concerns. For example in pure-ftp you will find some lines like this

Code:

# Cage in every user in his home directory

ChrootEveryone              no

# If the previous option is set to "no", members of the following group
# won't be caged. Others will be. If you don't want chroot()ing anyone,
# just comment out ChrootEveryone and TrustedGID.

 TrustedGID                   500

Normally (default) the ChrootEveryone is set to 'yes' which "jails" everyone to their home directory. By changing it to no and using the TrustedGID, that user may than go to any directory. He than may also write to that directory provided he has the needed permissions.

In vsftp.conf you need to look for this

Code:

passwd_chroot_enable
    If enabled, along with chroot_local_user , then a chroot() jail location may be specified on a per-user basis. Each user's jail is derived from their home directory string in /etc/passwd. The occurrence of /./ in the home directory string denotes that the jail is at that particular location in the path.

    Default: NO

chroot_local_user
    If set to YES, local users will be (by default) placed in a chroot() jail in their home directory after login. Warning: This option has security implications, especially if the users have upload permission, or shell access. Only enable if you know what you are doing. Note that these security implications are not vsftpd specific. They apply to all FTP daemons which offer to put local users in chroot() jails.

    Default: NO

But as pags posted if you want more specific help you really need to tell us which FTP Server you have running.

[TruckerJohn]

I used the PCLinuxOS control centre to configure an ftp server so I am not sure which I am running.  From Synaptic I can see proftpd is installed.

[pags]

OK.

Code:

man proftpd

should get you information about the program.  It is also here.

Specifically, you can use the

Code:

-t,--configtest

to check any modifications you make to the configuration, and

Code:

-c,--config

will let you speficy an alternate config file.

For information about the configuration file, look here.

I'm not running it, myself, at the moment, so I can;t comment off of the top of my head, but I think this is important:

The full documentation for proftpd.conf is maintained as a HTML file in the package proftpd-doc ; if for example the lynx and proftpd-doc packages are properly installed at your site, the command

lynx /usr/share/doc/proftpd-doc/Configuration.html

 should give you access to the complete manual.

[YouCanToo]

in the proftpd.conf file look for the following line

# To cause every FTP user to be "jailed" (chrooted) into their home
# directory, uncomment this line.
DefaultRoot ~

To comment this line out change it to

# DefaultRoot ~

Once you have made and saved your changes, the ftp server needs to be restarted. In a console window as the root user enter

service proftpd restart    <press enter>

[YouCanToo]

Another thought did you tell your client program which initial directories to start with? What software are you using to connect to your ftp server?

[TruckerJohn]

Thanks for the replies.  I will play with the config file and see what I can do.