[ILUG] Problems with ftpd on Red Hat 5.2

[Niall O Broin]

On Wed, Jan 30, 2002 at 06:42:47PM -0000, Richard Archbold wrote:

> I am in the process of setting of a new hosting server and have come across
> the following problem with ftpd.
> 
> But the authentication is very shaky ... for example when I try and ftp to
> the machine with a username which exists in the passwd file I get ...


What FTP server is it - as I have serious doubts that Eircom actually wrote
their own FTP server from scratch, perhaps you should talk to who ever
modified whatever FTP server it is.

Also, you talk about setting up a new hosting server and yet you mention
RH5.2. Stock 5.2 has LOTS of holes (I'm just over re-doing a Mandrake 5.3 box
which had been cracked, and that's basically RH5.2) Use a more modern
distribution and one of the less insecure FTP servers e.g. ProFTPd or Pure
FTP. I presume that this within Eircom / Indigo / Tinet and there's probably
a policy document somewhere written years ago which says how to set up a new
server but you're asking for trouble with 5.2 and you've already got trouble
before you even start. 

Another suggestion is that if this is a hosting server, don't run the ftpd
from inetd. The FTP server will presumably be running a lot so run it
standalone - both of the above mentioned servers support this.



Niall