FTP in HPUX

[shashi kanth]

I have one requirement with FTP in HPUX.

When a user FTP to FTP Server which is running HPUX (inetd based FTP), they should be in a common shared directory, they should not be in their home directory.

Creating users with common home directory might bring some security problems.

Is there any other way that we can achieve this ?

Thank you.

[Mel Burslan]

in your inetd.conf file, if your ftp line looks something like this:

ftp stream tcp nowait root /usr/lbin/ftpd ftpd -Lliou 077

the 077 being the umask value, makes the files a user uploads, accessible to only that user and no one else.

if what you mean by security is that kind of access problem, this is your solution. If you are talking about another type of security issue, you need to spell it out more clearly.

Hope this helps

[shashi kanth]

my requirement is like this.

I have many users, when they FTP to FTP server, they should be in /common.

right now i know, i can solve this issue with creating all users with /common as their home directory.

I just want to know, is there any other ways that we can achieve this.

Thanks.

[Mel Burslan]

linking their default home directory to /common comes to mind as in

ln -s /common /home/ftpuser1

but I do not see a benefit of doing this than giving them the home directory as /common

So, I am still not quite sure what you are after

[shashi kanth]

I have a location /common, this location will have lot of stuff.

So, when a user initially FTP to a FTP server, by-default, he should be in /common, and from their he can download/upload files.

[Suraj K Sankari]

Hi,
for this requirment you need to implement chroot for your ftp user id.

See the link below for similar thread

http://forums13.itrc.hp.com/service/forums/questionanswer.do?admit=109447627+1242313613768+28353475&threadId=1177450


Suraj

[Steven Schweda]

Create another user whose home directory is
your "/common", and have everyone use that
user name for FTP?

I don't know of a good way to do what you
ask. I would probably tell the users how to
do a "cd" command in their FTP client
programs.

[Mel Burslan]

The utility of chroot'ed environment is jailing the user to a certain direcotry level as theor root directoryand not letting them get anywhere above that root level. If this is your requirement, yes you should go with the chroot approach but your users will not be able to go anywhere else even if they need it.

[TTr]

Are these FTP-only users or can they shell into the server?

[shashi kanth]

They are just FTP users, they should not have access to the shell.

[Steven Schweda]

> [...] they should not be in their home
> directory.

> They are just FTP users, they should not
> have access to the shell.

If they don't "have access to the shell",
then why would they have their own home
directories? Why not just make "/common"
everyone's home directory?

> Creating users with common home directory
> might bring some security problems.

Such as? Your whole plan involves letting
them all use this common directory. How much
more trouble can you cause by making it a
common home directory?

[Suraj K Sankari]

Hi Again,
>>They are just FTP users, they should not have access to the shell

1st copy your passwd file into passwd.org then open passwd file into vi go to the specefic user then change his shell ex: /bin/sh into /usr/bin/false
after chenging the shell it looks like
test:x3sdf2e34sdf:345:503:,,,:/home/test/./:/usr/bin/false

save the passwd file and check are you still able to login or not ?

for similar threade see the below link

http://forums13.itrc.hp.com/service/forums/questionanswer.do?admit=109447627+1242360730728+28353475&threadId=515869

Suraj