FTP server on X.2 - How to set it up?????

[macgroove]

Does anyone have any ideas on how to set up an FTP server?

I have used Transmit, but that app only lets you download/upload to a specific server. I want to set up my own FTP address so people can dowloand files from my computer. I want to be able to point out folders on my harddrive from where people can download files from. I've seen how easy it is on the PC, but i can't seem to get it to work on my Apple? Since i never want to buy a PC i need to know how to do it on the Mac.

Hopefully someone can help me out here. I know some of you have succesfull FTP servers running.

Thanks!

[Rower_CPU]

Open System Preferences>Sharing>Services and click the checkbox next to "FTP Access". Done.

What's your home network set up like? You might have to do a couple more things before people off your network can reach your server.

[macgroove]

Thanks for the reply...

i know how to activate the FTP in the sharing pref. pane.
What i don't know is how i can give people access to designated folders on my harddrive and how to prevent people from accessing folders they are not supposed to get stuff from.
I want people (on and outside the network) to be able to use their internet browser or other designated app to view the content i choose.

I'm on a university network (100Mbs). Many people have FTP servers running, but i can't seem to get it to work. I have a apple G4 powerbook.

Thanks for your help! I realy appreciate it!

[Rower_CPU]

OK, here's how I would go about it.

- Create users for each person/type of user that you want to have access to your computer.

- I'd use the "Shared" folder in /Users and create any folders you want people to access, and then set up the privileges on each folder depending on how you want people to use them.

[rainman::|:|]

i should mention that FTP is one of the least secure systems and should only be used if other options, including running a HTML server, don't work.

to put it another way, you couldn't pay me to enable FTP on my machine.

pnw

[lmalave]

Originally posted by macgroove
Thanks for the reply...

i know how to activate the FTP in the sharing pref. pane.
What i don't know is how i can give people access to designated folders on my harddrive and how to prevent people from accessing folders they are not supposed to get stuff from.
I want people (on and outside the network) to be able to use their internet browser or other designated app to view the content i choose.

I'm on a university network (100Mbs). Many people have FTP servers running, but i can't seem to get it to work. I have a apple G4 powerbook.

Thanks for your help! I realy appreciate it!

When you turn on FTP file sharing, it basically gives people access to your home directory. Are you comfortable using the Terminal command line? If you are, you can just use the command "ln -s <source folder> <alias name>" from your home directory to create an alias in your home directory for whatever directory you want to give people access to. Note that this is a Unix type of alias, not the same thing as a Mac-type alias. A Mac-type alias doesn't work for FTP file sharing or for Windows file sharing, whereas the Unix-type aliases work exactly as if they were the real folder - Unix doesn't know the difference.


For security purposes, you probably don't want to give people access to your own home directory so you should create a special user just for ftp access. Call it "ftpuser" or something.

[macgroove]

Thanks all for your replies.

I have set up a seperate account for an FTP user. But as one of you said. mac-aliasses are not recognized in the webbrowser. And to copy large files to the shared folder is a hassle. So that option is not really viable. I am not familiar with the command-line (allthough i think i should learn that by now...) so that option won't do either right now.

Do any of you know of any app (similar to any PC app) that allows the administrator to designate folders for FTP use? That would be the most easy option. I just hope there's a app like that for the mac...