Running ftp server - anonymous access?

[blueskyredkite]

I want to allow anonymous ftp access to an OS X Tiger machine. However I only want to allow read access and to my "public" folder. For those worried about security, the machine is behind a firewall and it's only machines on the local network that will be accessing my drive.

A more detailed explanation of why (for those that want to suggest alternative methods): All of the images for the company web-site are prepared and stored on this machine. Daily a script on the (Linux) web-server checks for expired and new images and automatically copies them (currently from a Windows 98 machine - but I'm trying to get away from that because the Mac has superceded it) using Samba. I thought about using the built-in Windows File Sharing but there are warnings when you switch this on. I've also thought about using scp but to do it within a script would require an account on the web-server and the exchange of keys and then the extra step of moving the images (no biggie, but FTP would be so much easier!)... does OS X allow non-password logins once public keys have been exchanged?

Thanks for any suggestions you can give.

 

[MisterMe]

There is a Help menu at the top of your screen. If you had read it, you would have found the following:

Providing FTP access to your computer

You can use your computer's built-in File Transfer Protocol (FTP) server to provide an alternative way for people to access your computer.

1. Open System Preferences and click Sharing.
   
2. Click Services and turn on FTP Access.

Other people can access your computer at the FTP address displayed below the list of services.

While FTP access is allowed, users with accounts on your computer can access files and folders on it using a web browser or FTP client software.

See also
FTP
Open this with me
Sharing preferences

 

[blueskyredkite]

There is a Help menu at the top of your screen. If you had read it, you would have found the following:

I've re-read my original message, and found I was unclear. I know how to turn on FTP access however it doesn't allow anonymous access and there is no control over which folders are accessible.

I want only my Public folder to be accessible and I want it to be read only.

 

[Mitthrawnuruodo]

I want only my Public folder to be accessible and I want it to be read only.

That is the way it's supposed to work. People log in as guest, and get read-only access to your Public folder (and funnily enough write-only access to the drop folder inside your Public folder.

Haven't tried it in a bit, though so I'm not sure it still works that way...

Edit:

Tried a bit, and you're quite right: Anonymous ftp login seem to be impossible...

Maybe you could try Personal File Sharing instead...? That should work the way I described above...

 

[blueskyredkite]

That is the way it's supposed to work. People log in as guest, and get read-only access to your Public folder (and funnily enough write-only access to the drop folder inside your Public folder.

Haven't tried it in a bit, though so I'm not sure it still works that way...

Edit:

Tried a bit, and you're quite right: Anonymous ftp login seem to be impossible...

It wouldn't be so bad if there was, like you said, a guest account that had a password - the problem is that I can only log in with the users name and password, it doesn't strike me as very secure!!!

Maybe you could try Personal File Sharing instead...? That should work the way I described above...

Trouble with that is, the box that's trying to gain access is Linux and I can't find how to access afp://192.168.n.n with Linux.

Thanks for trying all the same.

 

[MisterMe]

It wouldn't be so bad if there was, like you said, a guest account that had a password - the problem is that I can only log in with the users name and password, it doesn't strike me as very secure!!!


Trouble with that is, the box that's trying to gain access is Linux and I can't find how to access afp://192.168.n.n with Linux.

Thanks for trying all the same.

Don't use "afp:." Connect using just the IP address.

 

[Mitthrawnuruodo]

Trouble with that is, the box that's trying to gain access is Linux and I can't find how to access afp://192.168.n.n with Linux.

See if this helps. Chapter 8.2.

 

[blueskyredkite]

Don't use "afp:." Connect using just the IP address.

What port? With what software?

 

[blueskyredkite]

See if this helps. Chapter 8.2.

Thanks for the pointer. It does, however, appear to require a fair bit of work to get going. It's going to have to be FTP and I'll have to make sure the script is unreadable - maybe keep the password elsewhere.

Thanks for giving it some thought.