vsftp - can browse but cannot put

Wed Jan 11 16:57:10 UTC 2006

-----Original Message-----
From: Rick Stevens [mailto:rstevens at vitalstream.com] 
Sent: Tuesday, January 10, 2006 10:11 AM
To: Getting started with Red Hat Linux; bret_stern at machinemanagement.com
Subject: Re: vsftp - can browse but cannot put

On Tue, 2006-01-10 at 09:52 -0800, Bret Stern wrote:
> I can connect and browse to vsftp on FC4, but cannot put files.

You can only upload files to directories you have write access to.  By
"you", I mean the user you logged into FTP as.

> Ideally, I would like to only allow a specific system user (not root) 
> to login and put files.
> 
> Suggestions.. here's my vsftpd.conf.
> 
> Thank you
> 
> Bret Stern
> 
> # Example config file /etc/vsftpd/vsftpd.conf # # The default compiled 
> in settings are fairly paranoid. This sample file # loosens things up 
> a bit, to make the ftp daemon more usable.
> # Please see vsftpd.conf.5 for all compiled in defaults.
> #
> # READ THIS: This example file is NOT an exhaustive list of vsftpd
options.
> # Please read the vsftpd.conf.5 manual page to get a full idea of 
> vsftpd's # capabilities.
> #
> # Allow anonymous FTP? (Beware - allowed by default if you comment 
> this out).
> anonymous_enable=NO
> #
> # Uncomment this to allow local users to log in.
> local_enable=YES
> #
> # Uncomment this to enable any form of FTP write command.
> write_enable=YES
> #
> # Default umask for local users is 077. You may wish to change this to 
> 022, # if your users expect that (022 is used by most other ftpd's)
> local_umask=022
> #
> # Uncomment this to allow the anonymous FTP user to upload files. This 
> only # has an effect if the above global write enable is activated. 
> Also, you will # obviously need to create a directory writable by the 
> FTP user.
> #uncommented 12-23-2005 bret stern
> anon_upload_enable=YES

Why do you have this enabled when you have "anonymous_enable" disabled?
If you want anonymous FTP, do you really understand how to set that up?
If you don't, then I'd either comment this out or set it to "NO".

> #
> # Uncomment this if you want the anonymous FTP user to be able to 
> create # new directories.
> #anon_mkdir_write_enable=YES
> #
> # Activate directory messages - messages given to remote users when 
> they # go into a certain directory.
> dirmessage_enable=YES
> #
> # Activate logging of uploads/downloads.
> xferlog_enable=YES
> #
> # Make sure PORT transfer connections originate from port 20 (ftp-data).
> connect_from_port_20=YES
> #
> # If you want, you can arrange for uploaded anonymous files to be 
> owned by # a different user. Note! Using "root" for uploaded files is 
> not # recommended!
> #chown_uploads=YES
> #chown_username=whoever
> #
> # You may override where the log file goes if you like. The default is 
> shown # below.
> #xferlog_file=/var/log/vsftpd.log
> #
> # If you want, you can have your log file in standard ftpd xferlog 
> format xferlog_std_format=YES # # You may change the default value for 
> timing out an idle session.
> #idle_session_timeout=600
> #
> # You may change the default value for timing out a data connection.
> #data_connection_timeout=120
> #
> # It is recommended that you define on your system a unique user which 
> the # ftp server can use as a totally isolated and unprivileged user.
> #nopriv_user=ftpsecure
> #
> # Enable this and the server will recognise asynchronous ABOR 
> requests. Not # recommended for security (the code is non-trivial). 
> Not enabling it, # however, may confuse older FTP clients.
> #async_abor_enable=YES
> #
> # By default the server will pretend to allow ASCII mode but in fact 
> ignore # the request. Turn on the below options to have the server 
> actually do ASCII # mangling on files when in ASCII mode.
> # Beware that turning on ascii_download_enable enables malicious 
> remote parties # to consume your I/O resources, by issuing the command 
> "SIZE /big/file" in # ASCII mode.
> # These ASCII options are split into upload and download because you 
> may wish # to enable ASCII uploads (to prevent uploaded scripts etc. 
> from breaking), # without the DoS risk of SIZE and ASCII downloads. 
> ASCII mangling should be # on the client anyway..
> #ascii_upload_enable=YES
> #ascii_download_enable=YES
> #
> # You may fully customise the login banner string:
> #ftpd_banner=Tracert has recorded your login map # # You may specify a 
> file of disallowed anonymous e-mail addresses.
> Apparently
> # useful for combatting certain DoS attacks.
> #deny_email_enable=YES
> # (default follows)
> #banned_email_file=/etc/vsftpd/banned_emails
> #
> # You may specify an explicit list of local users to chroot() to their 
> home # directory. If chroot_local_user is YES, then this list becomes 
> a list of # users to NOT chroot().
> #chroot_list_enable=YES
> # (default follows)
> #chroot_list_file=/etc/vsftpd/chroot_list
> #
> # You may activate the "-R" option to the builtin ls. This is disabled 
> by # default to avoid remote users being able to cause excessive I/O 
> on large # sites. However, some broken FTP clients such as "ncftp" and
"mirror"
> assume
> # the presence of the "-R" option, so there is a strong case for 
> enabling it.
> #ls_recurse_enable=YES
> 
> pam_service_name=vsftpd
> userlist_enable=YES
> #enable for standalone mode
> listen=YES
> tcp_wrappers=YES

Ok, what do you have in your /etc/vsftpd.user_list file?  It should contain
the usernames that are allowed to use FTP, one per line.

----------------------------------------------------------------------
- Rick Stevens, Senior Systems Engineer     rstevens at vitalstream.com -
- VitalStream, Inc.                       http://www.vitalstream.com -
-                                                                    -
-                       When in doubt, mumble.                       -
----------------------------------------------------------------------

I commented out the:   anon_upload_enable=YES  line

my user is 'mm'

my home directory (/home/mm) is where I land when I connect
I set chmod 777 to the directory

I have port 20 and 21 open on my firewall

I added userlist_deny=NO to vsftpd.conf
I added mm to the /etc/vsftpd/user_list file

I can connect, but cannot upload to the /home/mm folder

Is selinux overriding my setup?

Anything...