Configuring Sendmail and VSFTPD

[Pete Nesbitt]

On May 6, 2004 05:58 pm, Rodolfo J. Paiz wrote:
> At 17:53 5/6/2004, you wrote:
> >first off, wow fast response.=)
>
> Welcome to Linux. <grin>
>
> >I want to install cutecast. (http://www.artscore.net/cutecast/). I asked
> >the admin what SMTP server they use for sending email notifications,
> >activation and they said Sendmail.
>
> Sendmail is already configured to accept mail from its same machine
> (localhost) but not from the outside, so it's a reasonably secure
> configuration. If you do want to accept mail from the outside, please read
> my "Sendmail SMTP AUTH HOWTO" [1] and ask any questions either here or
> directly. Otherwise, no need to do anything.
>
> [1] http://www.simpaticus.com/linux
>
> >Basicly I want to give my friend FTP access to his webarea (runs apache2)
> >so that / in his FTP client would be '/var/www/html/PS' so that he can
> >upload his files and chmod.
>
> I would suggest that the best way is to make a user for your friend, say
> "joe". Then create a "www" directory in joe's home directory (/home/joe),
> and create a "virtualhost" in Apache that points to /home/joe/www. That way
> his website files are in his home directory, where they are easy for him to
> reach but difficult for others (except Apache). You may need to make sure
> /home/joe and /home/joe/www have 701 permissions, I'm not sure. vsftpd will
> automatically chroot the user to his home directory, I think. If not, it's
> easy to configure but I don't remember how off-hand.
>
> Note that this has the advantage that people usually remember to back up
> /home but usually not /var... makes your data safer and your users simpler
> to manage. If you wanted to try a completely different approach, however,
> you could try just creating a user "psforum" and changing that user's home
> directory to /var/www/html/PS. Same results, I think, just not as neat.
>
> Post again if you get stuck somewhere.
>
> Cheers,
>
>
> --
> Rodolfo J. Paiz
> rpaiz at simpaticus.com
> http://www.simpaticus.com


Hi,
The idea of creating an html dir in the users home is good, but the 'new' 
prefered method for apache, instead of configuring apache to use home dirs 
(there is a config stanza for doing that), you create a web space, in this 
case /var/www/html/PS, then make it owned by the user & group, sguid the dir 
and make it world readable "chmod 2775 PS".
Next make a sym link 'ln -s /var/www/html/PS ~joe/www' (or change www to 
whatever you like such as PS)
The idea is that first, the user does not need world readable dir's in his 
home, and also, the url does not have the ~username in it so it is easier and 
does not give away user id's which helps with security.

-- 
Pete Nesbitt, rhce