Server Security: FTP and System Users

Question

I'd be happy to get an advice about handling system users and ftp users on a Linux server (Ubuntu). Just want to do it right way.

1. I have a sysUser.sysGroup and created virtual ftpUser.ftpGroup for ProFTPD server.

   Virtual ftp user (ftpUser) and group (ftpGroup) linked to sysUser and sysGroup

   1. $ cat /etc/passwd | grep 'sysUser'

      sysUser:x:1000:1000:,,,:/home/sysUser:/bin/bash

   2. $ cat /etc/group | grep 'sysGroup'

      sysGroup:x:1000:

   3. $ cat ftpd.passwd | grep 'ftpUser'

      ftpUser:$1$48s76tws$16eHXxZ1UtI1mj8tu7uUV0:1000:1000:First ftp usr

   4. $ cat ftpd.group | grep 'ftpGroup'

      ftpGroup:x:1000:

2. "Jailed" ftp users to home directory: /etc/proftpd/proftpd.conf: DefaultRoot ~ So now my virtual ftpUser cannot go out of sysUser home dir.

Well, it works, but have one issue: ftpUser creates a file but cannot edit it!

-rw-r--r-- 1 sysUser sysGroup 7 march 5 2013 testFile

Another question is about how to create ftp user (ftpSeoUser) who could be "jailed" to certain directory inside home directory of sysUser? I think I am gonna have to do this trick to allow access to template directory of the site to seo guys.

It seems like one way to do it is to create system user sysSeoUser and have a symlink from /home/sysSeoUser dir to /home/sysUser/mySite.com/public_html/templateDir/. But I tried and did not manage... for some reason ftpSeoUser do not see link created by sysSeoUser.

So, I'll appreciate any help about issue with editing files by ftpUser and 'jailing' seo guys to certain directory on sit. May be there's much easier approach to handle ftp users...

Answer 1

please try this

ftpasswd --passwd --file=/etc/passwd --name=FTP user --uid=XXXX --home=path to FTP directory --shell=/dev/null

hit enter and it will prompt for password.

replace FTP user with any username,provide uid of the user.

this worked for me.