Chapter 16: Linux FTP Servers

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Introduction

In an earlier chapter we introduced you to an FTP client application for Linux. You could use this client to connect to any FTP server, regardless of the operating system the FTP server was running on, and upload or download files. Linux doesn’t just supply you with FTP client software, it also provides you with the server software as well. In this chapter we will explore some FTP server options for Linux.

You might be wondering why you want an FTP server. Some readers won’t need one. However, if you had an FTP server running on your home machine, you could upload and download files from anywhere with an Internet connection. If, for example, you are on a business trip and forgot to bring along some documents on your home computer, you could log on to your home PC’s FTP server and download them.

Another reason to run an FTP server is to do so in conjunction with the Web server described in the preceding chapter. For example, if you set up a Web server for a club, organization, church group, or perhaps neighborhood association that you are a member of, you would need to have some method for letting members of that group upload their own Web pages. You could simply have them hand you a disk with the files on it, then you would upload them. However, this is not very efficient. With an FTP server running on your machine, you could give each member of your group a login ID and password, and they could then log on and upload their own files. In this chapter you will learn how to set up your own FTP server in Linux. You will also be given some information on what an FTP server is and how it works.

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