I modified inetd.conf to
ftp stream tcp nowait root/usr/local/libexec/vsftpd

killall -HUP <pid>

try ftping to box and it returns error

500 OOPS: vsftpd missing argv[0]

man vsftpd says synopsis
vsftpd [config file]

Does this mean I have to tell it where to locate the defualt config file??

Try anyways.

ftp stream tcp nowait root/usr/local/libexec/vsftpd/etc/vsftpd.conf

killall -HUP <pid>

try ftping to box and it still returns error

500 OOPS: vsftpd missing argv[0]

I think I'll change your inetd.conf line to
ftp stream tcp nowait root /usr/local/libexec/vsftpd vsftpd /etc/vsftpd.conf
Remember, in C (and C++), argc[0] is the name of the program. So in your case, it's vsftpd and not the config file.
To be short, you forgot to write vsftpd a second time. Well, I think that's your problem ;-)

OK that solves the

500 OOPS: vsftpd missing argv[0]

error.

Now when I try to ftp to the box it says.


500 OOPS: cannot locate user specified in 'ftp_username'

the vsftpd.conf has
anonymous_enable=YES
local_enable=YES

and couldn't find

chroot_local_users=YES

so I added it. The same error occurs with or without the chroot line.

I think that ftp_username must be specified in the vsftpd.conf and represents the user running vsftpd.
But it's beyond my knowledge because it's vsftpd specific.
Sorry

I solved this problem.
I always lock /etc/passwd after install Linux .
But I forget to install vsftpd this time .
vsftpd package has to modify /etc/passwd /etc/shadow during installation.
But it cannot do it when I lock /etc/passwd.

So, you have to change /etc/passwd /etc/shadow by yourself.
Add ftp.... line to /etc/passwd /etc/shadow

/etc/passwd
:
:
gopher:x:13:30:gopher:/var/gopher:/sbin/nologin
ftp:x:14:50:FTP User:/var/ftp:/sbin/nologin
nobody:x:99:99:Nobody:/:/sbin/nologin
:
:

/etc/shadow
:
:
gopher:*:12326:0:99999:7:::
ftp:*:12326:0:99999:7:::
nobody:*:12326:0:99999:7:::
:
:

Then the vsftpd response correctly.

hi, i'm having the same prob... but i dont know where to add the lines, here's my config

[root@localhost etc]# cat passwd
root:x:0:0:root:/root:/bin/bash
daemon:x:2:2:daemon:/sbin:/sbin/nologin
lp:x:4:7:lp:/var/spool/lpd:/sbin/nologin
mail:x:8:12:mail:/var/spool/mail:/sbin/nologin
uucp:x:10:14:uucp:/var/spool/uucp:/sbin/nologin
mysql:x:27:27:mysql:/var/lib/mysql:/bin/bash
mailnull:x:47:47::/var/spool/mailqueue:/sbin/nologin
apache:x:48:48:Apache:/var/www:/sbin/nologin
smmsp:x:51:51::/var/spool/mqueue:/sbin/nologin
emerge:x:70:70:Conary emerge build user:/var/conary/emerge:/sbin/nologin
sshd:x:74:74:Privilege-separated SSH:/var/empty/sshd:/sbin/nologin
raa-web:x:91:91:rPath Appliance Agent:/var/lib/raa/:/sbin/nologin
nobody:x:99:99:Nobody:/:/sbin/nologin
anonymous:x:500:500::/srv/mediawiki/images:/bin/bash
[root@localhost etc]#

AND

[root@localhost etc]# cat shadow
root:$1$/6R9HmQg$WRP2LWBVap/G/yboKvfPc/:13447:0:99999:7:::
daemon:*:13437:0:99999:7:::
lp:*:13437:0:99999:7:::
mail:*:13437:0:99999:7:::
uucp:*:13437:0:99999:7:::
mysql:*:13437:0:99999:7:::
mailnull:*:13437:0:99999:7:::
apache:*:13437:0:99999:7:::
smmsp:*:13437:0:99999:7:::
emerge:*:13437:0:99999:7:::
sshd:*:13437:0:99999:7:::
raa-web:*:13437:0:99999:7:::
nobody:!!:13445:0:99999:7:::
anonymous:!!:13453:0:99999:7:::
[root@localhost etc]#

so where do i add the lines ?