I am trying to create a user that will only be used to FTP files to the server. I need this user to only have upload access to one directory. I don't want this user to be able to download files, change files, delete files, look at other directories, nothing except upload files to the one directory. What is the simplest way to do this? Thanks in advance.

The easiest way actually would be for you to just setup some type of webpage that allows uploads, using php or the like. But you can always create your user, make sure they have no shell access by adding /bin/false to your /etc/shells file and make sure that /bin/false is their designated shell, then whatever directory you want them to have write access to, make it their home directory with only -w--w---- access and also making sure to use chroot to jail them to this directory.

As an alternative to the webpage approach, you can also try setting up an FTP server, with virtual users (no real logins), chroot'ed to the directory in which they can upload (= their home directory).
With most common ftp servers, you can have many access restrictions (such as no downloads, chown/chmod on uploaded files, etc).

Personnally, I don't think a directory with -w--w---- permissions does the trick. A directory needs to be searchable (x permission) and readable to know it's contents. So, uploads may fail, but I'm not sure.

This is exactly what I ended up doing. Thank you very much for all of your suggestions. I have it working exactly how I need it to now.

JSLayton, it would be very helpful now if you would write one more posting .. to summarize the problem once more and to describe in some detail exactly what you did decide to do and why.

Here's who you're writing for... a person who, two years from now, has done a Search on this forum, has found this complete thread, and has read all the way to the end where the thread ends ... "yep, I found the answer! Thanks!" ...

... and our beleaguered searcher from the future replies, to quote Linus (van Pelt, Peanuts... "A-A-U-U-G-G-H-H-!"

So, can we bring closure to the thread .. summarize it .. "wrap it up?"