Greetings - Input please?
 

Hi. I'm just getting started with Linux here, and I would like a bit of information before I get started! Any help is GREATLY appreciated! :]

Firstly, I need to set up an FTP server for my company. From what I can tell, ProFTPD looks like something good to go with. Any suggestions as to how secure this is vs. Wu_FTPD or others? To me it looks good, but I'm still just starting out so I want to ask some people who know more about it than I do.

Secondly, what distribution would any of you recommend? I currently have RedHat 8.0, is it worth the time to download RedHat 9 instead? Is something else entirely better for use as an FTP server?

Also, I don't have any experience whatsoever using unix-like systems, so I'll probably have many more annoying new-person style questions for you at some point in the near future... I'll try my best to understand! Thanks.

There is also VSFTPD(Very Secure File Transfer Protocol Daemon). Not sure exactly how much more secure this is as compared to the others but the name sounds pretty legit. Actually, I did away with all of those FTP services because I feel they are inherintly insecure. The passwords are sent 'in the clear'.

You may also want to look into chrooting the FTP users so they can't go browsing around the filesystem. Is this going to be an anonymous FTP server?

If your happy with RedHat 8.0 then there is no reason to go trying out other distros. It will work for a designated FTP server just as good as RedHat 9.0.

Thanks,
No, it won't be anonymous. I need to be able to have our salespeople access it from home or on the road wherever they may be connected, and save files they receive from our customers there for our art department to use.

RedHat 8 seems okay, but I've only used it minimally, and I still don't really know what I'm doing just yet.

Crashed_Again: It's your shadow again ;)

Like Crashed_Again said - use vsftpd - it is both fast and one of the most secure servers available. I do agree that it is better to use scp where appropriate though.

There is very little difference between RH8 & 9 especially if you have all the patches installed. If it works for you then keep it.

/me shakes his fist ...

I'll get you ross...one of these days