How to Install and Configure VSFTPD on Fedora 20

FTP (File Transfer Protocol) is probably the most popular method of uploading files to a server; a wide array of FTP servers, such as vsftpd, and clients exist for every platform.

• These instructions are intended specifically for installing the vsfptd on Fedora 20.
• I’ll be working from a Liquid Web Self Managed Fedora 20 server, and I’ll be logged in as root.

Step 1: Install VSFTPD

As a matter of best practice we’ll update our packages:

yum -y update

Then let’s install vsftpd and any required packages:

yum -y install vsftpd

For a refresher on editing files with vim see: New User Tutorial: Overview of the Vim Text Editor

Let’s edit the configuration file for vsftpd:

vim /etc/vsftpd/vsftpd.conf

Disallow anonymous, unidentified users to access files via FTP; change the anonymous_enable setting to NO:

anonymous_enable=NO

Allow local uses to login by changing the local_enable setting to YES:

local_enable=YES

If you want local user to be able to write to a directory, then change the write_enable setting to YES:

write_enable=YES

Local users will be ‘chroot jailed’ and they will be denied access to any other part of the server; change the chroot_local_user setting to YES:

chroot_local_user=YES

Exit and save the file with the command :wq .

Restart the vsftpd service:

systemctl restart vsftpd

Then set the vsftpd service to start at boot:

systemctl enable vsftpd

Allow the default FTP port, port 21, through firewalld:

firewall-cmd --permanent --add-port=21/tcp

And reload the firewall:

firewall-cmd --reload

There are a couple of common vsftpd errors that we’ve already solved for you! Check-out the following if you run into issues:

Error: 500 OOPS: vsftpd: refusing to run with writable root inside chroot() [SOLVED]

Error: 500 OOPS: priv_sock_get_cmd [SOLVED]