Setting up and using FTP for your website is a fundamental skill. If you’ve been looking for a way to learn, but have felt a bit overwhelmed, no worries. We’ll walk you through each step using easy to follow language.

Creating an FTP Account

There are many different ways to do this, but one of the simplest is as follows:
  1. SSH into the server. (If you don’t know how click here.)
  2. Install proftpd (or the FTP server of your choice)
    • For Debian or Ubuntu based servers, run: #apt-get -y install proftpd
    • For CentOS, Fedora, or Red Hat, run: #yum -y install proftpd
  3. Now, run the following:
    • #echo “/bin/false” >> /etc/shells
    • #nano /etc/proftpd/proftpd.conf
  4. Within nano, you’ll want to look for a line containing DefaultRoot. Uncomment it by removing the #.
  5. Save the file.
  6. Go to webmin by visiting http://yourserverIP:10000 or https://yourserverIP:10000 (add a security exception).
  7. On the left pane, click on System/Users and Groups, and select Create a new user.
  8. Provide the desired username for your FTP account.
  9. For the home directory, you’ll select /var/www/yourdomain folder.
  10. Select the Shell /bin/false
  11. Then, Select Normal Password and provide your desired password.
  12. Click New Group and write the name o the user you’re creating.
  13. Disable the ability to create a home directory, copy template files, and create users in other modules.
  14. Click create.
  15. Go back to SSH and run the following: #chown username /var/www/yourdomain
And that’s it! At this point, you can exit SSH and proceed on to part 2.
 

Part 2: FTP Setup Using Filezilla

Filezilla is one of the most popular FTP programs out there so we’ll be using it for this part of the guide. It’s free, and highly recommended by many in the industry! Here’s how to set it up:
  1. Download Filezilla from here.
  2. Open Filezilla, then click the file and open the site manager.
  3. Click the create a new site button.
  4. Enter your desired name for the site.
  5. Then enter the following settings:
  6. Host: Your Server’s IP or Domain Name
  7. Port: 21
  8. Protocol: FTP
  9. Encryption: Plain FTP
  10. Log on Type: Normal
  11. User: Your FTP account username
  12. Password: Your FTP account password
  13. Click transfer settings, and set the limit number of simultaneous connections to 8.
At this point, you should be good to go! Connect to the server and if you’re able to upload and download files you’ve configured things correctly!

 

Part 3: Uploading Files Using FTP

This part is easy! Simply use Filezilla (or your preferred FTP program) to upload and download files. It’s pretty intuitive and you shouldn’t need any help with this part.
 
Parting Words
FTP may be easy and convenient but use it cautiously. It’s an insecure way of accessing your server as authentication data is sent in plain text. This means it’s possible for someone to capture the username and password mid-transaction.
 
This is why it’s advised to only use FTP for the initial uploading of your website, or not at all. One alternative is Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP). Unlike FTP, which uses plain text, SFTP encrypts all data. This creates a more secure connection and makes it harder for others to gain access to your information.
Author

Anthony is a tech fiend. As a child, he dreamed of seamless integrations between hard drives and brains as a method of enhancing the human brain. As an adult, he enjoys more rational ventures into tech such as experimenting with and writing about the latest technologies and softwares.

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