THE VIRTUAL SERVER HANDBOOK

Making customer accessed

directories

Your users may occasionally need to upload files to your FTP server. If you

allow FTP uploads, you should confine these uploaded files to an

"incoming" or "customer accessed" directory. This precaution guarantees

that if a user uploads a virus, virus damage would be contained within the

incoming directory.

Note:  If you do not allow file uploads, you do not need to create an

incoming directory.

Allow your users only write permissions in the incoming directory. Write

permissions only, prevents users from changing or deleting other's

uploaded files.  If users have read permissions on the incoming directory

they could upload potentially embarrassing or illegal files where other users

could access them.

To make an incoming directory:

1.

From your 

ftp/pub

 directory, create a directory named "incoming"

(

mkdir ftp/pub/incoming

).

2.

In the 

ftp/pub/incoming

 directory, create a file:

.incoming (don t forget the ".")

The ".incoming" file flags the directory as a write only directory.

Creating Log in banners and directory

messages

Some FTP servers display messages immediately after the user logs in.

These messages give the user helpful information about the FTP site that

they are accessing and are called Log in Banners.

Directory messages act the same way. When a user accesses a particular

directory, a message is displayed. The messages usually cites information

about what is contained in the directory, as well as any cautions regarding

system files.

To create a log in banner:

1.

In your 

~/ftp/pub

 directory, create a file named 

.welcome

.

2.

In the 

welcome 

file enter the text that you want the user to see.

The following is an example log in banner found on an FTP server:

Welcome to ACME Rockets Inc Anonymous FTP

Server!

Please send any questions or reports about this

server to 

ftp@acme rockets.com

.

COPYRIGHT 

 1999  DIGITAL TOOLS  LLC.

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