Creating Multiple ftp sites

In some cases, you want to use FTP to provide access to files for your clients. There are more user friendly alternatives you can use (see OwnCloud http://owncloud.org for a pure web based solution you can install on your web site), but sometimes the files are simply too large.

The following is recommended as a way of splitting your site. It assumes you have general files which should be available through ftp (and possibly http), and also creates a fairly secure area where you can upload files for multiple users, but each user can only see the files you have uploaded for them.

Your web site has a “hidden” directory called private, which is not accessible from the web browser. It is mainly designed to allow you to put configuration files, etc… into it as the server can see it, but it is fairly well secured from others. We will build our “ftp tree” in this directory.

First, log into the control panel and create an ftp superuser. This will be the user that has total control over all of the other ftp sites. Set this user up as follows:

  1. Log into the control panel at https://jenny.dailydata.net:8080. User the admin username and password given by the Daily Data staff
  2. Go to the Sites tab
  3. Click on FTP-Accounts
  4. Click on Add new FTP-User
  5. If you have more than one web site, choose it
  6. Enter a username and a password. NOTE: the username will have your login name prepended
  7. Enter a password twice. The Password strenght thermometer will show you how good the password is
  8. Enter a quota for this user, or leave it as -1 for your full hard drive capacity
  9. Click the Options tab
  10. The directory will be the path to your web site and will look similar to this: 
    /var/www/clients/client9/web26

    Add /private to the end of that

    /var/www/clients/client9/web26/private
  11. Click the Save button

Now that you have the “super ftp user” created, create one or more locations for your clients. All the steps are the same except the one where you choose the Directory for the account. In this case, you use /private, then add another directory under it. When the client logs in, they will only have access to that, but when you, the admin log in, you will see everyone’s directories.

  1. Log into the control panel at https://jenny.dailydata.net:8080. User the admin username and password given by the Daily Data staff
  2. Go to the Sites tab
  3. Click on FTP-Accounts
  4. Click on Add new FTP-User
  5. If you have more than one web site, choose it
  6. Enter a username and a password. NOTE: the username will have your login name prepended
  7. Enter a password twice. The Password strength thermometer will show you how good the password is
  8. Enter a quota for this user, or leave it as -1 for your full hard drive capacity
  9. Click the Options tab
  10. (different) The directory will be the path to your web site and will look similar to this: 
    /var/www/clients/client9/web26

    Add /private/some_unique_name to the end of that

    /var/www/clients/client9/web26/private/myClient
  11. Click the Save button

When you log in as the super ftp user, you will see directories, one for each client. You can freely add/remove files from there. When the client logs in, however, they will only see their directory (they or you can add directories underneath their tree if you like).