====== Ubuntu - FTP - Install vsftpd using text file for virtual users ======

===== Install required packages =====

<code bash>
sudo apt install vsftpd libpam-pwdfile
</code>

----

===== Configure vsftpd =====

Edit these variables in the config file and leave everything else with the default value.

<file bash /etc/vsftpd.conf>
anonymous_enable=NO
local_enable=YES
write_enable=YES
local_umask=022
nopriv_user=vsftpd
virtual_use_local_privs=YES
guest_enable=YES
user_sub_token=$USER
local_root=/var/www/$USER
chroot_local_user=YES
hide_ids=YES
guest_username=vsftpd
</file>

<WRAP info>
**NOTE:** Set the local_root to the parent directory where the user’s home directories are located.
</WRAP>

----

===== Configure PAM =====

Configure PAM to check the passwd file for users.

<file bash /etc/pam.d/vsftpd>
auth    required pam_pwdfile.so pwdfile /etc/ftpd.passwd
account required pam_permit.so
</file>

Make sure you remove everything else from the file.

----

===== Create the passwd file containing the users =====

<code bash>
htpasswd -cd /etc/ftpd.passwd user1
</code>

You can later add additional users to the file like this:

<code bash>
htpasswd -d /etc/ftpd.passwd user2
</code>

----

===== Create a local user account to authenticate virtual users =====

Create a local user that’s used by the virtual users to authenticate.

<code bash>
useradd --home /home/vsftpd --gid nogroup -m --shell /bin/false vsftpd
</code>

----

===== Restart vsftpd =====

<code bash>
/etc/init.d/vsftpd restart
</code>

----

===== Create home directory =====

Create user’s home directory since vsftpd doesn’t do it automatically.

<code bash>
mkdir /var/www/user1
chown vsftpd:nogroup /var/www/user1
chmod a-w /var/www/user1
</code>