How to Allowing FTP Access to RedHat Linux 7.2

Hi

I would be grateful if someone can help and tell me how to allow FTP access to a Linux box.

I have 2 PC's one running win2k and the other Linux 7.2. The are networked and the connection is ok. I can access the Linux box using SSH from the win2k box, but cannot get access via FTP.

I have search around and found a program called Pure-FTPD that is supoosed to be easy to install and configure to allow FTP access. I followed the install instructions but on install obtained the following errors -

wu-ftpd conflicts with pure-ftpd-1.0.12-1.i386.rpm
anon-ftpd conflicts with pure-ftpd-1.0.12-1.i386.rpm

Can someone please tell me how to either set up FTP on RedHat Linux 7.2 to allow me to gain access, or how to remove/disable both wu-ftp and anon-ftpd so I can install pure-ftpd (assuming pure-ftpd will do the job)?

Many thanks

Kevin

First thing, you should really consider buying a book about learning Linux so you won't have to ask a lot of simple questions like this. You need to remove anon-ftpd and wu-ftpd with the rpm -e command so that pure-ftp will install. Then, you need to read the manual on pure-ftp on how to get it up and running.

Hi

Thanks - book is on order and should come in a day or so, until then I am totally stuck.

Thanks for the advice

Yours

Kevin

Kevin,

You should also always try other sources first... you will learn a lot more that way, and endear yourself to fellow GNU/Linux users more

Look for the official Web Site for the application you are trying to use. Search on Google for the app, idea or problem. Try groups.google.com if you've got a very specific problem (feeding in the error message usually gets some interesting info on how other people have been helped to solve the error). Search this forum and any others you might use to see if the same sort of question has already been asked. Refer to any books you might have. If all else fails, then come and ask here

Hi

I have been doing that - trouble is I find references to the same problems I am having but no solutions - looks like I am not alone and coming up against common problems.

I have managed after a lot (most of yesterday) of trial and error to gain FTP access into the Linux box, the only problem I have now is setting up the correct permissions I can upload from the Linux Box but not download - just hope that the book arrives soon and covers these issues.

The docs included with Linux 7.2 are not very informative - maybe a good reference if you already understand the stuff but for a total newby like me they are really rather poor. I found a doc covering config of FTP (KWU FTPD Editor) but it really doesn't tell you that much and is little more than useless. This app also doesn't help by crashing regularly - with the useful message 'This program has crashed. This has been caused by a bug in the program' or words to that effect.

I think to get anything at all out of Linux you need to abandon the graphical interfaces - they are a good idea but just don't work well (Package Installer is another example - it just doesn't install packages!)

I hope the book arrives soon and at least gives me a fighting chance of getting into Linux.

Thanks again for all your time - I really do appreciate it

Yours

Kevin

I would ditch the GUI right now while you're learning and just stick to the command line. You'll learn much more and much quicker that way. Check out www.tldp.org for good documentation on Linux, there's plenty of how-tos and guides there. Good Luck.

Hi

I think that is a brilliant idea - the GUI is incredibly slow and full of problems - trouble is without a good, instructive book, ditching it is out of the question. I am putting a lot of faith in the 'Running Linux' book - I hope it is ok when it finally comes.

I will have a look at the site you suggest

Thanks

Kevin

Kevin,

For a well-structured introduction into GNU/Linux, designed to lead you through topics in a logical order to help you get comfortable and confident with the basics of the OS, check out http://www.newtolinux.org.uk

The problem with things like the Linux Documentation Prject is that, much like the RH documentation you describe, they're pretty daunting and not well designed for newbies. This is something the site above (partly my site, ahem ) tries to address.

I also don't think you need to ditch the GUI... don't forget you have a pefectly functional command line interface (CLI) in your GUI, be it KDE, GNOME, Fluxbox etc. Ditching the GUI when learning is pointless and will only give you more stress than you need You can learn using GUI tools and CLI tools at the same time, and come to a very good understanding of both, and GNU/Linux as a whole, as a result. Just don't come to rely on one, because it's always handy to know how to do something with both

Hi

Thanks for that, I will have a look at the site you mentioned - if it is anything like the advice you have given to me it must be good.

Cannot get rid of the GUI yet anyway - don't know how to un-install it!

Yours

Kevin

You don't need to uninstall the Xwindows system, you will just have to reconfigure it so that it boots up to the command line and not the GUI then if you want the GUI you run startx and you have when you want it and when you log out of X you are back to the pure command.

To configure this find the /etc/inittab file. There will be a line
id:5:initdefault

The numeric is a runlevel, I won't go into the different runlevels, but if you change that 5 to a 3 then reboot your box will come up into command line mode, if you want the GUI then type startx at the command-line and the GUI will come up.

Devshed.com has some great tutorials on how to configure a lot of the stuff that you are trying to do, yes most requires you to compile it from source but that is always the best way to learn. The things I have worked with from source I know a thousands times better than anything I installed from binary or rpm.

The book Running Linux I think is excellent. It deals with the basics in an excellent fashion and is easy to read. Also as mentioned above Google searches are a wealth of knowledge. Also mail list archives are a great resource (one of my fav's), ale.org has an excellent archive.

Hi

Thanks for that.

The book arrived late this morning - so lots of reading to do over the weekend.

Yours

Kevin