Essential Mac OS X Panther Server Administration

Chapter 17. FTP

As simple as it is ubiquitous and insecure, the File Transfer Protocol (FTP) is one of the most popular methods for cross-platform file transfers in use today. Multiple FTP clients (both command-line and graphical) are included in Mac OS X and in Windows, and it is integrated into a variety of other software packages like Macromedia Dreamweaver and Adobe GoLive. It is also, in most cases, tremendously insecure, sending the user’s name and password unencrypted over the network. Its popularity, though, along with the fact that there are no common, secure, feature-compatible alternatives, makes it an important part of Mac OS X Server.

Managing FTP with Server Admin

Global options for the FTP service can be managed and monitored using Server Admin, in the FTP module of the selected server. Displaying a summary that is similar to that of many other services, the Overview section (seen in Figure 17-1) lists the current number of connections and the status of both guest access and logging, along with the services’ start time. It also introduces a concept seen again and again throughout the service, differentiating between authenticated and anonymous connections.

Figure 17-1. FTP’s Overview is similar to that of most other Server Admin services. Current connections are displayed separately for authenticated and anonymous (guest) connections.

Much of this data can also be ...