wu-ftp directory list failure

Gang,

I have installed both wu-ftp and proftp (not at the same time) and
are using cuteFTP to log into my ftp server (i have also tried Windows
ftp commandline client). I can connect using the account credentials
(ie username/password), but when I try to list the directory contents,
I get "200 PORT command successful", but no directory contents. I have
read some other posts that suggest the ls command is not working (I am
using Debian 3.1 Sarge). I am also aware that I need to create a small
FS under each user account (I am using guest btw). So I created the
bin, dev, and lib directories. Copied ls and all required lib's, but
still nothing. I have read the setup articles on basic setup. Any
suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Dave

On Tue, 23 May 2006 19:25:53 -0700, hendeda wrote:

> I have installed both wu-ftp and proftp (not at the same time) and
> are using cuteFTP to log into my ftp server (i have also tried Windows
> ftp commandline client). I can connect using the account credentials
> (ie username/password), but when I try to list the directory contents,
> I get "200 PORT command successful", but no directory contents.

Set the mode to "passive" immediately after logging in:

ftp> passive

Thanks for your repaly Dave. I looked into setting passive mode on
both the client and wu-ftp server. I added the following lines to the
ftpaccess file (wu-ftp):

passive addresss xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx 0.0.0.0/0
passive ports xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx/0 4800 4880

I also setup port forwarding on the router to route port 21 and
4800-4880 to the ftp server.

I think I have it narrowed down to a firewall issue because I can
connect just fine to the ftp server from a computer on the intranet
(using same internal IP address scheme), but when I try from same
machine using external IP address (so that traffic is sent outside of
network, then back in), it bombs out. Checking the logs
(/var/log/syslog), I get:

PWD
REST 0
REST 100
PASV
LIST

then no more. Still seems to be stopping when it gets ready to list
the contents of the directory (but yet I can see everything fine from
intranet).

Dave

On Wed, 24 May 2006 06:39:19 -0700, hendeda wrote:

> Thanks for your repaly Dave. I looked into setting passive mode on
> both the client and wu-ftp server. I added the following lines to the
> ftpaccess file (wu-ftp):
>
> passive addresss xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx 0.0.0.0/0
> passive ports xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx/0 4800 4880

You have no need to force passive mode on the ftp server, just enter the
"passive" command on the client.

> I also setup port forwarding on the router to route port 21 and
> 4800-4880 to the ftp server.
>
> I think I have it narrowed down to a firewall issue because I can
> connect just fine to the ftp server from a computer on the intranet
> (using same internal IP address scheme), but when I try from same
> machine using external IP address (so that traffic is sent outside of
> network, then back in), it bombs out. Checking the logs
> (/var/log/syslog), I get:
>
> PWD
> REST 0
> REST 100
> PASV
> LIST
>
> then no more. Still seems to be stopping when it gets ready to list
> the contents of the directory (but yet I can see everything fine from
> intranet).

There's no question that the firewall is involved and it appears that your
Windows clients fail to deal properly with it. The nc-ftp client is
available for Windows; try using it instead.

I have set cuteFTP and even IE to use passive mode, but neither seem to
work. I didn't look into how to from the commandline ftp app that
comes with windows. I downloaded and install the ncFTP app as
requested, but couldn't get it to connect (I must confess that I didn't
look into it in any detail - used: open *url of server* -u username -p
password). I would image that if two different FTP clients bomb out
when they are set to passive mode, wouldn't there be some other
problem? At some point I will still have to get the FTP server working
with commonly used ftp apps because I can't force the users to use
specific ftp applications. I will try to read a little more about
nsFTP to try and get it to connect, but I have a feeling that it will
not work either.

Thanks for your help,
Dave

On Wed, 24 May 2006 11:09:32 -0700, hendeda wrote:

> I have set cuteFTP and even IE to use passive mode, but neither seem to
> work.

I know nothing about CuteFTP; it's a Windows thing and I don't use
Windows. IE is such a broken POS that I would never use for anything even
in those dark days when I did have Windows installed. If you *insist* on
using some GUI then the URI is:

ftp://usernameassword@URL

unless your server is set up for anonymous access.

> I didn't look into how to from the commandline ftp app that
> comes with windows.

That is what you should have started with. It is basically the BSD ftp
client although MS did break it somewhat in their usual manner.

> I downloaded and install the ncFTP app as
> requested, but couldn't get it to connect (I must confess that I didn't
> look into it in any detail - used: open *url of server* -u username -p
> password).

Usage is:

prompt> ncftp -u username URL

> I would image that if two different FTP clients bomb out
> when they are set to passive mode, wouldn't there be some other
> problem?

Quite likely since packet filters and NAT complicate ftp access.

I must say... you are a patient man! I completely agree that IE is
a POS and only used it as another method of testing since FF doesn't
have a builtin ftp client. I ran ncFTP with the syntax you listed and
was able to login successfully just as the other clients did. As soon
as I logged in, I switched to passive mode and tried to ls command.
Here is the output:

connect failed <errno = 10061.
List failed.

I am going to do some more searching in the newsgroups for that error
number. Thanks a bunch for you help Dave. Let me know if you can
think of anything else.

Dave

On Wed, 24 May 2006 14:28:26 -0700, hendeda wrote:

> I must say... you are a patient man! I completely agree that IE is
> a POS and only used it as another method of testing since FF doesn't
> have a builtin ftp client.

Firefox most certainly can be an ftp client, at least on UNIX systems. I
used it to confirm the syntax of the URI before I posted it by logging in
to a remote FTP/WWW server. In fact, I know that Firefox on Windows can
also be used as an ftp client.

> I ran ncFTP with the syntax you listed and
> was able to login successfully just as the other clients did. As soon
> as I logged in, I switched to passive mode and tried to ls command.

There is no need to switch to passive mode using ncftp; that is the
default.

[~]$ ncftp -u duhring web1.domain.net
NcFTP 3.1.5 (Oct 13, 2002) by Mike Gleason ((E-Mail Removed)).
Connecting to xx.xxx.xx.xx...
web1.domain.net FTP server (Version 6.6/OpenBSD) ready.
Logging in...
Password requested by xx.xxx.xx.xx for user "duhring".

Password required for duhring.

Password: ********

OpenBSD 3.7 (GENERIC) #50: Sun Mar 20 00:01:57 MST 2005

User duhring logged in.
Logged in to web1.domain.net.
ncftp /home/duhring > ls
..Xauthority .cshrc .mailrc
..bash_history .firefox/ .mozilla/
..bash_profile@ .fonts.cache-1 .profile
..bashrc .login .rhosts

There are PF firewalls on both my home network and the FTP/WWW server.

I retract my statement regarding FF. I tested it also with success
(not with the server I am working on now unfortunately). I am not sure
what else to configure on the firewall. I shouldn't need port 20
correct? All the other ports are forwarded to the correct server.

Dave

On Wed, 24 May 2006 18:22:36 -0700, hendeda wrote:

> I retract my statement regarding FF. I tested it also with success
> (not with the server I am working on now unfortunately). I am not sure
> what else to configure on the firewall. I shouldn't need port 20
> correct? All the other ports are forwarded to the correct server.

Put your ftp server on a public IP address and disable the firewall. You
have no need for any firewall if you are not running other private
services.