How is my web hosting company’s ftp server setup?
I'm trying to figure out how my web hosting company's ftp server that allows access to my web site is setup. I have ssh access so I can see some of the system files. I'll share some of these system files in order to help figure out how there ftp server is setup.
bash-3.2$ whoamimy_username
-bash-3.2$ pwd/etc-bash-3.2$ cat passwdroot:*:0:0:root:/root:/bin/bashbin:*:1:1:bin:/bin:/sbin/nologindaemon:*:2:2:daemon:/sbin:/sbin/nologinadm:*:3:4:adm:/var/adm:/sbin/nologinlp:*:4:7:lp:/var/spool/lpd:/sbin/nologinsync:*:5:0:sync:/sbin:/bin/syncshutdown:*:6:0:shutdown:/sbin:/sbin/shutdownhalt:*:7:0:halt:/sbin:/sbin/haltmail:*:8:12:mail:/var/spool/mail:/sbin/nologinnews:*:9:13:news:/etc/news:uucp:*:10:14:uucp:/var/spool/uucp:/sbin/nologinoperator:*:11:0:operator:/root:/sbin/nologingames:*:12:100:games:/usr/games:/sbin/nologingopher:*:13:30:gopher:/var/gopher:/sbin/nologinftp:*:14:50:FTP User:/var/ftp:/sbin/nologinnobody:*:99:99:Nobody:/:/sbin/nologinsshd:x:74:74:Privilege-separated SSH:/var/empty/sshd:/sbin/nologinxfs:x:43:43:X Font Server:/etc/X11/fs:/sbin/nologinnails:x:500:500:LinuxShield Administration:/home/nails:/bin/shmysql:x:100:316:MySQL server:/var/lib/mysql:/bin/bashgdlinuxmon:*:90001:100450:gdlinuxmon:/home/content:/sbin/nologin
As you see, my username is not listed as one of the system users, but a whoami shows my username.
-bash-3.2$ cd ~-bash-3.2$ ls -ltotal 20-rw------- 1 ingram87 inetuser 189 May 15 20:42 crontabdrwx---r-x 2 ingram87 inetuser 4096 Feb 17 22:32 datadrwx---r-x 13 ingram87 inetuser 4096 Apr 16 15:17 htmldrwx---r-x 2 ingram87 inetuser 4096 Apr 16 15:23 sccdrwx---r-x 3 ingram87 inetuser 4096 Jun 1 18:48 tmp-bash-3.2$ ls -lntotal 20-rw------- 1 7474277 100450 189 May 15 20:42 crontabdrwx---r-x 2 7474277 100450 4096 Feb 17 22:32 datadrwx---r-x 13 7474277 100450 4096 Apr 16 15:17 htmldrwx---r-x 2 7474277 100450 4096 Apr 16 15:23 sccdrwx---r-x 3 7474277 100450 4096 Jun 1 18:48 tmp-bash-3.2$
You see my uid number? It's not listed in /etc/passwd either. This leads me to believe that the ftp server uses virtual users. The problem is, all the documentation I've read about ftp virtual users suggest that you have to set the uid of a virtual user to the uid of a system user. Also, I thought when you run "ls -l", it looks up the owner and group from the /etc/passwd file.
My question is: How does this server know my username when I do not have a system account? How can they assign ownership of my home directory to my username when it is not listed in the /etc/passwd file?
Software/Hardware used:
Web server, httpd, ftpd, ftp server
ASKED:
June 6, 2011 1:15 AM
UPDATED:
October 15, 2011 9:06 PM
Answer Wiki:
Most of the hosting companies use a third party software that hosts the FTP services, users are available in different directory and file.
UID is available for built-in FTP unix only, and for other applications.
To see all answers submitted to the Answer Wiki: View Answer History.
RSS - Discussions Help
Discuss This Question:
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
