Do I need vsftp when I have sftp?
No, you don’t need VSFTPD if you have SFTP. VSFTPD is an FTP daemon, meaning it’s designed to handle FTP connections, while SFTP (SSH File Transfer Protocol) is a subsystem of SSH and is used for secure file transfers over SSH. If you have SSH (and thus SFTP) enabled, you can use SFTP for secure file transfers without needing VSFTPD. VSFTPD is primarily used for traditional FTP, including FTPS (FTP over SSL).
Here’s a more detailed explanation:
- VSFTPD:This is a popular FTP server daemon. It handles File Transfer Protocol (FTP) connections, which are not inherently secure. While VSFTPD can support FTPS (FTP over SSL), it’s not the same as SFTP.
- SFTP:This is the SSH File Transfer Protocol. It uses SSH as its transport mechanism and is a secure way to transfer files. If you have the OpenSSH server installed, you can use SFTP for file transfers.
- Choosing between FTP and SFTP:If you need secure file transfers, SFTP is generally the preferred choice because it’s inherently secure. If you need to support traditional FTP (non-secure) or FTPS (FTP over SSL), you would use VSFTPD.
how can i see if ftp server is running on ubuntu?
1. Using systemctl:
Open a terminal.
Type sudo systemctl status vsftpd and press Enter. This command checks the status of the vsftpd service, which is a common FTP server for Ubuntu.
If the service is running, you’ll see “active (running)” in the output. If it’s not, you’ll see “inactive (dead)” or similar.
2. Using service:
Open a terminal.
Type service vsftpd status and press Enter. This is another way to check the status of the vsftpd service, though systemctl is generally preferred.
Similar to the systemctl method, you’ll see the status of the service in the output.