ProFTPD Allow overwriting of files?

SYSTEM INFORMATION
OS type and version Debian 11
Webmin version 2.021

Hi all,

When I configured ProFTPD to use as SFTP, i stumbled on the problem I had no permissions to overwrite a file. I found that I had to go to:

Webmin → Servers → ProFTPD Server → Access Control
And then set “Allow overwriting of files?” to ‘yes’.

Than all works fine. I wonder why is this not the default setting? I mean, you want to be able to overwrite files in 99% of the cases and if not, you could switch it of. Or did I overlooked something here?

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Thank You @Mikky23

I have spent hours with this problem.

All OK now.

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Program default. Apparently NOT a Virtualmin setting. Not sure why ‘prompt’ isn’t a default.

The AllowOverwrite directive permits newly transferred files to overwrite existing files. By default, FTP clients cannot overwrite existing files.

www.proftpd.org/docs/modules/mod_xfer.html

I understand that the ‘default’ is in our case not allowed overwriting. But I mean, would it not be handy if the setting in Virtualmin would be default ‘yes’ instead of ‘default’. Seems to me much more people will struggle with this not?

As I typically use command line sftp I can’t answer that. I’ll ‘assume’ that your typical web designer would be the typical user? I don’t know what they see on their end with the client software. Does their client prompt? If so, I’d guess that would be the correct default. If it straight up disallows over writing, then that would be a bad choice.

It will display some ‘permission denied’ error. Which is confusing, because you got read permission and see all directories and files in your FTP program, “so why can’t I upload new files but not existing ones?!” :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

Maybe it has a good reason why this is by default. But for newbies this might be confusing were to look to change this, like me and Smedby.

Maybe it has a good reason why this is by default. But for newbies this might be confusing were to look to change this, like me and Smedby.

I would say it differently - perhaps greater time to switch to ssh :slight_smile:

Haha, yeah maybe. It works flawless after switching that setting though. And I’m still attached to it, like sftp plugin in vscode, it’s baked into my workflow.

p.s. is there a way to use only ssh? I’m not aware of this. Always open to new ideas.

google is your friend here… anyway ftp = death trap = everything via text no encryption = shitty hosting :slight_smile:

I think you mean SCP, already got that, did not realize that is was SSH file transfer :sweat_smile:
No not FTP, but SFTP should be fine, got the SSH encryption over it.

Excellent topic about the default settings, will bookmark that one (could use some cleaning haha) :+1:

look fella simply filezilla will allow you to use ssh without even knowing you are on ssh… do your research please. If you have trouble to do so - I guess we have nothing to talk about - ftp is ancient rubbish and dangerous… do your research.

anything is better then ftp… scp? is that windows ? be it… windows now support ssh… so no scp or whatever…

No need to use that tone right, just being friendly here and open to learn.
No one is using FTP here, I mentioned SFTP all the time.

been abused on this forums a lot… all I am saying is true - ftp is no longer secure and should not be used unless on your home network for some file sharing - even smb is more secure than ftp…

edit: for sake of security, windows 11 and 11 now support ssh :slight_smile:

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