Mavericks Server Part 31: FTP Server

06/06/14 13:16 Filed in: Technology

One of the more familiar technologies associated with running a server is having FTP access to upload files to the server. FTP or File Transfer Protocol, has been used for years by web designers who work on websites and need to upload their changes to the server hosting the site. FTP is not the most secure way of transferring files but it certainly is the easiest way to do so.

Built into OS X Server is an FTP service that let’s you specify a folder you want to use for your uploads. The service does not allow you to specify multiple folders or to set up nested folders inside that one folder with different sets of permissions for each so if you need that kind of detail, you will have to use another method as server’s FTP service is very limited.

In this screencast, I cover how to set up the FTP Service in OS X Server. I cover how to choose an FTP folder (OS X Server only allows one), how to set the permissions for who has access, what ports to open, and how to connect to your FTP share using Terminal and an FTP Client (Forklift in this case). If you have any questions or comments feel free to leave them below or on my Youtube Channel.