Create ftp login for apache?

[Yosuke_]

Hello!
Is it possible to set ftp access to apache web server?
For example I create a website, run apache, and I'm able to connect to my password protected ftp and modify files!
I know I can just run ftp server, but does apache has its own ftp login or something? And are there any more secure methods? I have hear avout ssl, is it another way to login on other system? Thank you!

[DSwain]

Well, you can do that, which is what I do on my webserver, but not through apache. I'm currently running vsftpd ontop. What vsftpd allows you to do is create local users on the server itself and them have them chroot into any directory of your choice. What I do is create a user who needs access to a certain directory on the root of the website and make that their home directory. At which point, it does a chroot for the user into their home directory, allowing them to only see the directory of choice as the root.

[bwkaz]

I use ssh to manage my Apache installation. (Well... ssh to mess around with the config files and whatnot, plus scp to get the files to that machine. But they're both part of the same package.)

This is almost infinitely more secure than FTP, especially if you'll ever be moving data over a network that contains machines that you don't own (so it at least should be an untrusted network). But even in a LAN inside your house, you don't know for sure that nobody is sniffing your network traffic.

FTP sends usernames, passwords, and file contents in clear text. That's why it's evil. (Well, OK, not exactly evil. Definitely insecure though.)

[DSwain]

Oh my mistake. I thought he meant just for having user control over a certain directory on the website, not editing Apache config files and stuff. Yeah, I hear SSH is better for that. Don't do FTP if you want to edit files like that, use SSH.

[Yosuke_]

Thank you guys for help!
I will try bouth ways out (ftp and ssh)! I don't have really a website, but I want to do this for learning purposes, see where are all the log files stored, learn how to read them, etc..
What would be a good FTP server witch keeps logs? I have ssh allready installed! Thank you! :D