Installing FTP Server and Mapping FTP Directories in Zentyal PDC - Part 8

Matei Cezar 2014-04-25 Channel: Zentyal FTP Linux

Abstract: a service Description and click on ADD button. Enter Service Name 13. In the newly created entry (ftp-passive in this case) on Service List hit on Con

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Samba shares are a excellent choice for enabling users with extra storage on Zentyal Server but SMB ( Server Message Block) protocol is designed to run on local network over TCP/IP protocol stack and NetBIOS. So, that disables users access on samba shares over a public network like Internet.

Install Mapping FTP Folders in Zentyal PDC

Here the FTP protocol comes in play…designed as a server-client architecture that runs only on TCP/IP, a FTP server provides a way for users to login using a username and a password, connect anonymously and encrypt data flow with some degree of security by using SSL/TLS and SFTP (over SSH).

Vsftpd package is the default FTP server in the Zentyal 3.4 Server Community Edition.

Requirements

Install Zentyal PDC and Integrate Windows Machine
Manage Zentyal PDC from Windows Machine

Step 1: Install FTP Server

1. To install FTP Server open Putty and connect through SSH protocol on your Zentyal 3.4 Server using server domain name or IP.

Connect to Server

2. Login with root account and install Zentyal FTP server using ‘apt-get‘ package manager.

# apt-get install zentyal-ftp

Install FTP

3. After the package installation finishes open a browser and connect to Zentyal Web Admin Tool ( https://zentyal_IP ). Go to Module Status, check FTP module, hit Save Changes and Save.

Module States Configuration

Now your FTP Server is installed and enabled on Zentyal 3.4 PDC but don’t close the browser yet.

Step 2: Add DNS CNAME for Domain

Let’s add a DNS CNAME (alias ) for this domain name ( some programs can translate this DNS record directly into ftp protocol ).

4. On the same window navigate to DNS Module and click on Hostnames icon under your domain name.

ADD DNS CNAME

5. On your Zentyal Host Name Record click on Alias icon.

Select Domain Alias

6. Hit Add New button, enter 「ftp」 on Alias filed and click ADD button.

Enter FTP Alias

7. On right top corner hit Save Changes button and confirm with Save to apply settings.

Save Changes

8. Your DNS Alias has been added and you can test it with nslookup command on Remote Windows machine.

nslookup ftp.mydomain.com

Verify FTP Alias

Alternative you can check this record by running DNS Manager installed on Remote Windows Server Tools and verify Domain Zone.

Check FTP Record Step 3: Setup FTP Configuration Server

9. Now is time to setup FTP configuration Server. Go to FTP Module and use the following configuration.

Anonymous access = Disabled ( users without an account can’t login ).
Check Personal Directories (self explained).
Check Restrict to personal directories ( users can’t access path above their homes root ).
SSL support = Allow SSL (FTPS Secure Sockets Layers encryption on FTP ).

FTP Setup FTP Configuration Settings

10. Hit Change -> Save Changes and confirm with Save for enabling vsftp new configuration.

Step 4: Configure Firewall for FTP

Because we have configured Zentyal FTP Server to use SSL encryption some ports will be assigned dynamically by application layer, Zentyal Firewall by default won’t allow incoming ftp passive connections file transfers and directory listings required on ports above 1024 ( 1024 – 65534 ) so we need to open the whole port range.

11. To allow this port range first go to Network -> Services and click on Add New button.

Add New Service

12. On the new prompt enter 「ftp-passive」 string on in Service Name field, a service Description and click on ADD button.

Enter Service Name

13. In the newly created entry (ftp-passive in this case) on Service List hit on Configuration icon.

Select Configuration

14. On Service Configuration hit Add New and enter the following setting .

Protocol = TCP
Source Port = Any
Destination Port = select Port range form 1024 to 65534

Hit ADD button and Save Changes to apply configuration.

Enter Service Details

15. To open firewall for this port range service navigate to Firewall module – > Packet Filter -> Configure Rules on Internal Networks to Zentyal (Local Inbound).

Configure Firewall Rules

16. Click on ADD NEW and enter the following setting on this rule.

Decision = ACCEPT
Source = Any
Service = select ftp-passive ( the service just created )
Description = a short description of this rule
Hit on ADD button then go above and Save Changes

Add a New Rule Save New Rules

Zentyal Firewall is now opened to receive incoming connection on ports above 1024 required by passive ftps clients on your local network segment.

If your Zentyal is not a Gateway ( in this case is not) but a internal server that offers services only to your inside local networks segments you should add this rules – open ports (ftp and ftp-passive) for External Networks to Zentyal and configure port forward from your edge router to Zentyal IP address in case you reside on a IP Private Space.

Step 5: Folder Mapping on FTP Shares

After all Zentyal FTP and Firewall configurations applied is time to do some folder mapping on FTP shares.

Mapping on Windows

17. On Windows 8.1 open Explorer to This PC and click on Add a Network Location ->Choose a custom network location -> Next.

FTP Folder Mapping on Windows

18. On the location prompt type your Zentyal domain name prefixed by ftp protocol.

Add Network Location

19. Enter a username and a name for this network location hit Finish and your ftp share will appear under Computer drives.

Add a User Name Enter Network Location Verify Network Location

20. At the FTP dialog login enter desired credentials to login on FTP server.

21. To access ftp shares you can also use a browser like Mozilla Firefox or other browsers as well just by entering the DNS ftp Alias created earlier.

Access FTP Shares via Browser FTP Share Browser View Other recommended programs to access ftp shares

WinSCP ( supports SFTP and FTP with SSL/TLS and SCP ) – only Windows Based systems.

Download page : http://winscp.net/eng/download.php

Access FTP Share via WinSCP

Filezilla Client ( supports FTP with SSL/TLS and SFTP ) – Windows , Linux, Mac OS, Unix.

Download page : https://filezilla-project.org/download.php

Access FTP Share via Filezilla Mapping on Ubuntu

22. Open Nautilus file manager, hit Connect to Server ,enter Server Address ,supply your credentials and bookmark your mounted ftp share.

FTP Folder Mapping on Ubuntu Bookmark FTP Share Mapping on CentOS

23. Enter FTP Server address in Nautilus file manager Location , supply your credentials and bookmark your mounted ftp share.

FTP Folder Mapping on CentOS

The same way you can also map samba or windows shares.

Now you have a full working network environment where users have access to their own files hosted on Zentyal 3.4 Server even if they are accessing from a Internal or External network despite on used Operating System.