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Q: How can I create my own FTP server from my computer?

-- Jason via email


A: You can find several shareware FTP titles online by doing a search for "FTP Server" at Hot Files. We found a very popular (and free) piece of server software called GuildFTPD.

An FTP server does the heavy lifting of security, organization, and transfer control, while clients usually just take part in saving transferred files to a specified location on your hard drive. If you are really into business and plan on spending money on your FTP server, you'll want to focus on what kind of qualities and characteristics the software provides.

First and foremost, look for security. You should be able to allow access to some files without compromising the security of the entire system.

Your operating system will affect your security needs. You can use almost any Win95/98/NT, Mac, Linux, and Unix machine as an FTP server. Conversely, any machine that supports TCP/IP and has an FTP client can access an FTP server.

Windows 95/98 doesn't have the innate file security that Linux, Unix, or even WinNT possess. Win95/98 places the burden of security on the FTP server application.

Whether or not you run the FTP on a Win 95/98 machine, you should avoid placing sensitive information on the same machine as the FTP server. This will prevent an accidental leak of confidential information.

Other things to consider include user interface and administration, and compatibility with clients and operating systems.

Professional-level software with FTP serving capability include:


All distributions of the Linux OS come with built-in FTP servers. For more information, go to the FTP mini-HOWTO.

If you use a Mac, you can use Mac OS X. It has Apache built into the operating system. For more information on activating Apache, read this article.

Remember that many Internet service providers also offer FTP hosting services.

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