Can't FTP To My Linode

You might want to try using scp to transfer files instead of FTP. Download WinSCP and away you go! Much more secure and easy to use than FTP.

What's the error your FTP client gives?

That doesn't really solve my current issue though does it? I still wont be able to connect using WinSCP.

@Daniel_G:

What's the error your FTP client gives?

I simply get a "connection refused" error message.

Do you have an FTP server installed? Is it running?

Try:

ps aux | grep ftp

as root.

If I'm remembering correctly, "INIT: no more processes left in this runlevel" is the last message that init outputs before a shutdown or reboot. Did you issue a reboot command from within your Linode? I haven't tried in a while, but I remember that not working on my Linode so I always issues reboots from Lish or the Linode Manager–that's the web interface. If you're getting the init error after a reboot command, try doing the reboots through the Linode Manager. If it's happening when you try to boot from the Linode Manager, it sounds like you're either booting into the wrong run level or you have something in your rc scripts issuing a shutdown--which would be really weird.

That said, I have to concur with anderiv - FTP is antiquated and insecure. SCP is much better and has the advantage that if you can SSH to your Linode, you can move files with SCP.

--James

I do have an FTP server installed, and I suspect that it's not running, which is why I can't connect. In the start-up process I see Apache fire up as it should, but not the FTP server, which is why I assumed webpages were still being served, but I couldn't access the Linode.

irgeek: Yes, I've issued restart commands from both the Linode Manager and from the console. Both end up the same. I should also note that this has been running fine for weeks now, and suddenly started having this issue, which makes it more perplexing.

I'm also on a Mac, so any suggestions for an SCP program that runs there?

@morganizeit:

I'm also on a Mac, so any suggestions for an SCP program that runs there?

I use Cyberduck and SFTP (SSH File Transfer Protocol) to transfer files to/from my Linode on my Mac.

@Daniel_G:

@morganizeit:

I'm also on a Mac, so any suggestions for an SCP program that runs there?

I use Cyberduck and SFTP (SSH File Transfer Protocol) to transfer files to/from my Linode on my Mac.

Ok. I use the same. And thats the very program thats giving me connection refused messages.

@morganizeit:

@Daniel_G:

@morganizeit:

I'm also on a Mac, so any suggestions for an SCP program that runs there?

I use Cyberduck and SFTP (SSH File Transfer Protocol) to transfer files to/from my Linode on my Mac.

Ok. I use the same. And thats the very program thats giving me connection refused messages.

You should be able to use SFTP even though your FTP server isn't running, SFTP works off SSH…

Ok. I've been using "FTP" in the generic sense, but I have been connecting via "SFTP" and I'm still not able to sign in. I'm getting an error from Cyberduck that says: "The SFTP Subsystem could not be initialized"

> Ok. I've been using "FTP" in the generic sense, but I have been connecting via "SFTP" and I'm still not able to sign in. I'm getting an error from Cyberduck that says: "The SFTP Subsystem could not be initialized"

SFTP uses SSH; check to be sure your OpenSSH server is running.

Enable sftp in your /etc/ssh/sshd_config, it should be the last line and look something like this:

Subsystem sftp /usr/lib/ssh/sftp-server

If that is commented, uncomment it, or if it doesn't exist, add it in.

As for your FTP server:

• what FTP server do you have installed?

• Can you show me the output of netstat -tap | grep 21

• Double check your config settings.

• (Maybe) enable local account login