The alt.comp.jgaa /*@.mail.jgaa.com mailing lists

FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

The latest version of this faq is available at:

http://war.jgaa.com:8080/faq/alt.comp.jgaa.faq.html

Updated Aug 6 1997

--------------------------------------------------------------

Table of Contents

1. The alt.comp.jgaa Newsgroup

2. The *@.mail.jgaa.com mailing lists

3. War FTP Daemon version 1

===========================================================

1. The alt.comp.jgaa Newsgroup

 

1. What Is This Newsgroup For?

 

alt.comp.jgaa is an unmoderated newsgroup for general discussion of the free software from Jgaa's Internet (http://www.jgaa.com).

 

2. What Can I Post Here?

 

Due to the general nature of alt.comp.jgaa, there really aren't any restrictions on what can or cannot be posted. However, some important points should be kept in mind.

 

* Be very specific in your questions. People will always be willing to help out. But they can't help you if they don't know what you're talking about.

 

* If you are replying to a post, decide whether or not the whole group needs to see your reply. Sometimes, many people could use your information or answer your question. Other times, it may be better to simply e-mail your reply to a specific person or persons.

 

* When announcing a new program, plugin, utility or new version, please announce what site it's available at and provide details about the program.

 

Also, it is common courtesy to not only ask questions, but to answer some as well. That is what keeps this group functioning. So, if someone has a question that you know the answer to, please take a little time to reply.

 

3. What Should I Not Post Here?

 

* Most importantly do not ask off-topic questions.

 

* Never post binaries to alt.comp.jgaa. In general, binaries should only be posted to alt.comp.jgaa.binaries Even if you believe that you have found or written a something great that you think everyone in alt.comp.jgaa will want, please do not post a binary to the newsgroup. Simply post a message that gives a description and tell people where it can be found.

 

* Commercial advertisers should be very careful when considering whether they should post on alt.comp.jgaa. alt.comp.jgaa is not a forum for advertising. But, if your product might be of specific interest to users of the War Software series, or other freeware products from Jgaa's Internet, please announce yourself as an advertiser and give an accurate description of your product.

 

* Before you post any generic questions, please check the FAQ. Please do not post any questions that can be answered in the FAQ.

 

* NEVER post "get rich fast" of sex related, off topic messages. Users of alt.comp.jgaa don't need to get rich fast - as they use free software :-) And this newsgroup is not where they expose their sex-life or look for naked women. Posts of this kind will be regarded as an abuse of the newsgroup, and reported to your ISP/News provider, and your email address/domain might be considered added to spam-lists which will block all mail/usenet access to major mail and usenet servers. Extensive abuse might also tempt readers of alt.comp.jgaa to attack and stall your Internet server(s).

 

 

2. The *@.mail.jgaa.com mailing lists

 

1. What mailing lists do exist?

 

Currently the following mailing lists/listservers exist

 

* warftpd.general@mail.jgaa.com - General discussion/questions around the War FTP Daemon

* warftpd.devel @mail.jgaa.com - Software developer support around the War FTP Daemon

* warftpclient.general@mail.jgaa.com - General discussion/questions around the War FTP Client

* software.major @mail.jgaa.com - Announcements of new/updated (free) programs from Jgaa's Internet

* software.minor @mail.jgaa.com - Announcements of experimental versions and minor upgrades of software from Jgaa's Internet

* warftpd.version2@mail.jgaa.com - Discussion forum for the ALPHA testers of the War FTP Daemon version 2. This list is currently closed for new subscribers.

 

2. How do I join a mailing lists

 

Send an email to the mailing list's control account with the text JOIN in the message body.

The control account is the same name as the mailing list, with an additional "-request" tag after the name.

 

In order to join warftpd.general@mail.jgaa.com, send a message to warftpd.general-request@mail.jgaa.com with the text JOIN in the message body.

 

3. How do I resign from a mailing list

 

Send an email to the mailing list's control account with the text LEAVE in the message body.

The control account is the same name as the mailing list, with an additional "-request" tag after the name.

 

In order to resign from warftpd.general@mail.jgaa.com, send a message to warftpd.general-request@mail.jgaa.com with the text LEAVE in the message body.

 

IMPORTANT: DO NOT SEND THE 'LEAVE' MESSAGE TO THE MAILING LIST. DOING SO WILL NOT GET YOU UNSUBSCRIBED - IT WILL ONLY LABEL YOURSELF AS A MORON. Send the LEAVE message to the mailing list's control account!

 

3. War FTP Daemon version 1

 

1. What is the War FTP Daemon?

 

War FTP Daemon is a Internet server that makes your PC a FTP (File Transfer Protocol) server. The FTP protocol is used to transfer files from one machine to other machines on Internet. War FTP Daemon provides a high level of security based user accounts and passwords.

 

War FTP daemon is written by Jarle Aase, Bergen, Norway, and is released as freeware for anyone but governmental institutions and mainstream political parties. The server is not commercially available. Distribution is unlimited, as long as no charge is taken for the software.

 

2. Does the server run under Windows 3.11 ?

 

No. The server will only run on true 32 bit operating systems, such as Windows95 and NT. A 61 bit version for Windows 3.11 is not planned.

 

3. Is the server available for Linux or UNIX?

 

No. But there are plans to make version 2 of the server available for UNIX/Linux. This version will not be available in 1997.

 

 

4. Is there a 'backdoor' in the server?

 

No. There is no backdoor in the War FTP Daemon. The only way to access the server is by entering a valid userid and password.

 

 

5. Setup issues

 

1. Directory access to specific paths

 

" I want to let users have access to one specific dir and its subs and a whole other drive. I set those paths but when I log on to test it, it says that it won't allow access to the home dir."

 

You need to specify a root and home directory. You do this in the security dialog, File Access tab.

 

Set access to X:\wherever\subdir +root +home +list +read +map

 

where X is your drive letter. If you wount give access to lower levels, add the subdirectories of X:\wherever\subdir and set the +deny +recursive flags on them.

 

You can also create a new dir

 

C:\ftp +root +home +map +lost +read

 

and map the other directory into that

 

X:\wherever\subdir +list +read +map -recursive

 

 

This will show a single directory, /subdir when the user logs in, and he will only have access to this directory.

 

To add a new path, just define it.

 

Y:\anywhere +subdir +list +read +map +/-recursive

 

 

Ths gives the user:

 

 

/.

/subdir

/anywhere

 

2. How to get access to all drives and paths?

 

"I was trying to set a administrator account up for myself.....meaning i wanted to have access to all of my drives and directories including network directories as well as be able to download from any and all subdirectories. The way i did that was to go under the edit user, file access tab, and specify c:\ {root} {home} {recursive} d:\ {recursive} e:\ {recursive} --network drive....."

 

Just set \ as +root +home +read +recursive +list

This will give full download access to all your drives and all theirs subdirectories.

 

3. How to enable a directory and all its subdirs

 

"Is there a quick-and-dirty method to enable a directory and all it's related subdirectories, without having to list each individual subdir in the user's security box? Hopefully on 1 line."

 

Just turn on the +recursive flag. However, there is a bug in 1.20b that denies recursive directory access in some situations. The latest X version resolves it.

 

4. How to only allow uploads, and only in one directory?

 

"I was already able to configure it using the Virtual File System so that they only have access to one specific directory. The problem is that I can download as much as I want but for an upload it says "permission denied". How do I have to configure it to get what I want?"

 

You don't need VfSys for that :-)

 

Just delete the \ path in the File Access Tab (default level) and add the path where the users is supposed to upload.

 

Mark the +list +write +root +home +map +recursive flags, and you are all set.

 

5. Directories does not show up in the File Access Tab

 

"I am still having problems with making directories available. Once entered the directory should be visible in that text box in the security menu page. But they are not. When I go to add them it tells me they are already in there. Since I cannot see them I can not mod or delete them once entered. Any Hints?"

 

The problem indicates that you are running the virtual file system, and that the directories you try to add not is part of the VfSys path(s). Any path outside the paths known by VfSys are unavailable.

 

Also, if you add new physical paths inside the VfSys path(s) you have to restart VfSys in order to see them. VfSys scans the disk when it starts up and remembers the filenames and directory names. It does not check for changes in the file system.

 

6. I would like to put a user in several groups

 

"I like the program very much but would like to put a user in several groups. We have several products, let's say a, b, c, d. Each product will be in his own directory. Now a client can have 1 or more products. He is only allowed to read directories that belong to the products he owns. So if I can make a group for each product and then add a user to one of more groups would exactly do as indicated. It's like the user-group-class structure but then with more groups. For me it would be sufficient to add authorities, no need for cross-checking. Any plans for this or any solutions? If you have plans, when can we expect them?"

 

I have no plans in this direction. You are thinking of something like NT's group selections.

 

You can however easily achieve the functionality you want by placing your products in a structured directory tree, and give the user recursive access to the top level directory for each product he needs access to.

 

/ftp Home + root for the user class

/products/p1 +recursive +read +map (product 1)

/products/p2 +recursive +read +map (product 2)

...

/products/pn +recursive +read +map (product n)

 

 

This will give a user that has bought product 1, 2 and 5 a root directory listing like:

 

/p1

/p2

/p5

/whatever.files.you.have.in.ftp.dir

 

 

6. Common problems
1. The IP number displayed on the console is not the dynamic one!

 

"I've got a peer-to-peer Win95 LAN, and a dynamic-IP dial-up TCP/IP connection. The LAN IP is 1.2.3.4, and the dynamic is 4.3.2.1. The FTP ALWAYS picks up the static LAN IP, when I need it to pick up the dynamic. WHAT DO I DO? HELP!"

 

The server displays the IP number reported by Winsock as the current IP number for the machine. This number is informative only, and does not indicate what IP numbers the server will accept connections from.

 

Currently the server will listen to and accept incomming connections from all valid IP numbers assigned to the machine.

 

2. Why is the directory contents wrong?

 

"Why is it when I log on remotely to my site the file in the directory isn't correct. Do I need to shut down the server and start it after I make changes to a directory? I thougt war-ftp read the directory each time a directory was read."

 

If you use VfSys, the directory is scanned when VfSys is started, and not re-scanned until it is restarted. If you don't use VfSysys, the directories are scanned each time a user access them.

 

 

3. Why can't I upload when I have set write permission?

 

"I tried your War-FTP, it is a very good program. But I can't do upload permission denied), I have set my path as read and write. ?"

 

If you use the virtual file system, write is not permitted in the root directory. In order to get write permission to the root of a drive, use a VfSts path like this:

 

C:\,c-drive

 

This will make a logical directory that maps to your C drive, and you will be able to give any permissions at /c-drice, alias C:\

 

4. Unknown file format for user database error

 

"I install the program but when I go to start up the daemon, it pops up a box that says " Unknown file format for user database". It then tells me that WARFTP has performed a illegal function and WIN95 shuts it down."

 

What am I doing wrong?

 

It might be something with your hardware, or too limited system resources. War needs at least 3 - 4 MB RAM/Swapspace to start up.

 

To fix the Unknown file format problem, delete FtpDaemon.dat and FtpDaemon.ini.

 

7. Miscellaneous
1. Starting the server with the binary transfer option on

 

"Although the documentation is very good, I could not find a way to configure some options like starting the server with the binary transfer option on. Should you have the time to e-mail me a solution I'd be very glad. If not, I understand."

 

It is the FTP client that determines the transfer mode (ascii or binary). The server just sets te mode dictated by the client. If no mode is set by the client the RFC (FTP specs) says that the mode *shall* be ascii. I can override it by adding an option, but that will break with the FTP standard, and might cause conflicts with some FTP clients.

 

2. How may I transfer all user rights to another machine?

 

"In the near future, I would like to set up War-FTPD on a different server, but maintain the same user rights. After installing the software on the new computer, how may I transfer all user rights?"

 

Just copy FtpDaemon.dat and FtpDaemon.ini from the old to the new system. All user and setup information is maintained in these two files.

 

3. Remote administration

 

"I'm currently using Vermillion FTP Daemon, and as I don't have the passwords to all the accounts i've created, i don't really want to change daemon, however if your program had just two extra features, i think I will change Daemons, I really want to be able to create new accounts using a command line ftp client, Using commands that would only be available to users with a certain access level."

 

Version 2 of the War FTP Daemon will support full remote administration trough a Telnet like interface, or by using the "War Daemon manager". There will also be an API where programmers can manipulate the server directly from C++ programs.

 

4. How to uninstall and begin from scratch?

 

"When I uninstall the program and try to start new it still finds a file that puts the old users back in. What is this file and where is it so I can kill it to start fresh?"

 

Just delete "FtpDaemon.dat" and "FtpDaemon.ini".

 

 

5. How to bypass the password on the server console?

 

"The server asks for an administrator password when I try to access the console. I don't have that. How do I bypass this password?"

 

You must change a line in the FtpDaemon.ini file:

 

Protect Console=0

 

8. Special NT issues

 

1. Can the server run as a NT service?

 

Yes.

 

2. How can I access the server console to add users when the server run as a NT service?

 

When the server run as a NT service, you can't. The recommended method is to stop the NT service from the service manager in the control panel, and start the server as a normal program. When you are done doing changes, exit the program and re-start the service.

 

Version 2 of the server support full access to the server console also whne the server run as a NT service.

 

9. Plugins

 

War FTP Daemon version 1 support plugins in the form of executable programs that can be run to verify that uploaded files are OK.

 

1. No plugins seems to work with NT.

 

A NT service is not allowed to start external programs. The plugins will therefore only work on NT when the server is run as a normal program (and not as a NT service).

 

2. What plugins are available?