Debian 13

How to Install vsftpd FTP Server on Debian 13

To Setup the vsftpd FTP server on Debian 13, follow the steps below.

Step 1 : Start by updating your system to make sure all packages are up to date.

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

Step 2 : Install the vsftpd FTP server package.

sudo apt install -y vsftpd

Step 3 : After the installation is complete, verify that the vsftpd service is running.

sudo systemctl status vsftpd

Step 4 : Disable Anonymous FTP Access and Configure vsftpd

Open the vsftpd configuration file:

sudo nano /etc/vsftpd.conf

Update or ensure the following settings are configured as shown below:

anonymous_enable=NO
local_enable=YES
write_enable=YES
chroot_local_user=YES
user_sub_token=$USER
local_root=/home/$USER
allow_writeable_chroot=YES

pasv_min_port=40000
pasv_max_port=50000

Save and exit the file.

Step 5 : Restart the vsftpd service to apply the configuration changes.

sudo systemctl restart vsftpd

Step 6 : Create a new user for FTP access.

sudo adduser ftpuser

Step 7 : If UFW is enabled, allow FTP traffic.

sudo ufw allow 20,21,990/tcp
sudo ufw allow 40000:50000/tcp

Step 8 : Test the FTP Connection

- Open an FTP client such as FileZilla.

- Go to File → Site Manager → New Site.

- Enter the following information step by step:

  • Protocol: FTP – File Transfer Protocol
  • Encryption: Use explicit FTP over TLS if available (recommended)
  • Host: Your server IP address or domain name
  • Port: 21
  • Logon Type: Normal
  • Username: ftpuser
  • Password: The password you created

- Click Connect to establish the FTP connection.

Congratulations! You have successfully installed and configured the vsftpd FTP server on Debian 13.