Re: Uploaded fsp 2.71-9 (source i386) to master

[Pierre Beyssac <beyssac@enst.fr>]

On Fri, Nov 20, 1998 at 10:47:33AM -0800, Robert Stone wrote:
> via "adduser --system ..."  until ftp made it into base-passwd.  If the
> ftpd in netstd is enabled by the presence of user "ftp" I think that's the
> oddball software, the other ftp servers don't act like that, and that's

Call it oddball software if you wish, but it's the vast majority of the
installed base on Unix systems. wu-ftp and pro-ftpd are installed
mostly when you want to provide anonymous ftp.

> probably why the base-passwd maintainer hasn't been able to add the "ftp" 
> user to /etc/passwd.

I don't know exactly the package sets fsp is a part of, but I have
installed several Debian 2.0 machines today with different setups and
FSP seems to be installed in too many cases.

IMHO, at the very least, if it creates user ftp, it should:

	- be removed from "general" package sets (for
	  example, it has nothing to do in a standard network
	  configuration)
	- explicitly prompt the user for advice regarding whether it
	  should create the FTP user, with a choice defaulting to NO,
	  and a CLEAR explanation of what the consequences for ftpd are
	  if you chose YES.

I don't know fsp, but I don't see why the lack of user ftp should be a
blocking factor. From what I've read so far, it seems to be merely a
configuration convenience.
-- 
Pierre Beyssac		pb@enst.fr