Install pureftpd on Ubuntu

To install pure-ftpd on Ubuntu, run

apt install pure-ftpd -y

Create a system user

useradd -d /var/www -s /bin/bash USERNAME
chown -R USERNAME:USERNAME /var/www
passwd USERNAME

Enable Unix Authentication

To allow system user to login using FTP, edit file

vi /etc/pure-ftpd/pure-ftpd.conf

Uncomment the line

UnixAuthentication           yes

Or

echo 'yes' > /etc/pure-ftpd/conf/UnixAuthentication

On Ubuntu, after default install, you have following settins.

root@server:/etc/pure-ftpd/auth# ll
total 8
drwxr-xr-x 2 root root 4096 Jan 28 05:52 ./
drwxr-xr-x 5 root root 4096 Jan 28 06:20 ../
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root   26 Feb  5  2018 65unix -> ../conf/UnixAuthentication
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root   25 Feb  5  2018 70pam -> ../conf/PAMAuthentication
root@server:~# cat /etc/pure-ftpd/auth/65unix 
no
root@server:~# cat /etc/pure-ftpd/auth/70pam 
yes
root@server:~# 

PAMAuthentication enabled. UnixAutehticiation disabled. This allow system users to login using PAM.

pureftpd