Example of FTP repository configuration

This article contains instructions on how to create and configure an FTP repository of ISO images with anonymous access.

To create a repository:

1. Install the vsftpd FTP server: 

   AlmaLinux

   yum install vsftpd

   Ubuntu

   apt install vsftpd

2. Create a root directory to store the repository files: 

   mkdir -p /srv/ftp/iso

3. Check that an entry for the ftp user appears in the /etc/passwd file: 

   Пример записи

   ftp:x:139:149:ftp daemon,,,:/srv/ftp:/usr/sbin/nologin

4. Specify the following settings in the /etc/vsftpd/vsftpd.conf configuration file: 

   listen=YES
   listen_ipv6=NO
   anonymous_enable=YES
   anon_root=/srv/ftp/iso/
   no_anon_password=YES
   local_enable=YES
   hide_ids=YES
   dirmessage_enable=YES
   use_localtime=YES
   xferlog_enable=YES
   connect_from_port_20=YES
   secure_chroot_dir=/var/run/vsftpd/empty
   pam_service_name=vsftpd
   ssl_enable=NO
   allow_writeable_chroot=YES

5. Restart the vsftpd service: 

   systemctl restart vsftpd

6. Copy an ISO image to the /srv/ftp/iso/ directory.

7. Define the size of the ISO image in MiB: 

   ls -l --block-size=M <имя_файла>

   Output example

   -rw-rw-r-- 1 user user 389M May  5  2023 debian-11.7.0-amd64-netinst.iso

8. Define the hash sum of the ISO image: 

   sha1sum <filename>

   Output example

   c0d269af8978c625cb480ba2c723c7964c7e52ad  debian-11.7.0-amd64-netinst.iso

9. Create a repository description file /srv/ftp/iso/metadata.json. For more information about the file format, see ISO images repositories.

   Пример файла metadata.json

   {
     "type": "iso",
     "images": [
       {
         "name": "Debian 11",
         "os_type": "linux",
         "tags": [
             "linux", "debian"
               ],
         "file_name": "debian-11.7.0-amd64-netinst.iso",
         "image_size_mib": 389,
         "updated_at": "2024-06-05 00:00:01",
         "checksum": "c0d269af8978c625cb480ba2c723c7964c7e52ad"
       }
     ]
   }

10. Specify access rights to the root directory of the repository: 

    chmod -R 775 /srv/ftp/iso

11. Check access to the repository description file: 

    curl -v ftp://<server_IP>/metadata.json

    If the file cannot be accessed, check if the firewall settings allow incoming connections on ports 20/TCP and 21/TCP.
12. Add a repository following the instructions in the ISO images repositories article.