Puppy Linux Discussion Forum

[kirk]

This Rox Application uses Curlftpfs, Mpscan, Pure-ftpd, and Rox to setup a file sharing system, that is similar to Samba (windows) file sharing to the user. The intent is that this will be used between two computers running Puppy. Inside of the File-Sharing folder you will find a Rox application named Setup-Sharing. Clicking on Setup-Sharing will open a series of windows that will let you start the FTP server or search for another server on your network. Then it will make a Rox app that you can click on to connect to the server. Then just drag and drop.

[kirk]

Here's the packages. You'll need a updated Curl package. The one the Dingo alpha 5 won't work with Curlftpfs. The older versions of Curl work and the latest version of Curl works. Bad luck Maybe Barry will upgrade the package before Dingo final?

And You'll need pure-ftpd.

Some limitations:

* Permissions are not preserved, so ROX reports errors. Copied files are created with a umask of 022.
* Symlinks don't copy.
* The FTP server will not allow root logins.

The no root logins are intentional, for the others, I haven't found a work around.

[kirk]

Here's the source packages for Curlftpfs and Mpscan. Not needed to test.

[HairyWill]

kirk
Have you tested this on a clean install? I can't get it to work. Though I'm trying on a severely second hand install of 3.01.
When I try and setup the server I get a messagebox telling me that "the shared folder is" but that bit is blank.

I think it is an excellent idea and a lot cheaper (and hopefully easier) than installing samba

[mikeb]

Well this works well on puppy 2 series...very very very neat....I was using gftp and pure-ftpd before but this method rocks

Also works equally well from a windows machine to puppy with a simple freeware win32 ftp server ........

[kirk]

HairyWill,

This is for Dingo. In Dingo there is a user ftp who's home directory is /root/ftpd. The pure-ftpd package was left out of dingo alpha 6, but it has a problem anyway. The folder /root/ftpd needs it's owner changed to ftp and permissions set to 755 or 777. I don't know if it will work in 3.01 (depends on the version of curl). To try you'll have to add a new user named ftp and make it's home directory /root/ftpd. Then the symlink about the shared folder should work. Seems like there was a problem in 3.01 with adding users.


Mikeb,

To enable root logins you'll need to right click on Setup-Sharing and select Look Inside. Then right click on AppRun and open as text. On lines 17 and 23 you'll see this:

pure-ftpd -zMbBADHk 90 -u 1 -U 022:022

You'll want to change it to this:

pure-ftpd -zMbBADHk 90 -U 022:022

The -u 1 option is what tells pure-ftpd not to allow root logins.

[mikeb]

Thanks kirk

I was looking at the pure-ftp documentation but not getting very far..

regards

mike

[HairyWill]

thanks kirk
I installed tinylogin using the package manager, followed your instructions.
The ftp server started successfully.
I am messing around with client and server on the same machine so I don't expect results to be conclusive.
I don't seem to be able to edit the shared stuff, I presume that is curl problem and I don't expect an answer I should be able to work that out.

A couple of points:
The subnet scan takes a while, some sort of progress indicator would be nice.
You might consider some mechanism for stopping the share. (yes I know, killall pure-ftpd)
The way you have used roxapps to look like the shares is clever though I didn't find it intuitive. That might just be how my head is organised, but a menu item and/or desktop icon might be good.
Some way of identifying share status might be helpful, is my share open, which others am I connected to.

If I'm being picky its because I think this is a really good idea, keep up the good work.

[mikeb]

[kirk]

Yes, the idea was to have the icons on the desktop. The connections are unmounted when you close the Rox window that opened for the shared folder. To stop the ftp server, when you go to menu - Network - Pureftpd in Dingo ( hopefully in the next release) , the pure-ftpd script will detect that pure-ftpd is running and offer you the option to kill it. But just leaving it running shouldn't be a problem.

[Lobster]

Very interesting.
This will be very useful for cybercafes, education, business etc

This is for a LAN?
Is there any way of using this over the Internet in a VPN (I think that is the right term) I believe we have something similar but what you are doing seems very simple to use and implement from the end user perspective.

[kirk]

LAN, internet doesn't matter. Through the internet you'll probably have to set your router to forward port 21.

[mikeb]

For those wanting to use root access to give full read/write ablities ... (behind a router or firewall!) the line in the appropriate apprun

curlftpfs ftp://192.168.1.2 /root/File-Sharing/...etc

would become

curlftpfs ftp://root:@192.168.1.2 /root/File-Sharing/...etc
assuming the default password of 'blank'

curlftpfs ftp://root:your_password@192.168.1.2
for more secure setups.

note that
curlftpfs ftp://root:@192.168.1.2/../mnt/hda5
would mean rox would open up in hda5...handy as simlinks are not followed.

The commandline for pureftp would need modding to allow root access as described earlier in this thread.

The same approach could be used to logon as user with suitable access rights.

mike

..kirk's script sets the password

[mikeb]

Ok more useful post time

there is a very useful wndows utility called netdrive (originally from novell) which basically can mount your puppy ftp file shares via pureftp just like a mapped network drive ...download and info here
http://louisville.edu/web/docs/howto/webdav/netdrive

mike

oh the joy of file browser friendly network shares

edit..hang on I can access my website using curlftpfs..Is there no end to this!

[kirk]

I've updated the File-Sharing app. Here's the changes:

* When you scan for servers and connect, if the server is not anonymous you'll be prompted for a user name and password.

* When starting the server you're given the choice of allowing anonymous connections or requiring a user name and password.

* Root logins are allowed.

* Updated the help file.

* Fixed some bugs.