Server side

1. Check service status

   
   
   

   sudo service vsftpd status
   
   




2. Check its running processes

   
   
   

   ps ax | grep vsftpd
   
   

   
   
   

   (Command to: list all processes then filter output for vsftpd line)

   
   
   

   or you can use a loop to monitor its processes:

   
   
   

   while sleep 1 ; do clear ; ps ax | grep vsftpd ; done
   
   

   
   
   

   (Command to: wait 1 second, clear shell screen, list all processes then filter output for vsftpd line, loop again as sleep always return succefully)




3. Check port status related to vsftpd process

   
   
   

   netstat -lnp | grep vsftpd
   
   

   
   
   

   (Command to: list all listening ports with port number and process id (PID) owning it then filter output for vsftpd line)




4. Monitor server log (tail with -f to follow log updates and monitor vsftpd)

   
   
   

   $ tail -f /var/log/vsftpd.log
   
   Fri Apr 25 18:43:28 2014 [pid 2026] CONNECT: Client "127.0.0.1"
   
   Fri Apr 25 18:45:01 2014 [pid 2025] [sneetsher] OK LOGIN: Client "127.0.0.1"
   
   

Client side

(note: I run them from server just to make examples, prefer other host to check firewall settings...)

1. ftp command with -v verbose option to show all responses from the remote server)

   
   
   

   $ ftp -v localhost
   
   Connected to localhost.
   
   220 (vsFTPd 3.0.2)
   
   Name (localhost:sneetsher):      
   
   331 Please specify the password.
   
   Password:
   
   230 Login successful.
   
   Remote system type is UNIX.
   
   Using binary mode to transfer files.
   
   ftp> 
   
   




2. FileZilla. It has very detailed log, but it sends couple commands depending on settings which not always what you want.

   
   
   

   Status: Resolving address of localhost
   
   Status: Connecting to 127.0.0.1:21...
   
   Status: Connection established, waiting for welcome message...
   
   Response:   220 (vsFTPd 3.0.2)
   
   Command:    USER sneetsher
   
   Response:   331 Please specify the password.
   
   Command:    PASS ********
   
   Response:   230 Login successful.
   
   Command:    SYST
   
   Response:   215 UNIX Type: L8
   
   Command:    FEAT
   
   Response:   211-Features:
   
   Response:    EPRT
   
   Response:    EPSV
   
   Response:    MDTM
   
   Response:    PASV
   
   Response:    REST STREAM
   
   Response:    SIZE
   
   Response:    TVFS
   
   Response:    UTF8
   
   Response:   211 End
   
   Command:    OPTS UTF8 ON
   
   Response:   200 Always in UTF8 mode.
   
   Status: Connected
   
   Status: Retrieving directory listing...
   
   Command:    PWD
   
   Response:   257 "/home/sneetsher"
   
   Command:    TYPE I
   
   Response:   200 Switching to Binary mode.
   
   Command:    PASV
   
   Response:   227 Entering Passive Mode (127,0,0,1,159,231).
   
   Command:    LIST
   
   Response:   150 Here comes the directory listing.
   
   Response:   226 Directory send OK.
   
   Status: Calculating timezone offset of server...
   
   Command:    MDTM 0000_12.04~
   
   Response:   213 20140208184211
   
   Status: Timezone offsets: Server: 0 seconds. Local: 0 seconds. Difference: 0 seconds.
   
   Status: Directory listing successful
   
   ...
   
   Status: Sending keep-alive command
   
   Command:    TYPE I
   
   Response:   200 Switching to Binary mode.
   
   

Possible testing workflow

1. Server side: After changing vsftpd.conf, restart service (no need to reboot VBox guest)

   
   
   

   sudo service vsftpd restart
   
   




2. Client side: It's possible to write FTP client scripts (routine tests) using yafc. Example to upload a folder:

   
   
   

   #!/bin/bash
   
   yafc <<**
   
   open ftp://username:password@hostname
   
   put -f -r folder
   
   close
   
   **
   
   exit 0
   
   

   
   
   

   or using ftp:

   
   
   

   #!/bin/sh
   
   HOST='ftp.users.qwest.net'
   
   USER='yourid'
   
           PASSWD='yourpw'
   
   FILE='file.txt'
   
   
   
   ftp -n $HOST <<END_SCRIPT
   
   quote USER $USER
   
   quote PASS $PASSWD
   
   put $FILE
   
   quit
   
   END_SCRIPT
   
   exit 0
   
   

Server/Client on VirtualBox guests

• Client should be in same NAT Network, Internal Network with server.




• Or if Server has Bridged Adapter, Client could be set with NAT, NAT Network, Bridged Adapter.

References:

• Ubuntu community help wiki: vsftpd


• man vsftpd, man vsftpd.conf


• man service, man netstat


• How to use ftp in a shell script