[sahara]

I installed proftpd via Fink so I can replace ftpd with it. Putting proftpd in /etc/xinetd.d/ftp didn't work, so I reverted back to the original ftp file so I could try again, one step at a time. Now the regular ftpd won't even start. When I type xinetd in the terminal I get the following in my console:

Error reading included directory: /etc/xinetd.d [line=11]

And also: bind failed (Permission denied (errno = 13)). service = ftp

Does anyone know what's going on? I'm at a loss now, since I believe I am using the standard Apple installed files and they have not returned to working order!

[Camelot]

A 'bind error' means that the server could not connect to the specified port.

Two causes come to mind.

First, another server is already running on that port. Are you sure proftpd didn't start and isn't sitting there running on your machine? What happens if you telnet to port 21 on localhost? Do you get a connection.

Second is that ftp uses a privileged port number, consequently it has to be executed as root. Are you using root/sudo to reload xinetd? (I'm guessing so, but it never hurts to ask. )

[sahara]

All I've done is replace the path to ftpd with the one to proftpd. I was able to get ftpd working again and can literally swap between ftpd and proftpd and the result is simply that ftpd works, and proftpd does not launch. When I attempt to use proftpd with xinetd, I verify that no other daemon is on port 21. It gives the "Error reading included directory" message and does not run proftpd.

It seems to me to mean that there is some kind of incorrect command in the ftp entry for xinetd, though I cannot figure out what. (Yes, I am using sudo to run xinetd.) My proftpd path is /sw/sbin/proftpd and I have tried different server_args including -c /sw/etc/proftpd.conf, -n, and removing the server_args line entirely, all with no success. If I run the command manually it works, so why does it not execute via xinetd? I cannot fathom where the problem even lies at this point.

For now, I have set up a startup item that launches proftpd, while ftp is off in sharing control panel. By no means does this imply that I don't want to get it working through xinetd though, for a variety of reasons.

[Axel]

I don't know if that helps, but here's the content of my ftp file in the xinetd.d directory.
service ftp
{
disable = no
socket_type = stream
wait = no
user = root
server = /usr/local/sbin/proftpd
server_args = -c /usr/local/etc/proftpd.conf
groups = yes
flags = REUSE
}
It does work for me.

[sahara]

That's basically what I have, except since I installed it with Fink, the path is /sw/sbin/proftpd instead of /usr/local/sbin/proftpd.