FTP via Firefox and IE

[Tripster]

Not sure if this is recent or not but reseller pointed out that FTP logins aren't working in browsers, tested under Firefox on Linux and sure enough doesn't work. Installed FireFTP and still no luck.

Server is showing auth error for the user, so using ..

ftp://user@ftp.usersdomain.com

.. does prompt for password, you enter it and no luck. Use a regular client and it works fine.

Passive ports are added and open in APF configs.

Any ideas? I told the reseller to sell the clients on Web Disk but some would still insist that browser FTP access work as well, and really, it should work

[cPanelDavidL]

What version of Firefox and WHM do you have employed at this time?

2.0.0.14 on Firefox is logging in appropriately on WHM 11.23.1-CURRENT_24891

[cPanelDavidG]

Not sure if this is recent or not but reseller pointed out that FTP logins aren't working in browsers, tested under Firefox on Linux and sure enough doesn't work. Installed FireFTP and still no luck.

Server is showing auth error for the user, so using ..

ftp://user@ftp.usersdomain.com

.. does prompt for password, you enter it and no luck. Use a regular client and it works fine.

Passive ports are added and open in APF configs.

Any ideas? I told the reseller to sell the clients on Web Disk but some would still insist that browser FTP access work as well, and really, it should work

One should not use a web browser for FTP. One of the many reasons include their typical inability to properly handle user@domain.com logins without maneuvering. Many FTP clients nowadays are very user-friendly. One such client is FileZilla, which we support auto-configuration for.

I find people often exert more effort in trying to avoid the convenience of a FTP client than just downloading, installing and learning to drag/drop to a different program.

[Tripster]

What version of Firefox and WHM do you have employed at this time?

2.0.0.14 on Firefox is logging in appropriately on WHM 11.23.1-CURRENT_24891

Here is what I'm using to test ...

Mozilla/5.0 (X11; U; Linux i686; en-US; rv:1.8.1.14) Gecko/20080418 Ubuntu/7.10 (gutsy) Firefox/2.0.0.14

WHM 11.23.0 cPanel 11.23.1-R24893

Login attempt to a normal user account, not a sub-FTP account so no @domain.com required.

[Tripster]

One should not use a web browser for FTP. One of the many reasons include their typical inability to properly handle user@domain.com logins without maneuvering. Many FTP clients nowadays are very user-friendly. One such client is FileZilla, which we support auto-configuration for.

I find people often exert more effort in trying to avoid the convenience of a FTP client than just downloading, installing and learning to drag/drop to a different program.

Oh I agree, users should be using a true FTP client however login via browser should also work since FTP is a pretty straight forward standard. Just weird it isn't working on cPanel servers right now.

I did recommend to the reseller to try and point users towards Web Disk instead but there will be stubborn ones who insist they should be able to use IE or Firefox or what have you.

[cPanelDavidG]

...
ftp://user@ftp.usersdomain.com

.. does prompt for password, you enter it and no luck. ...

That's because the incorrect username is being sent.

The URL should be ftp://user@example.com@ftp.example.com

Web browsers typically do not like using the first @ as part of the username and the second @ to separate username from hostname. Ultimately, the user is not logging in as user@example.com, but as user@ which does not exist (typically, but there are some unintuitive exceptions to this rule).

[Tripster]

Ok, figured something out here. It looks like FTP will NOT work for the main user name via a browser, however if you create an additional FTP user that one will work in Firefox and FireFTP.

Not a bad bug actually, this way people infected by a javascript trojan in the browser session can't login to the main FTP account so might be a tad more secure, although if they login to cPanel itself that still transmits that info

[h4f]

One should not use a web browser for FTP. One of the many reasons include their typical inability to properly handle user@domain.com logins without maneuvering. Many FTP clients nowadays are very user-friendly. One such client is FileZilla, which we support auto-configuration for.

I find people often exert more effort in trying to avoid the convenience of a FTP client than just downloading, installing and learning to drag/drop to a different program.

Hello David, I disagree, while FTP protocol shouldn't be used at all because of plain user/password being send over the network, we as supplier can't demand how user is going to use FTP.

It is very common to use IEX/Firefox for FTP because it can be standard found on any system.

The main issue is that Cpanel doesn't come up with a challenge for username password and it is hard to find why.

If million people are using a certain browser you can't state that they have to change their method, but a solution should be provided.

[SageBrian]

If million people are using a certain browser you can't state that they have to change their method, but a solution should be provided.

And if a million people prefer to use the feet that they have to walk along a highway, should a solution be provided?
Or should the people 'learn' to get a car or proper vehicle for the proper path?



Though I put up with it, I really dislike people not using the correct tools for the job, like Word/Publisher for websites, browsers for FTP, or worse, ignoring FTP and wanting a web interface to upload large files, or using whatever the default image viewer is on the computer to edit photos.

And then, when they run into issues using this 'square tools for the round hole', they complain that it should work, and that they shouldn't have to learn how to do it better.

ahhhh. feel better now. morning rant over.
everyone back to your blocks and fisherprice toys.

Brian

[PDW]

guess someone doesnt know their FireFox ... LOL FireFTP is a ftp program actually its not using the browser to send the files, its an add on. A great program better than many of the other ftp programs out there. In fact lifehacker.com did a survey and most people prefered it.

Anyways ... A problem recently that I noticed on FTP is that PureFTP has been going down and rejecting passwords from all ftp clients, so not sure if thats your problem or not. I have had to change over to ProFTPD unfortunately today and am not sure if its going to stay stable yet or not.

[h4f]

I really dislike people not using the correct tools for the job

As I wrote before, FTP is an absolute protocol, SCP should become mandatory.

But with 50.000 customers, no one can force them not too use ftp://ftp.theirdomain.com.

In the past it was normal to use your browser for FTP purposes.

At the other hand if customer uses a FTP client and think it download faster with simultaneous connections, they will frustrate the server.

The only thing that I like to know at this moment how can we set something that challenges the customer to type login/password when they do ftp.theirdomain.com. ( I am not Obama and therefore not convincing enough to force customer to change methods that they are used to, and can be always used without having to install a ftp client.)

[h4f]

Anyways ... A problem recently that I noticed on FTP is that PureFTP has been going down and rejecting passwords from all ftp clients, so not sure if thats your problem or not. I have had to change over to ProFTPD unfortunately today and am not sure if its going to stay stable yet or not.

There is a limit of 50 concurrent connections, one multi-login ftp client can crash both Pure as ProFTPd.

The issue my customers have that their default browser (IEX and Firefox) are not challenged with login + password.