{"id":5468,"date":"2018-01-08T07:42:09","date_gmt":"2018-01-08T07:42:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/tutorials\/?p=5468"},"modified":"2026-03-10T09:37:27","modified_gmt":"2026-03-10T09:37:27","slug":"how-to-setup-ftp-server-on-ubuntu-vps","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"\/ph\/tutorials\/how-to-setup-ftp-server-on-ubuntu-vps\/","title":{"rendered":"How to set up an FTP server on an Ubuntu VPS"},"content":{"rendered":"

File Transfer Protocol<\/strong> (FTP) <\/strong>is a method for sharing files between computers over the internet using the TCP\/IP <\/strong>protocol. It incorporates a client-server framework and Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) to ensure secure data transfer.<\/p>

FTP is similar to the Hypertext Transfer Protocol <\/strong>(HTTP) and Simple Mail Transfer Protocol<\/strong> (SMTP) but handles a different data type. It is essential for managing remote systems like a virtual private server (VPS).<\/p>

In this article, we will explain how to set up an FTP server on an Ubuntu VPS. We’ll be using a vsftpd<\/strong> server, one of the fastest and most secure FTP servers for UNIX-like systems.<\/p>

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Prerequisites for setting up an FTP server<\/h2>

Before getting into the steps, purchase an Ubuntu VPS hosting plan<\/a> with extensive software support, like Hostinger’s, to avoid incompatibility issues. For this tutorial, your server must be running <\/strong>Ubuntu<\/a> as the commands may differ depending on the Linux distribution you’re using.<\/p>

Connect to your server using an SSH client like PuTTY<\/a>, Terminal, or Hostinger’s browser terminal<\/strong>. Hostinger users can find the IP address and login details in hPanel’s VPS overview menu.<\/p>

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By default, you will connect as root<\/strong>. We recommend creating a new account with superuser privileges to avoid accidental destructive command execution. Here are the commands:<\/p>

adduser account<\/pre>
usermod -aG sudo account<\/pre>
Replace account <\/strong>with your desired username. Then, switch to the new user by running the following command and proceed with the setup:<\/p>
su account<\/pre>
cd<\/pre>
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How to set up an FTP server on Ubuntu<\/h2>
In this section, we’ll describe six steps to set up an FTP server on Ubuntu. If you encounter difficulties along the way, use Kodee, our VPS AI assistant<\/a>, to help troubleshoot any issues.<\/p>
1. Install vsftpd<\/h3>
Begin by installing vsftpd<\/a>, which is responsible for enabling the FTP service on your VPS. Here are the steps:<\/p>
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  1. Download and install the package updates to ensure you get the latest vsftpd<\/strong> version. Run the command:<\/li>\n<\/ol>
    sudo apt-get update<\/pre>
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    1. Wait until the update finishes and proceed with the vsftpd<\/strong> installation using this command:<\/li>\n<\/ol>
      sudo apt-get install vsftpd<\/pre>
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      1. You will be prompted with a confirmation message. Type Y<\/strong> and hit Enter<\/strong> to continue with the vsftpd<\/strong> daemon installation.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      2. After the installation is complete, back up the original file so you can start with a blank configuration file:<\/li>\n<\/ol>
        sudo cp \/etc\/vsftpd.conf \/etc\/vsftpd.conf.original<\/pre>
        2. Allow FTP traffic from the firewall<\/h3>
        After installing, configure your system’s firewall rules to allow the Ubuntu FTP server to communicate via the internet. You can do so using the Ubuntu Uncomplicated Firewall<\/a> (UFW). Here are the steps:<\/p>
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        1. Start by checking whether the firewall is already installed on your server using this command:<\/li>\n<\/ol>
          sudo ufw status<\/pre>
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          1. If you see the ufw: command not found<\/strong> error, the Ubuntu firewall is not installed. Download and enable it by running the following commands subsequently. Skip this step if it is already configured:<\/li>\n<\/ol>
            sudo apt-get install ufw<\/pre>
            sudo ufw enable<\/pre>
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            1. Run this command to verify the firewall status:<\/li>\n<\/ol>
              sudo ufw status<\/pre>
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              1. Once it’s active, run these commands individually to make sure FTP traffic is allowed:<\/li>\n<\/ol>
                sudo ufw allow OpenSSH<\/pre>
                sudo ufw allow 20\/tcp<\/pre>
                sudo ufw allow 21\/tcp<\/pre>
                sudo ufw allow 990\/tcp<\/pre>
                sudo ufw allow 40000:50000\/tcp<\/pre>
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                1. Run the following command again to verify that you have added the new firewall rules correctly:<\/li>\n<\/ol>
                  sudo ufw status<\/pre>
                  Check the Terminal output to ensure you have these ports open for the FTP server to work properly:<\/p>