Setting up FTP & Telnet

FTP

This could not possibly be easier.

First of all, when you initially install Red Hat Linux, choose the Anonymous ftp option.  If you forgot to install it then, there is an 'anonftp' rpm on your install disc in the RPMS directory.

Edit /etc/inetd.conf to be sure ftpd is allowed.  Uncomment the ftpd line and then killall -HUP inetd to restart inetd.

Use any client to ftp to the ftp server using

username: anonymous
password: myemail@work.com

What is that? You need to ftp to it as root? Or as user1? EASY!

Edit the file /etc/ftpusers

Any username in this file is denied ftp access to the machine. Delete root, and root can ftp. Add user1, and user1 is denied. A word of caution though, Allowing root ftp access from the outside is dangerous. Build a new firewall rule to deny external ftp access.

TELNET

Most distros provide a telnet server by default.  If you don't have it installed, it is located on your distro CD.  Next, check to be sure that telnet is enabled in /etc/inetd.conf.  If it is commented out (#) remove the hash and 'killall -HUP inetd'.

Point any internal telnet client at the Linux box's IP address and try to log on as root. Doesn't work does it? It will never work (normally). That is a built in security feature, which can be changed in /etc/pam.d/. 

You will need to log in as a normal user (use adduser to create a new account) then enter.

su - root

and enter the root password. Now you are root on the Linux box.

A superior method of connection is ssh, which is described on this site.