Re: tlug: Fine control over ftp

["Stephen J. Turnbull" <turnbull@example.com>]

>>>>> "Chris" == Chris Sekiya <chris@example.com> writes:

    Chris> On Wed, 30 Sep 1998, Darren Cook wrote:
    >> That worked! Why does ftp require a shell to exist, when
    >> obviously it is not using it?

    Chris> There was probably a good reason for it, but I've
    Chris> forgotten.  Stephen?

As a guess...

To implement `mget *.tar.gz'?  Or `quote site ...'?  I'm fresh
out of suggestions that would be easier to code than using system().
;-)  (For innocent bystanders, system() does invoke a shell, unlike
exec().)

Scott Perlman's suggestion of security may be more authoritative,
although I think it's unlikely since I believe that ftpd uses neither
login(1) nor code stolen en bloc from login(1) to authenticate users.

Putting /bin/false in /etc/shells is just a little too tricky for my
taste for distinguishing between authorized ftp users and authorized
telnet users, and would not allow you to authorize telnet but not ftp
(eg for MUD connections).

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