# Unable to use FTP properly [solved]

## LynxofCP

Sorry if the topic name is a bit vague,

I run a house full of Gentoo machines and I just finished setting up my gateway computer again only to find that when I browse any FTP sites after a few LIST commands, (or even transfers) I'll get an error message from the server saying: 

```

PORT 192,168,0,2,128,80

200 PORT command successful

LIST -aL

500 Invalid command: try being more creative

Invalid response '5' received from server.

```

This error seems to be unique to ProFTPd, but it would seem that not many people get this problem.

I should point out that this is purely an issue with my gateway as the same computer running SmoothWall (Which is difficult to get public servers running on) or ClarkConnect (Which gives me 1/5th my ADSL speed) do not have this issue at all.

From memory, running the system without Shorewall and just using a very basic accept all NAT set of rules for IPTables resulted in the same issues.

Any ideas where should I start looking to solve this?

-Steven

(Styx's installed ebuilds:)

sys-apps/slocate-2.7-r7

net-firewall/shorewall-2.0.7

net-fs/nfs-utils-1.0.6-r6

sys-devel/distcc-2.16-r2

dev-php/mod_php-4.3.11

net-misc/dhcpcd-1.3.22_p4-r5

sys-process/vixie-cron-4.1-r4

sys-kernel/gentoo-sources-2.6.11-r6

sys-devel/gettext-0.14.1-r1

sys-libs/glibc-2.3.4.20041102-r1

net-dns/dnsmasq-2.22

app-editors/nano-1.3.4

dev-util/ccache-2.3

sys-boot/grub-0.96-r1

www-client/links-2.1_pre15

app-admin/metalog-0.8_pre20031130

sys-fs/reiserfsprogs-3.6.19

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## ikaro

 *Quote:*   

> This error seems to be unique to ProFTPd, but it would seem that not many people get this problem.

 

It might be the answer you want, but what about switching to pure-ftpd ? ProFtpd has an history of security issues, and since you are having other problems, why not change ?  :Smile: 

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## LynxofCP

Sorry, i forgot to mention about that...

The server I'm trying to FTP into isn't mine, it's my work's paid hosting.

Personally, I use vsftpd as that's what I have experience with (At least vsftpd doesn't accuse me of being unoriginal...)

-Steven

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## ikaro

try using another client .

see if it sends the same lists commands to the server.

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## LynxofCP

Hmn

I tried it on NcFTP, gFTP on Linux, FileZilla, SmartFTP and WS_FTP in windows and Fetch on the Mac. They all give the same result I'm afraid.

The error occurs after about 7-9 major commands (I haven't counted with all the PORTs and stuff) But it usually stuffs up on a LIST command.

Having said that, when it occurs before transferring a file, I get something like this:

"ML" Command not Recognised

500 Try being more creative.

(Sorry, I don't have it in front of me to be perfectly precise.) But I've noticed that that ML is the last two letters of the filename. (index.html)

I'm going to try downgrading my kernel and see if that's the matter, then I might try recompiling ftp_conntrack etc as modules and see if that makes a difference...

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## LynxofCP

Just posting a followup to the issue above.

Indeed, downgrading the kernel to gentoo-sources-2.6.9-r9 fixed the problem. I should probably file a bug about this, but I'm not sure what category it goes under as I'm not sure exactly what part of 2.6.11 caused it...

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