## ProFTPD module `mod_ctrls_admin`

This module is contained in the `mod_ctrls_admin.c` file for ProFTPD /1.3.x, and is not compiled by default. Installation instructions are discussed here.

This module implements administrative control actions for the `ftpdctl` program.

The most current version of `mod_ctrls_admin` is distributed with the ProFTPD source.

## Author

Please contact TJ Saunders <tj at castaglia.org> with any questions, concerns, or suggestions regarding this module.

## Directives

- AdminControlsACLs
- AdminControlsEngine

## Control Actions

- `debug`
- `dns`
- `down`
- `get`
- `kick`
- `restart`
- `scoreboard`
- `shutdown`
- `status`
- `trace`
- `up`

# Directives

## AdminControlsACLs

Syntax: AdminControlsACLs actions|all allow|deny user|group list
Default: None
Context: server config
Module: mod_ctrls_admin
Compatibility: 1.2.10rc1 and later

The `AdminControlsACLs` directive configures access lists of users or groups who are allowed (or denied) the ability to use the actions implemented by `mod_ctrls_admin`. The default behavior is to deny everyone unless an ACL allowing access has been explicitly configured.

If "allow" is used, then list, a comma-delimited list of users or groups, can use the given actions; all others are denied. If "deny" is used, then the list of users or groups cannot use actions all others are allowed. Multiple `AdminControlsACLs` directives may be used to configure ACLs for different control actions, and for both users and groups.

## AdminControlsEngine

Syntax: AdminControlsEngine on|off|actions
Default: None
Context: server config
Module: mod_ctrls_admin
Compatibility: 1.2.10rc1 and later

The `AdminControlsEngine`directive enables or disables the `mod_ctrls_admin` module, and thus the handling of its implemented control actions.

If only certain of the module's control actions are wanted, provide a list of those actions, rather than the normal "on" or "off". Any of `mod_ctrls_admin`'s control actions that do not appear in actions will be unregistered; by default, all of the module's control actions are registered.

# Control Actions

## `debug`

Syntax: ftpdctl debug [level [number]]|memory|config
Purpose: Obtain debug information from the running daemon

Obtaining debug output from the server greatly helps in diagnosing problems. The trick is in getting this debug output from the server. The `debug` control action can be used to gather such information.

First, this control action can increase or query the debug logging verbosity of the daemon on-the-fly, to obtain the needed output, and then to return the daemon to a more silent state of logging.

Example:

      ftpdctl debug level 9

raises the verbosity of the daemon to its maximum level. Once enough output has been collected, use:

      ftpdctl debug level 0

to return the daemon to its default debug output level.

Instead, to simply check the current debug logging verbosity, use:

      ftpdctl debug level

Alternatively, for developers (i.e. if `proftpd` was compiled with the `--enable-devel` configure option), this control action can be used to display the current memory allocation of the daemon:

      ftpdctl debug memory

Memory allocations for session processes are currently not available via this control action.

## `dns`

Syntax: ftpdctl dns on|off
Purpose: DNS configuration

The `dns` control action can be used to enable or disable the `UseReverseDNS` configuration at run time:

      # Enable resolution of IP addresses to DNS names
      ftpdctl dns on

      # Disable resolution of IP addresses to DNS names
      ftpdctl dns off

Note that the `dns` control action also supports a command for clearing any cached DNS lookup information:

      ftpdctl dns clear cache

## `down`

Syntax: ftpdctl down ip-address|dns-name[#port]|"all"
Purpose: Turn down a virtual server

The `down` control action can be used to "turn down" an individual virtual server, so that clients cannot connect to it. Once a virtual server has been "downed", the "up" control action can be used to bring that virtual server back up.

If a port number is not specified, it defaults to 21.

Note that using "down all" effectively puts the daemon in an "administrative" shutdown state, where the daemon is still running but no servers are available for servicing incoming connection requests. Current sessions are not affected.

## `get`

Syntax: ftpdctl get "config"|"directives"
Purpose: Obtain configuration information

The `get` control action can be used obtain various sorts of configuration information from the daemon. At present, this control action only supports the "config" and "directives" parameters.

The "config" parameter causes `ftpdctl` to display a configuration dump, similar to what is displayed by a syntax check (i.e. using the `-t` proftpd command-line option).

The "directives" parameter causes `ftpdctl` to display a sorted list of all supported configuration directives, as well as the module which handles the corresponding directive.

## `kick`

Syntax: ftpdctl kick [class name]|[host dns-name|ip-address][user name]
Purpose: Kick a currently connected class, host or user from the daemon

The `kick` control action can be used to disconnect a currently connected class, host or user from the daemon.

Examples:

      ftpdctl kick user bob dave

will kick all sessions that have logged in as user "bob" or user "dave".

      ftpdctl kick host luser.host.net

will kick all sessions that have connected from host "luser.host.net".

      ftpdctl kick class eval intranet

will kick all sessions that belong to classes "eval" and "intranet".

You can also use the `-n <count>` command-line option to specify the maximum number of clients to be kicked. For example, perhaps you only want to kick off 10 clients from host "luser.host.net" rather than kicking all of them off. To do this, use:

      ftpdctl kick host -n 10 luser.host.net

## `restart`

Syntax: ftpdctl restart
Purpose: Restart the daemon

The `restart` control action causes the daemon to re-read its configuration file, just as if a `SIGHUP` had been used. This is convenient for administrators, as it does not (necessarily) require root privileges, nor knowledge of the daemon's PID, to restart the daemon.

Example:

      # ftpdctl restart

In addition, you can use the `restart` control to ask the daemon how many times it has been restarted:

      # ftpdctl restart count
      ftpdctl: restarted 4 times since 2010-01-06 23:20:09 GMT

## `scoreboard`

Syntax: ftpdctl scoreboard scrub
Purpose: Scrubs the ScoreboardFile for dead processes

The `scoreboard` control action can be used to force the `ScoreboardFile` to be "scrubbed" for dead session processes which may not have exited cleanly.

      ftpdctl scoreboard scrub

      # The verb "clean" is synonymous with "scrub"
      ftpdctl scoreboard clean

## `shutdown`

Syntax: ftpdctl shutdown ["graceful" seconds]
Purpose: Stop the daemon

The `shutdown` control action shuts the daemon down. This is convenient for administrators, as it does not (necessarily) require root privileges, nor knowledge of the daemon's PID, to stop the daemon.

The optional "graceful" parameter allows for a graceful shutdown, in which `proftpd` will wait for the given number of seconds for all current sessions to end, before shutting down.

Example:

      ftpdctl shutdown graceful 30

will cause `proftpd` to wait for 30 seconds for all current sessions to end before shutting down completely.

## `status`

Syntax: ftpdctl status ip-address|dns-name[#port]|"all"
Purpose: Display the status of virtual servers

The `status` control action can be used to show the status of a particular virtual server, whether it is up or down.

If a port number is not specified, it defaults to 21.

If "status all" is used, the status of all virtual servers will be displayed.

## `trace`

Syntax: ftpdctl trace channel:level|"info"
Purpose: Configure trace channel log levels

The `trace` control action can be used to dynamically change the log levels of trace log levels.

Example:

      ftpdctl trace delay:10

will set the log verbosity level of the delay trace log channel to 10.

Additionally, the `trace` control action can be used to display the list of current trace channels and their log levels, e.g.:

      # ftpdctl trace info
      ftpdctl: Channel    Level
      ftpdctl: ---------- ------
      ftpdctl:        pam 10
      ftpdctl:     netacl 10
      ftpdctl:   response 10
      ftpdctl:       auth 10
      ftpdctl:       utf8 10
      ftpdctl:       inet 10
      ftpdctl:    binding 10
      ftpdctl:        dns 10
      ftpdctl:        dso 10
      ftpdctl:     parser 10
      ftpdctl:       pool 10
      ftpdctl:      ctrls 10
      ftpdctl:       data 10
      ftpdctl:      netio 10
      ftpdctl:     config 10
      ftpdctl:      ident 10
      ftpdctl:    command 10
      ftpdctl:      delay 10
      ftpdctl:      timer 10
      ftpdctl:        var 10
      ftpdctl:      event 10
      ftpdctl:       fsio 10
      ftpdctl:       site 10

## `up`

Syntax: ftpdctl up ip-address|dns-name[#port]
Purpose: Turn up a "downed" virtual server

The `up` control action can be used to "turn up" any virtual server that has been "downed" by the "down" control action. Note that using the "restart" control action is sufficient to enable, with one command, all virtual servers that have been downed.

If a port number is not specified, it defaults to 21.

## Installation

This module requires that controls support be enabled in `proftpd` via the `--enable-ctrls` configure option. Follow the normal steps for using third-party modules in ProFTPD:

      ./configure --enable-ctrls --with-modules=mod_ctrls_admin

To build `mod_ctrls_admin` as a DSO module:

      ./configure --enable-ctrls --enable-dso --with-shared=mod_ctrls_admin

Then follow the usual steps:

      make
      make install

For those with an existing ProFTPD installation, you can use the `prxs` tool to add `mod_ctrls_admin`, as a DSO module, to your existing server:

      # prxs -c -i -d mod_ctrls_admin.c

Last Updated: $Date: 2013-08-14 21:40:17 $

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