Using Ubuntu 10.04 on an aws ec2 instance. I was happy just using ssh but then a wordpress plugin needs ftp access...I just need ftp access for one site www.sitebuilt.net which is in /home/sitebuil. I installed a vftpd and pam and followed suggestions that got me to the following state /etc/vftpd.conf listen=YES anonymous_enable=NO local_enable=YES write_enable=YES dirmessage_enable=YES use_localtime=YES xferlog_enable=YES connect_from_port_20=YES xferlog_file=/var/log/vsftpd.log secure_chroot_dir=/var/run/vsftpd/empty pam_service_name=vsftpd rsa_cert_file=/etc/ssl/private/vsftpd.pem guest_enable=YES user_sub_token=$USER local_root=/home/$USER chroot_local_user=YES hide_ids=YES check_shell=NO userlist_file=/etc/vsftpd_users /etc/pam.d/vsftpd # Standard behaviour for ftpd(8). auth required pam_listfile.so item=user sense=deny file=/etc/ftpusers onerr=succeed # Note: vsftpd handles anonymous logins on its own. Do not enable pam_ftp.so. # Standard pam includes @include common-account @include common-session @include common-auth auth required pam_shells.so # Customized login using htpasswd file auth required pam_pwdfile.so pwdfile /etc/vsftpd/passwd account required pam_permit.so session optional pam_keyinit.so force revoke auth include system-auth account include system-auth session include system-auth session required pam_loginuid.so /etc/vsftpd_users sitebuil tim /etc/passwd ... sitebuil:x:1002:100:sitebuilt systems:/home/sitebuil:/bin/sh ftp:x:108:113:ftp daemon,,,:/srv/ftp:/sbin/nologin /etc/vsftpd/passwd sitebuil:Kzencryptedpwd /var/log/vftpd.log Wed Feb 29 15:15:48 2012 [pid 20084] CONNECT: Client "98.217.196.12" Wed Feb 29 15:16:02 2012 [pid 20083] [sitebuil] FAIL LOGIN: Client "98.217.196.12" Wed Feb 29 16:12:33 2012 [pid 20652] CONNECT: Client "98.217.196.12" Wed Feb 29 16:12:45 2012 [pid 20651] [sitebuil] FAIL LOGIN: Client "98.217.196.12"