To authenticate ProFTPD virtual users from MySQL on Ubuntu, install ProFTPD’s core package and the separate proftpd-mod-mysql module, create a database table that maps logins to passwords and Unix-style account fields, then configure ProFTPD’s SQL directives to use that table. The critical details are loading both SQL layers, matching the table columns to SQLUserInfo, and selecting a password verifier compatible with the hashes you store.
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This guide covers a package-managed installation. Package versions and dependencies vary by Ubuntu release; the Noble archive lists proftpd-mod-mysql version 1.3.8.b+dfsg-1ubuntu0.1 in its security repository. On Jammy, proftpd-basic is a transitional package that depends on proftpd-core and related modules. Confirm the packages available for your own release before installing.
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Understand the two SQL modules
ProFTPD separates the general SQL interface from the database-specific implementation. mod_sql provides the interface between the daemon and an SQL database; mod_sql_mysql performs MySQL-specific operations. Installing only the core daemon, or having the generic SQL module without its MySQL backend, is not enough for a MySQL-backed configuration.
For a normal Ubuntu deployment, use the distribution packages so the daemon and modules remain aligned with the release. A source build is a separate choice: it requires building or enabling both modules and having the appropriate MySQL development headers and libraries. Use that route only if you have a specific need for a custom build.
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Plan the account model before configuring ProFTPD
A database-backed login still needs to resolve to a filesystem identity and a usable directory. At minimum, the SQL user record needs a login name and password. A practical virtual-account mapping normally also includes a UID, GID, home directory, and shell field. ProFTPD reads these values according to the column order configured in SQLUserInfo.
Choose the database and schema
- Identify whether the server is MySQL or a compatible MariaDB deployment. Do not assume that password formats or backend behavior are interchangeable across database generations.
- Decide which table will contain user records and which columns will hold login, password, UID, GID, home directory, and shell information.
- Make sure each mapped home path exists and is accessible to the ProFTPD runtime identity.
- Give the ProFTPD database account access only to the tables and operations its configured queries require.
The table can be part of an existing application database or dedicated to FTP accounts. Whatever layout you select, keep the schema and the SQLUserInfo mapping in sync; a valid password in the wrong column is still an authentication failure.
Check the release and package dependencies
Before changing configuration, identify the Ubuntu release and the database implementation. Ubuntu updates package names, module builds, and dependency versions over time. Noble’s security archive currently identifies proftpd-mod-mysql as 1.3.8.b+dfsg-1ubuntu0.1. That package depends on proftpd-core and libmysqlclient21. The exact version is less important than keeping all components from the same release and repository.
Jammy uses proftpd-basic as a transitional package that pulls in proftpd-core and related modules. Treat the package transaction as the authority for what is installed rather than assuming that a package name used by an older tutorial has the same role on your server. Do not mix a core daemon or SQL module from another Ubuntu release, since their module interfaces and configuration layout may differ.
Install the Ubuntu packages
Refresh package metadata and install the daemon core with the MySQL module from the repositories for the target Ubuntu release. For example:
sudo apt update
sudo apt install proftpd-core proftpd-mod-mysqlPackage naming can differ across releases. In particular, Jammy’s proftpd-basic is transitional rather than a distinct replacement for understanding which components are installed. Check the package transaction and confirm that both the core and MySQL module are present. Avoid mixing a module from one Ubuntu release with a core package from another.
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Create a least-privilege SQL account and user table
Create the database and login records using the database administration method already used on your server. The account used in SQLConnectInfo should be dedicated to ProFTPD rather than a database administrator account. Restrict its privileges to the selected database and the reads or other operations required by your deployment.
ProFTPD’s virtual-user configuration needs a consistent mapping. The following example illustrates the fields the configuration expects; replace the database, account, password, and table values with your own, and ensure the actual table columns have the same meaning and order:
<IfModule mod_sql.c>
SQLUserInfo users username password uid gid homedir shell
</IfModule>In this mapping, users is the table, and the remaining names identify the login, password, numeric user and group IDs, home directory, and shell columns. The SQL how-to describes the login and password as the minimum user-table contents, while the broader account mapping uses those additional identity fields. Do not omit a field merely because it is not part of password verification: the daemon still needs an account identity and directory arrangement appropriate to the server.
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Keep the first implementation narrow. SQLAuthenticate users is sufficient when ProFTPD only needs to look up users. Group lookups, set-related modes, quotas, or other account metadata should be added only when the deployment actually uses them and the corresponding schema and queries are ready. Enabling lookup types that have no matching tables or permissions makes troubleshooting harder without improving a simple virtual-user service.
Document the meaning of each UID and GID in the table. Multiple virtual accounts can deliberately share a restricted filesystem identity, but that decision affects ownership and isolation. If accounts require separate write boundaries, assign identities and directories accordingly instead of assuming that distinct database rows automatically provide filesystem separation.
Configure ProFTPD to use MySQL
Add the SQL directives to the packaged configuration file or an included configuration file, following the include layout on your Ubuntu release. This representative block shows the core settings; adapt the database connection syntax, table name, column names, and authentication method to the installed version and schema.
<IfModule mod_sql.c>
SQLBackend mysql
SQLEngine on
SQLConnectInfo [email protected] ftp_sql_user change-this-secret
SQLAuthenticate users
SQLAuthTypes OpenSSL Crypt
SQLUserInfo users username password uid gid homedir shell
</IfModule>SQLBackend mysql selects the MySQL backend when explicit backend selection is needed. SQLEngine on enables the SQL engine. SQLConnectInfo specifies the database connection, database user, and credential, and SQLUserInfo maps virtual users to the chosen table and columns. Protect the configuration file because it contains a database secret, and use a secret that is not shared with another service.
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The sample connection string is illustrative, not a universal database-host format. Confirm the accepted syntax for the installed ProFTPD version and the connection arrangement you use. A local database and a remote database have different network and access considerations; expose database access only as broadly as the deployment requires.
Choose the authentication scope
SQLAuthenticate users enables SQL-backed user lookups. Add group lookup or other SQL authentication modes only if the deployment needs them. The SQLAuthenticate directive controls user and group lookup behavior, so enabling more lookup types than the configuration supports can create avoidable failures.
Load the backend modules
Check the effective packaged configuration for both the generic SQL module and MySQL backend. A configuration block inside <IfModule mod_sql.c> is conditional: if the generic module is not loaded, the directives in that block will not establish SQL authentication. Likewise, the MySQL-specific module must be available for the configured backend. Consult the package’s module-loading conventions rather than copying source-build instructions into a package-managed installation.
Match stored password hashes to SQLAuthTypes
Password storage and ProFTPD verification must agree. SQLAuthTypes accepts an ordered list of methods; the order determines which verifier is tried first. The documented methods include Backend, Crypt, OpenSSL, Plaintext, and Empty. The example uses OpenSSL Crypt only to demonstrate an ordered list, not to declare a suitable choice for every database or hash format.
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Choose a strong, non-reversible password hash supported by the selected ProFTPD module and database path, and verify that the value stored in the password column is in the format that verifier expects. Do not copy an old configuration’s Backend setting blindly: MySQL password formats and backend compatibility have changed across generations. ProFTPD’s SQL guidance discusses OpenSSL, Crypt, and the mod_sql_passwd alternative when Backend is unsuitable.
- A hash-format mismatch can make a correct user-entered password fail, because ProFTPD cannot verify the stored value using the configured method.
PlaintextandEmptyauthentication are not appropriate choices for production accounts.- Do not solve a failed login by weakening password storage before identifying the expected hash format and verifier.
Confirm the server’s MySQL or MariaDB implementation and version before settling on a password method. The package installation alone does not make every database-era password format compatible with every ProFTPD authentication method.
Understand the order of SQLAuthTypes
The list is not merely descriptive. ProFTPD tries the allowed methods in the order supplied, so placing a method first can change which interpretation is applied to a stored value. During a migration, make the order intentional and remove obsolete methods after all affected rows have been converted. A broad list can hide inconsistent data by allowing different accounts to authenticate through different formats; a narrow list makes the expected storage format explicit.
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Set home directories and filesystem access
Database authentication answers who the virtual user is; it does not create or secure the user’s files. Set ownership and permissions deliberately for the mapped UID and GID, and ensure the configured home directory exists. Test access using the daemon’s actual runtime identity and the same confinement arrangement that will be used in production.
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Validate the configuration and test a virtual user
- Review the effective configuration. Confirm that the packaged configuration includes the file containing the SQL block, both SQL modules are available, and directive names and column order match the installed version and database schema.
- Run the configuration check. Use the ProFTPD configuration-test option provided by the installed package before restarting. On installations whose binary supports it, run
sudo proftpd --configtest. Resolve syntax errors and module-loading problems before proceeding. - Restart or reload through the service manager. Apply changes using the service management method for that Ubuntu release. If startup fails, inspect the service status and logs before changing the SQL settings.
- Test with a dedicated database-backed account. Check a known login, confirm that its configured home path is usable, and verify expected file access. Do not use a production administrator or an unrelated user account as the test identity.
- Remove temporary diagnostic verbosity. If you enabled SQL trace logging to investigate a problem, turn it off after diagnosis; high-volume tracing is a debugging aid, not a default production setting.
Use encrypted transport and protect credentials
SQL-backed authentication does not itself encrypt FTP traffic. Use FTPS/TLS or another encrypted transport to protect login credentials and file contents in transit. Also protect the ProFTPD configuration containing database credentials, limit database network exposure, and keep the SQL account’s privileges narrow. These are independent controls: a sound database password verifier does not protect a plaintext FTP connection, and encrypted transport does not compensate for an overprivileged database account.
Troubleshoot rejected MySQL virtual users
When ProFTPD rejects a database-backed user, isolate the failure by checking the connection, lookup, password verification, and filesystem stages separately. Enable SQL-specific tracing only while diagnosing connection, query, or authentication problems, then remove the additional tracing once you have the needed evidence.
Connection fails before a user can be looked up
- Check the database name, host syntax, database username, and credential in
SQLConnectInfo. - Confirm the SQL account can connect from the ProFTPD host and has access to the selected database and table.
- Verify that
mod_sqlandmod_sql_mysqlare loaded and that the configured backend is available.
The connection works, but the login is not found
- Check that
SQLEngine onis active and that SQL authentication includesusers. - Compare the table and column names in
SQLUserInfowith the actual schema, including the order of login and password fields. - Confirm that the test login exists in the table and that the database account can read the row.
The user is found, but the password is rejected
- Identify the stored password format and select an authentication method that supports it.
- Check the ordering of methods in
SQLAuthTypes; it determines which method is tried first. - Do not assume that
Backendworks with the current MySQL or MariaDB password representation. Check compatibility and consider an appropriate documented alternative.
Authentication succeeds, but directory access fails
- Check the mapped UID, GID, home directory, and shell values against the row being used.
- Ensure the home directory exists and filesystem permissions permit the expected access.
- Recheck how
DefaultRootor other confinement changes the path visible to the virtual user.
Package-managed installation versus a source build
| Approach | What it involves | When it fits |
|---|---|---|
| Ubuntu packages | Install ProFTPD core and the separate proftpd-mod-mysql package from repositories for the same Ubuntu release. |
The appropriate default for a conventional Ubuntu server that can use the distribution’s versions and module packaging. |
| Source build | Build or enable the generic SQL and MySQL backend modules and provide the required MySQL headers and libraries. | Only when a specific custom-build requirement justifies departing from the distribution package set. |
Whichever approach you choose, keep the daemon, SQL layer, and MySQL backend compatible with each other. With package-managed installations, avoid mixing releases; with a source build, make sure both SQL layers are actually built and loaded.
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MySQL and MariaDB considerations
MariaDB deployments can be compatible with the MySQL backend, but compatibility should be verified rather than assumed. The database server, client library, and password representation all matter. Ubuntu’s packaged module may depend on a particular client library, such as libmysqlclient21, while the server may be local or remote. Confirm that the selected library can establish the intended connection and that the stored hashes are understood by the chosen ProFTPD verifier.
Keep connection testing and password testing separate. A successful database connection proves only that the client library, host, credentials, and permissions work. It does not prove that SQLAuthTypes can validate a particular stored password. Conversely, a compatible hash cannot help if the SQL account cannot read the user row.
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Pre-production checklist
- Ubuntu release, ProFTPD core, SQL module, and MySQL backend all come from a compatible package set.
- The SQL account is dedicated, has only the required privileges, and its secret is protected in the ProFTPD configuration.
- The table contains the mapped login, password, UID, GID, home, and shell values, with column order matching
SQLUserInfo. SQLEngine,SQLBackendwhen needed,SQLConnectInfo,SQLAuthenticate, andSQLAuthTypesare intentional and documented.- The password verifier matches the actual hash format; plaintext and empty-password methods are excluded from production.
- Mapped directories exist, have deliberate ownership and permissions, and behave correctly under any
DefaultRootconfinement. - The configuration passes the package’s syntax test, a dedicated test user can log in, and temporary SQL tracing is disabled afterward.
- FTP credentials and content are protected with FTPS/TLS or another encrypted transport.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I create ProFTPD virtual users in MySQL?
Create a user table containing at least a login and password, and normally also UID, GID, home-directory, and shell columns. Point SQLUserInfo at that table in the same column order, then use SQLAuthenticate users for user lookups.
Why does ProFTPD reject my MySQL user password?
First verify that the user row is found. Then compare the stored hash format with the methods listed in SQLAuthTypes, remembering that the methods are tried in order. MySQL and MariaDB password formats differ across generations, so Backend may not match the value in your password column.
Is installing only proftpd-mod-mysql enough?
No. Ubuntu’s MySQL module depends on the ProFTPD core, and the integration requires both mod_sql and mod_sql_mysql. Use the distribution package set for the same Ubuntu release.
Do I need SQL group authentication?
Not for a simple virtual-user service. SQLAuthenticate users is sufficient for user lookups. Add group or set-related modes only when your deployment has the matching schema, queries, and permissions.
Can I use plaintext passwords in the database?
Although Plaintext is a documented authentication method, plaintext and Empty authentication are inappropriate for production. Store a strong, non-reversible hash and select a verifier that supports its format.
Why can a user authenticate but still fail to open the FTP directory?
Authentication and filesystem access are separate stages. Check the mapped UID, GID, home path, directory ownership, and permissions, then verify that DefaultRoot or another confinement setting does not change the path the user can see.
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The Bottom Line
Use Ubuntu’s matching ProFTPD core and proftpd-mod-mysql packages, load both SQL modules, and map a least-privilege database account through SQLConnectInfo and SQLUserInfo. Make SQLAuthTypes match the hashes actually stored, validate the configuration before restarting, and treat filesystem permissions, confinement, database-secret protection, and encrypted FTP transport as separate production requirements.
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