FTP: Create Login Banner

When you use VSFTPD you can configure a login banner that will carry a message for your users.  Each user will see the message before they enter their username and password, even anonymous users.

Lesson 4 / Lesson 6

Create a Login Banner
The vsftpd.conf file has a section that allows for a Banner Message when users login. Simply, place the message after the ftpd_banner=

# You may fully customize the login banner string:
ftpd_banner=Welcome to My Secure FTP service.

Be sure that the line is uncommented by removing the "#" if it exists at the start of the line.  You can make this message as long as you want.  You may want to place an Acceptable Use Policy here so that you can cover some legal bases as well.

Another method of creating a Banner Message is to place a .message file in a directory. Create a file with the message and save it as .message in the directory. Be sure to make it read only.

Create a Login Banner File

When you create a longer banner you may want to just create a file and then make a reference to that file.  This can be done by using the banner_file option.

banner_file=/path/to/banner/file

As long as you have a formatted text file it should work for anything you want to do.  This is the ideal situation for AUPs that you may want to present to users.