ftpshut

Additional Notes

ftpshut schedules the ProFTPD FTP server to shut down at a specified time. It creates a shutdown configuration file that the server reads to determine when and how to deny new connections and disconnect existing users.

When a shutdown is scheduled, new connections receive a message explaining that the server is going down. Existing connections are given a grace period before they are forcibly disconnected. The shutdown can be cancelled by removing the shutdown file.

Syntax

ftpshut [options] time [warning-message]

Parameters

• time: When to shut down. Can be now, +minutes, or a specific time in HH:MM format.
• warning-message: Optional message displayed to users before disconnect.

Common Options

• -l minutes: Deny new connections this many minutes before the shutdown.
• -d minutes: Disconnect existing users this many minutes before the shutdown.
• -R: Restart the server instead of shutting down.
• -V: Remove an existing shutdown schedule and prevent the shutdown.

Examples

sudo ftpshut now

Shut down the FTP server immediately.

sudo ftpshut +30 "Server maintenance in 30 minutes"

Schedule a shutdown 30 minutes from now with a warning message.

sudo ftpshut 23:00 -l 10 -d 5

Schedule a shutdown at 11:00 PM, denying new connections 10 minutes before and disconnecting active users 5 minutes before.

sudo ftpshut -R +10

Schedule a server restart in 10 minutes.

sudo ftpshut -V

Cancel a previously scheduled shutdown.

Practical Notes

• ftpshut is specific to ProFTPD. Other FTP servers have their own shutdown mechanisms.
• The shutdown schedule is stored in the file /etc/shutmsg by default.
• To cancel a shutdown, either run ftpshut -V or manually remove /etc/shutmsg.
• The warning message is sent to connected users before the server disconnects them.
• Use ftpshut in maintenance scripts to gracefully bring down the FTP service.