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TECHNICAL GUIDE

EVO FTP Plug-in

Hal Hope
  • Updated

The EVO FTP Plug-in enables concurrent file access by resharing existing EVO SMB shares over the FTP protocol. This allows external workflows, automated utilities, and standard FTP clients to transfer files directly to and from designated EVO storage targets.

Interface Overview

The plug-in first requires admin login, after which the interface is split into two primary management panels: Add EVO user/share and FTP users and shares.

Add EVO User/Share Panel

Use this section to map an existing EVO share to an FTP user account:

  • EVO user: The EVO user account authorized to access the target share.

  • EVO password: The password corresponding to the specified EVO user.

  • EVO share: The exact name of the EVO SMB share to reshare over FTP.

  • Read-only: When checked, restricts the FTP target to read and download operations. Upload and deletion attempts will fail with a 550 Read-only file system error.

  • Guest mode (FTP user "guest"): When checked, creates an anonymous target accessible via the guest FTP account without requiring user password verification.

  • ADD Button: Saves the configuration and creates the active FTP target.

FTP Users and Shares Panel

Use this section to manage active targets and global plug-in settings:

  • Enable/Disable Toggle (Top-Right): Turns the plug-in's FTP server service on or off.

  • Port: Sets the network listening port for incoming FTP connections (Default: 2121).

  • Targets List: Displays configured FTP mappings along with connection information, share options, and deletion controls (trash icon).

Operational Considerations & Best Practices

Network & Port Configuration

  • Default Port: The plug-in defaults to port 2121 to avoid network conflicts.

  • Port 21 Conflicts: EVO uses SFTP (port 22) by default, but also offers the FTP service on port 21. If you wish to configure the plug-in to run on the standard port 21, ensure EVO is not also serving FTP.

  • Auto-Reversion: If port 21 is selected while EVO's native FTP server is active, the plug-in will automatically switch to port 2121 and prompt a conflict alert.

User Account Rules

  • Active Directory (AD) Users: AD accounts are supported using the user@DOMAIN format. If entered using legacy syntax (DOMAIN\user), the system automatically converts and displays the username as user@DOMAIN.

  • Automated Permission Syncing: Targets remain linked to EVO account permissions. If an EVO user or share is deleted, or if user permissions are revoked in EVO, the corresponding FTP target will automatically disable or remove itself. If access is later restored in EVO, disabled targets will automatically re-enable.

File Transfer Rules & Client Compatibility

  • Root Directory Write Protection: FTP users cannot create folders or upload files directly into the FTP root folder (the parent directory containing the share targets). Transfers must occur inside designated target share directories.

  • macOS Finder Limitations: Mounting an FTP connection natively using macOS Finder attaches as read-only by design.

  • Recommended Clients: Use dedicated FTP applications such as Cyberduck or FileZilla for full read/write access and batch file operations.

  • Security Protocol: Transfers utilize standard unencrypted FTP. Secure FTP over TLS/SFTP is not enabled in this version.

Filename Encoding & Special Characters

  • Recommended Character Set: It is strongly recommended to use standard ASCII / Roman characters when naming files transferred over FTP.

  • Cross-Protocol Encoding: Due to differences in character encoding between SMB and FTP protocols across operating systems, complex Unicode sets or localized scripts may cause filename rendering mismatches or trigger 550 No such file or directory transfer errors on certain FTP clients.

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