[Zope] Problems with FTP port 8021

[Cary O'Brien]

> I've been trying to use an FTP client to access Zope with little luck.
> As luck would have it, I'm behind an IP Masquerading box at home. The
> FTP module on Linux for IP forwarding works on port 21. This seems to

Oooh, good problem.  Gotta think about this one.

> be hard coded. Unfortunately, the firewall box is an old eSoft box that
> has an old version of Debian and Linux. It is also a headless box and
> if I try to install a new version of Linux, and it doesn't work, I'm
> screwed. This removes the possibility of recompiling the FTP module
> to work on port 8021.
> 
> Is there a way I can use FTP port 8021 or an alternate protocol that
> works with IP forwarding?
> 

0) Goddam ftp protocol.  What a pain.

1) Installing new kernels on headless boxes is not for the faint of
   heart.  However, it can be done.  What I've done is to compile a
   new kernel and put it on a floppy, and reboot the machine so it loads
   from the floppy.  if it does a crash-and-burn, just pop out the floppy
   and reboot.  Also, see if echo ^g > /dev/console will beep.  If so
   you can at least use this (in lots of the /etc/rc.d stuff) to find
   out how far you get.

1.1) In many Linux systems the ftp module is a loadable/unloadable
   module.  So you MIGHT be able to recompile it to use the other
   address.  But that would screw up regular ftp access.  Yuck.

2) I understand that you are behind an IP Masq box, but what is at the
   other end?  Can you set up a vpn (there are some vpn setups that use
   ssh) so you have complete access to the other side?  That would allow
   you to work around the IP Masq problem.

3) Another approach is to simply work from the IP Masq box itself.  If you
   can get emacs with X running on the IP Masq box, but displaying back
   to your headfull (is that a word) machine, you can edit using the ftp
   interface.  You could even, perhaps, run netscape on the IP Masq box
   and redirect the display back to your desktop.  Gotta love X.

Good luck.  There's gotta be a solution. Let us know how things work out.

-- cary