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Date:      Mon, 5 Apr 2021 08:57:02 -0600
From:      Alan Somers <asomers@freebsd.org>
To:        Cy Schubert <Cy.Schubert@cschubert.com>
Cc:        Ed Maste <emaste@freebsd.org>, freebsd-stable stable <freebsd-stable@freebsd.org>
Subject:   Re: Deprecating base system ftpd?
Message-ID:  <CAOtMX2jjL0Kgmv2WsGQhEBm46pNPn-Ni=UfSi=1MDW=-asgbpQ@mail.gmail.com>
In-Reply-To: <202104051444.135EixF6025306@slippy.cwsent.com>
References:  <CAPyFy2AbP2X339zbemZ9Y8edjNKdyygnR9mH48Q78nxwDtOBAg@mail.gmail.com> <202104051444.135EixF6025306@slippy.cwsent.com>

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On Mon, Apr 5, 2021 at 8:45 AM Cy Schubert <Cy.Schubert@cschubert.com>
wrote:

> In message
> <CAPyFy2AbP2X339zbemZ9Y8edjNKdyygnR9mH48Q78nxwDtOBAg@mail.gmail.c
> om>
> , Ed Maste writes:
> > I propose deprecating the ftpd currently included in the base system
> > before FreeBSD 14, and opened review D26447
> > (https://reviews.freebsd.org/D26447) to add a notice to the man page.
> > I had originally planned to try to do this before 13.0, but it dropped
> > off my list. FTP is not nearly as relevant now as it once was, and it
> > had a security vulnerability that secteam had to address.
>
> I think this is an excellent start. My shopping list includes:
>
> - remove ftp(1)
> - remove ftpd(8)
> - remove telnet(1)
> - remove telnetd(8)
> - remove ftp:// and http:// from libfetch. This is 2021 and we should all
> use https://.
>

Whoa there!  You can't remove ftp and http from libfetch, because FreeBSD
doesn't control all of the servers that our users need to fetch from.  Not
even close.


> - replace DNS lookups with DoH and/or DoT. Why let your ISP see your DNS
> traffic?
>
> >
> > I'm happy to make a port for it if anyone needs it. Comments?
>
> I've started working on splitting ftp and ftpd into an external git repo.
> The problem I've encountered is that though only ftp and ftpd are left the
> resultant repo is still 1.2 GB. If my last attempt fails, there is a
> choice
> between a 1.2 GB repo and burning ftp forever then the choice is clear:
> burn it forever.
>
> Adding the following as an option:
>
> Also note that the tnftp ports are the NetBSD ftp and ftpd. The FreeBSD
> ftp
> and ftpd are simply copies of tnftp and tnfpd. Would it make more sense to
> share our customizations with NetBSD and we simply reply on NetBSD for the
> client and server in our ports? This last option might be simpler than
> creating a port.
>

Maybe, but that would be an impediment to adding Capsicum support.


>
> Personally, I'd suggest we remove the ftpd server *AND* ftp client and
> rely
> on ports. Having worked on UNIX, Internet security, and firewalls over the
> last 3/5 of my almost 50 year career, I have lamented the existence of the
> FTP protocol back in 1995 and I hate the FTP protocol with greater a
> passion today. Let's simply remove all vestiges of FTP from the base
> system, including libfetch, sooner than later. We don't need it now that
> we
> have HTTPS and POST; and sftp.
>
> I think we should make it our goal to remove any and all unencrypted
> protocols from FreeBSD by 2025.
>

tftpd is still vitally important for PXE booting.  And unencrypted NFS will
certainly live on past 2025.

-Alan



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