vsftpd "secure_chroot_dir"

[sprucio]

Can anyone explain to me what the directive "secure_chroot_dir" is for? It seems like once you set chroot, the user is restricted to the users' home directory.

[Webdemic]

The default value for "secure_chroot_dir" (/usr/share/empty) should be sufficient (at least, I've never had to change it). This directive is different than "chroot_local_user", which is the directive that locks users in their home directory. "secure_chroot_dir" is used to lock the daemon in an unwritable folder when it is doing things that don't require filesystem access (at least, that's what I gather from the manpage):

secure_chroot_dir: This option should be the name of a directory which is empty. Also, the directory should not be writable by the ftp user. This directory is used as a secure chroot() jail at times vsftpd does not require filesystem access.

Take care.