# ProFTPD won't recognize user



## fullauto (Mar 29, 2012)

Hello, 

Getting the following error when trying to kick off my ProFTPd:


```
[root@BSD]/usr/local/etc/rc.d-> ./proftpd start
Starting proftpd.
 - Fatal: User: Unknown user 'ProFTPd' on line 36 of '/usr/local/etc/proftpd.conf'
./proftpd: WARNING: failed to start proftpd
```

I have added the user in the /etc/master.passwd file:


```
messagebus:*:556:556::0:0:D-BUS Daemon User:/nonexistent:/usr/sbin/nologin
polkit:*:562:562::0:0:PolicyKit User:/nonexistent:/usr/sbin/nologin
haldaemon:*:560:560::0:0:HAL Daemon User:/nonexistent:/usr/sbin/nologin
ProFTPd:*:1002:1::0:0:Proftpd Daemon:/nonexistent:/bin/sh
```
I was wondering if anyone here could shed some light on what I'm doing wrong? I'm am really new to this so please go easy on me.


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## redw0lfx (Mar 29, 2012)

Did you add the user by manually editing the /etc/master.password?  Does the user also exist in the shadow file?  Also, not 100% sure, but the user uid might need to be less than 1000.

Maybe try updating the ProFTPd user uid using pw(8)() (where -u 565, is the next free UID below 1000):


```
pw user mod ProFTPd -u 565
```


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## Abriel (Mar 29, 2012)

I have:

```
#Set the user and group under which the server will run.
User                            nobody
Group                           nogroup
```


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