Taking modern needs into account and some ideas from the Apache HTTP server, the ProFTPD developers have created a new FTP server with greatly increased configurabilty and performance. If fact, the configuration of ProFTPD is very similar to that of Apache, and even supports '.ftpaccess' files for directories. If you're familiar with Apache configuration, you'll probably love this configuration system.

Special attention has also been paid to virtual server management, security, logging, user accounts (real and virtual) and overall efficiency. The modular design of Apache has also been an influence, allowing peripheral components of the FTP server to be flexibly implemented. For example, instead of building 'ls' into the core of the software, it is available as a pluggable module that may be replaced by an alternative if needed or removed completely. Other modules provided with the standard package include PAM authentication and user ratio management.

While ProFTPD is fundamentally different in many ways, migration from Wu-FTPD should not be too difficult. Familiar accessory applications such as ftpwho, ftpcount and ftpshut are provided, as well as comprehensive documentation in the form of man pages and Web-based reference guides.

The package utilises GNU autoconf to help manage building and installation, which is reasonably straightforward, although you will need to check with the documentation for some of the finer details (such as setting environment variables for the installed user and group IDs).

It is possible for users to access an upstream news server directly with a client such as Netscape, although this can cause excessive load on slow links, and may increase firewall configuration complexity.

This is where Leafnode can help. It is an NNTP server specifically designed for small sites with up to around 30 users that only fetches regularly read news. If nobody reads a particular group for a week, Leafnode stops bringing it in (until someone starts reading it again).

Another advantage is that as a fully fledged NNTP server, Leafnode will queue incoming and outgoing news to be transmitted at times specified by the system administrator (such as when the boss isn't trying to read the latest stock prices off the Web); and allow for sites with semi-permanent connections to provide good news coverage.

Version 3, which was in beta testing at the time of writing, includes facilities for threaded discussion, user profiles, searching, message editing, private messaging and a host of administrative controls.

Configuring and customising WWWThreads requires considerable effort, but it is very powerful, and about as good as it gets when it comes to Web discussion packages, free or commercial.

Built with the GTK libraries, gFTP provides a familiar graphical interface and a useful set of features including multiple simultaneous downloads, progress reporting and FTP resume. Sites may be managed in groups, while a number of options are available for sorting and comparing local and remote listings.

This package requires a developmental 1.1.x version of the GTK libraries, which many users will not have on their systems. If you want to run gFTP but don't want to mess with your GTK libraries (if you don't know why this might be a bad idea, you probably shouldn't do it!), try one of the statically compiled binaries available from the Web site.

This is a small, powerful package with an interface similar to Elm's, and features and ideas have been borrowed from other clients such as Pine to produce a 'mutt'.

Features include support for POP and IMAP, PGP (in the international version), MIME and message threading.

Operation of the user interface is not immediately obvious, although Elm users should have no problems. Context sensitive online help is provided, and if you get lost (though it is probably more a matter of when, rather than if), just press the ? key.