FTP

FTP stands for File Transfer Protocol, designed for transferring files over the Internet. 

Jump ahead to: 

Is it possible to switch to my own FTP file storage system?

Basecamp no longer offers FTP uploading (file storage on your own server) for new accounts and accounts that never utilized this feature. If you never set up FTP uploading for your account, Basecamp storage is the only option you have for file uploading. An alternative: You can post a file on your own FTP site and then link to it from within Basecamp.

If we switch FTP servers will Basecamp Classic remap all our old files to the new server?

No. Files uploaded to the old FTP server will continue to point to the old FTP server. All files uploaded after you’ve changed your settings will point to the new server. If people still need to access an older file, you should just upload the file again. It will link to the new server.

NOTE: If you use the included Basecamp file storage with your account you’ll never have to worry about moving servers or remapping.

What username and password should I use for FTP hosting?

You can use the standard user name and password that you use to log into your own web server (not Basecamp, but your own server), or you could create a special account on your web sever for Basecamp to use.

Which user name and password you use is up to you, but this login needs to have permission to create directories and write files.

What is the Web URL and Server Path for FTP hosting?

The “Server Path” specifies the directory/folder on your server that will hold the files you upload via Basecamp. It’s important to start and end your path with a slash (“/”). An FTP server path might look like:

<code>/home/mycompany/webdocs/html/basecamp_stuff/

or a shorter version…

<code>/html/basecamp_stuff/


The “Web URL” is the web address you use to access the folder you specified in the FTP path. A Web URL looks like:

<code>http://www.mycompany.com/basecamp_stuff/

Here are some example pairs to show what we mean. If you’re confused about this, contact your ISP, web host, or system administrator for help.

Example 1
Server path:  /home/mycompany/webdocs/html/basecamp_stuff/
Web URL:  http://www.mycompany.com/basecamp_stuff/

Example 2
Server path:  /webroot/files/basecamp_stuff/
Web URL:  http://www.mycompany.com/files/basecamp_stuff/

Example 3
Server path:  /basecamp_stuff/
Web URL:  http://www.mycompany.com/basecamp_stuff/

Note: The FTP option is no longer available for new Basecamp accounts.

Can I work with files on the server or do I need to download them first?

If you want to edit a file, you’ll need to download it and make changes locally. Then you can upload the new version of the file.

I know my server path is right but Basecamp Classic says it's wrong. What's going on?

If your server path is correct but not working, it’s probably too long. Basecamp usually doesn’t need the entire path (and providing it can throw Basecamp off and result in an error).

For example, if your full Server Path is…

<code>/home/virtual/mysite.com/var/www/html/basecamp/

…and Basecamp keeps giving you a path error, try shortening the path one directory at a time — starting from the shortest version of the path. So, instead of your full path try:

<code>/basecamp/

or

<code>/html/basecamp/

or

<code>/www/html/basecamp/

or

<code>/var/www/html/basecamp/

or

<code>/mysite.com/var/www/html/basecamp/

…and so on.

Usually the shortest path is the right one.

Also note that Basecamp will append the server path to the starting path for the FTP user. So if the FTP user is already set to

<code>/home/virtual/mysite.com/var/www/html/basecamp/


you might just need to enter: /

Suddenly I can't upload files even though it was working before (and I didn't change anything). What's up?

Note: This is only for accounts that use FTP for hosting files. This is not for accounts that have files hosted by Basecamp.

99% of the time this is caused by one of the following:

1. Your server is out of space. Check to see if your FTP server is full. If so, you’ll need to clear some space before you can upload files again.

2. Someone changed your FTP password or read/write permissions without you knowing. Consult your system administrator to check on this.

3. Someone renamed or changed the directory structure on your server that Basecamp set up. If you change the directory structure, or even a single directory name, Basecamp won’t know where your files are or where to put the new files.

4. You’ve exceeded your quota on your FTP server. This isn’t necessarily about physical storage space, but about the quota configuration setting. We’ve seen problems in the past with accounts that had their FTP server misconfigured to only allow a certain amount of transfers during a 30 day period, for example. It’s important that you confirm your quota settings with your system administrator or your web host.

5. You’ve “hardened” or locked down your S/FTP server with a Firewall to only allow connections from certain IP addresses. If you want to let Basecamp through, you’ll need to open ports 21 and 5000-5500 (or port 22 for SFTP) for 204.62.114.254. This IP address may change in the future, so if you have problems be sure to check back and update your firewall accordingly.

6. You have a mal/spyware box, like a Cymphonix, that scans outgoing requests and identifies file uploads to Basecamp as false positives. To open up, add the IP range for 204.62.114.0/23 and your site URL to the white list on the box.