Xway upload failure after server update

Xway
1

I host my websites on a VPS. A friend of mine manages any server side problems for me. He recently noticed that it was time we updated UNIX. All seemed to go well, with all sites and emails working OK after the update, until I tried uploading site changes via Xway.

I got the message: Upload failed: The server’s TLS/SSL certificate or SSH fingerprint could not be verified.

There was no option for accepting a certificate.

My friend thinks the updated server is using self assigned certificates, but the old one did too. So what has changed?

Are there any limitations with using self assigned certificates with Xway uploads? Do you have any suggestions what to try next?

I am uploading via Fetch in the meantime.

Thanks

Paul

Export log:

[15:49:59.277] * **********
[15:49:59.277] *
[15:49:59.277] * Xway 1.1.3 (0505.7)
[15:49:59.277] * SE1 newspaper archive 4.xway
[15:49:59.277] * 1F92DB70-62F9-4753-8BA6-286203F7681D
[15:49:59.277] * Thursday 28 May 2026 at 16:49 GMT+01:00
[15:49:59.277] * Uploading to srv.paulcarter-photographer.co.uk
[15:49:59.277] * Root directory: /se1communitynewspaper.org.uk/
[15:49:59.277] * Scheme: ftp
[15:49:59.278]
[15:49:59.316] ~~~ Began initial connection
[15:49:59.656] 220---------- Welcome to Pure-FTPd [privsep] [TLS] ----------
[15:49:59.656] 220-You are user number 1 of 50 allowed.
[15:49:59.656] 220-Local time is now 15:49. Server port: 21.
[15:49:59.656] 220-This is a private system - No anonymous login
[15:49:59.656] 220 You will be disconnected after 15 minutes of inactivity.
[15:49:59.657] AUTH SSL
[15:49:59.690] 500 This security scheme is not implemented
[15:49:59.691] AUTH TLS
[15:49:59.725] 234 AUTH TLS OK.
[15:49:59.730] * TLSv1.2 (OUT), TLS handshake, Client hello (1):
[15:49:59.757] * successfully imported CA certificate blob
[15:49:59.777] * TLSv1.2 (IN), TLS handshake, Server hello (2):
[15:49:59.777] * TLSv1.2 (IN), TLS handshake, Certificate (11):
[15:49:59.777] * TLSv1.2 (OUT), TLS alert, unknown CA (560):
[15:49:59.777] * SSL certificate problem: self-signed certificate
[15:49:59.777] * closing connection #0
[15:49:59.778] *** Upload failed: The server’s TLS/SSL certificate or SSH fingerprint could not be verified. [60] ***
[15:49:59.778] * An error occurred while curl was performing an operation on an easy handle: The server’s TLS/SSL certificate or SSH fingerprint could not be verified. [60] (SPUpload/CurlHandle.swift: 112)
[15:49:59.778] * An error occurred while performing an operation on a curl easy handle (SPUpload/CurlHandle.swift: 114)
[15:49:59.778] * Failed to connect because of a curl error (SPUpload/CurlFTPConnection.swift: 61)
[15:49:59.780]
[15:49:59.781] * 0/0 files uploaded
[15:49:59.781] * 0/0 directories created
[15:49:59.781] * 0 files deleted
[15:49:59.781] * 0 directories deleted
[15:49:59.781] * 0/0 bytes transferred
[15:49:59.781] * Total time: 0.5 seconds
[15:49:59.781] *
[15:49:59.781] * **********

2

Hi Paul,

Xway doesn’t have an option (currently) to trust self-signed certificates, so we don’t think your server was previously using a self-signed certificate. Can you ask your web provider whether this is a temporary situation or whether they intend to continue using a self-signed certificate?

Self-signed certificates are typically used for in-house development rather than external access.

If you previously used Freeway, there was an option to turn off authentication for SSL certificates. We deliberately avoided adding this in Xway, because it is a security risk. Allowing users to trust self-signed certificates is less of a security risk, but it would be better if your web provider used a publicly signed certificate.

We do have an issue logged on adding support for users to be able trust self-signed certificates in Xway.

Currently, the way to work around this is to export your site (choose Export from the File menu) and use a third-party application to upload it (as you are doing).

3

Thank you for that quick response, Jeremy. We can now decide to just carry on with the workaround or see if there is something we can do to change things on the server.

Paul

Paul Carter

02380 436191
07718 793117

4

I’d be interested to know if your web provider intends to continue using a self-signed SSL certificate for FTP upload, and what reasons they give for doing so.

That could influence our decision on whether to prioritise adding support for trusting certificates in Xway.

5

We will investigate and let you know.

Paul Carter

02380 436191
07718 793117

1 Like
6

Hi Jeremy

Sorry for the delay getting back to you. If I understand it right from my friend who did the update, when the new ftp server was installed on the VPS, it defaulted to self-generated certificates. The control panel didn’t appear to support pointing it at the valid ones. Once that was solved the blockage cleared and I am now Uploading directly from Xway as before.

All the best

Paul

2 Likes
7

Hi Paul,

Thanks for the update!