ciphermethod.com

# service vsftpd start
vsftpd start/pre-start, process 19503

# ftp localhost
ftp: connect: Connection refused
ftp>

# tail syslog
Apr 3 19:09:13 posix1c kernel: [5432924.750678] init: vsftpd main process (19514) terminated with status 1
Apr 3 19:09:13 posix1c kernel: [5432924.750692] init: vsftpd main process ended, respawning
Apr 3 19:09:13 posix1c kernel: [5432924.753473] init: vsftpd main process (19517) terminated with status 1
Apr 3 19:09:13 posix1c kernel: [5432924.753489] init: vsftpd main process ended, respawning
Apr 3 19:09:13 posix1c kernel: [5432924.756226] init: vsftpd main process (19520) terminated with status 1
Apr 3 19:09:13 posix1c kernel: [5432924.756240] init: vsftpd main process ended, respawning
Apr 3 19:09:13 posix1c kernel: [5432924.758928] init: vsftpd main process (19523) terminated with status 1
Apr 3 19:09:13 posix1c kernel: [5432924.758942] init: vsftpd main process ended, respawning
Apr 3 19:09:13 posix1c kernel: [5432924.761728] init: vsftpd main process (19526) terminated with status 1
Apr 3 19:09:13 posix1c kernel: [5432924.761743] init: vsftpd respawning too fast, stopped

# vsftpd
500 OOPS: unrecognised variable in config file: allow_writeable_chroot

# grep allow_writeable_chroot /etc/vsftpd.conf
allow_writeable_chroot=YES

Comment out:
# grep allow_writeable_chroot /etc/vsftpd.conf
#allow_writeable_chroot=YES

# service vsftpd start
vsftpd start/running, process 19652

Service stays up:
# ftp localhost
Connected to localhost.
220 (vsFTPd 2.3.5)
Name (localhost:user):