SSH/PAM login issue with fresh install: edit wiki or raise bug?

quigybo · 2013-11-02 17:30:56

I recently encountered an issue while setting up Arch on a headless server, and was wondering if I did something stupid, the documentation should be improved or I found a bug.

The problem was that after adding a new non-root user, I couldn't SSH into that user account. I could still login to root via SSH fine. After some research and playing around I found I was able to login by setting UsePAM to no in /etc/ssh/sshd_config. I later realised that this was because I set the login shell for this account to /usr/bin/bash, and not /bin/bash. The problem is that currently /usr/bin/bash is not in /etc/shells, and the default /etc/ssh/sshd_config sets UsePAM to yes.

As this is a new default install, and I followed the wiki during the install, I feel that this should have been documented somewhere. I don't mind changing the wiki or reporting this as a bug, just I'm not sure which is the correct course of action:

1. Should I have known to use /bin/bash and not /usr/bin/bash, i.e. the login shell needs to be in /etc/shells? => edit the wiki [1]
2. Should /usr/bin/bash be in /etc/shells? => raise a bug against filesystem [2]

Related:
[1] https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Gr … management
[2] https://projects.archlinux.org/svntogit … unk/shells
[3] https://bugs.archlinux.org/task/35724
[4] https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=166464

Last edited by quigybo (2013-11-02 17:34:42)

cfr · 2013-11-03 03:51:44

The wiki should be changed. /bin/bash is the correct entry in the list of shells.

I cannot, however, remember off hand in which context this came up. I just remember this was the developers' response. So I can't point you to evidence to confirm even though I do know that is the correct answer.

EDIT: https://bugs.archlinux.org/task/33677
https://bugs.archlinux.org/task/33694

Last edited by cfr (2013-11-03 03:56:49)

quigybo · 2013-11-07 01:13:39

Agreed. The links to the other bugs already raised against filesystem were perfect in understanding Arch's position on the /bin/bash vs /usr/bin/bash issue, thank you very much.

I have edited the wiki accordingly, let me know (or edit it yourself) if you (or anybody else) feel that it can be improved further.

cfr · 2013-11-07 01:39:10

I had a quick look and it looks good to me - thanks for editing.

[I'm not sure about the init scripts bit but I doubt that you changed that. Just I'm not sure what exactly it is referring to now Arch uses systemd. But I'm not sure enough to change it!]

WonderWoofy · 2013-11-07 01:45:45

cfr wrote:

...
I'm not sure about the init scripts bit but I doubt that you changed that.
...

When we used to use SysV, there were actual scripts, in bash, that would take the system through the boot process. This does not apply any longer, and have removed that small part of the sentence.

cfr · 2013-11-07 02:18:22

Thanks. That was my guess but I wasn't certain.

Arch Linux

#1 2013-11-02 17:30:56

SSH/PAM login issue with fresh install: edit wiki or raise bug?

#2 2013-11-03 03:51:44

Re: SSH/PAM login issue with fresh install: edit wiki or raise bug?

#3 2013-11-07 01:13:39

Re: SSH/PAM login issue with fresh install: edit wiki or raise bug?

#4 2013-11-07 01:39:10

Re: SSH/PAM login issue with fresh install: edit wiki or raise bug?

#5 2013-11-07 01:45:45

Re: SSH/PAM login issue with fresh install: edit wiki or raise bug?

#6 2013-11-07 02:18:22

Re: SSH/PAM login issue with fresh install: edit wiki or raise bug?

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