openssh unix dev - Jul 2003 - conditional autoconf for AIX - LOGIN_NEEDS_UTMPX

Hi,

Just reporting our findings from a little problem a colleague and I
discovered with the autoconf rules.

Platform AIX-4.3.3, any RML

OpenSSH versions: all from the latest release back to 3.4, identical
symptoms for each version.  This includes the Bull releases and building
from the tarballs.  I'm not sure exactly where between 3.0 and 3.4 it was
introduced but the rest of the facts should speak for themselves.

Symptom: Connecting and logging in corrupted the wtmp file every time.  This
does not occur on AIX5L, and does not occur with OpenSSH versions 3.0 and
earlier.

I tracked down the cause to the change made in June 2002, reported as a bug:
20020623
 - (stevesk) [configure.ac] bug #255 LOGIN_NEEDS_UTMPX for AIX.
>From this point, LOGIN_NEEDS_UTMPX has been defined for all AIX builds.
This is obviously needed for AIX 5L, but breaks 4.3.3's implementation as
above, hence this definition needs to be conditional within the AIX section
of the autoconf rules.  Sorry, I'm no autoconf expert.  However, we ran the
configure, turned the option off for our 4.3.3 boxes, and it compiles and
runs as expected - without wtmp corruption.

I hope you find this useful!

Regards,

Mitchell Brandsma
Systems Administrator, Store Support
Bunnings Building Supplies WA

PS Apologies for the length of the blurb following this, it's automatically
attached by our exchange server.


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Mitchell Brandsma wrote:
[something about corrupted wtmp]
Could you please elaborate on "corrupted"?  What problems does it
cause
and what symptoms do you see?

Removing LOGIN_NEEDS_UTMPX will probably break UseLogin on AIX 4.x.  Are
you using that?
> PS Apologies for the length of the blurb following this, it's
automatically
> attached by our exchange server.
[snip]
> If you are not the intended recipient, you must not disclose or use the
> information contained in it
Interesting information.  It's a shame the disclaimer prevents me from
doing anything about it.

-- 
Darren Tucker (dtucker at zip.com.au)
GPG key 8FF4FA69 / D9A3 86E9 7EEE AF4B B2D4  37C9 C982 80C7 8FF4 FA69
    Good judgement comes with experience. Unfortunately, the experience
usually comes from bad judgement.