openssh unix dev - Feb 2015 - [PATCH] improve documentation of control channel options

From: Christoph Anton Mitterer <mail at christoph.anton.mitterer.name>

? Improve the documentation of the control channel options in ssh_config(5):
  ? Clarify what happens at ControlMaster=ask, when the connection trial of
    another ssh(1) is rejected.
  ? Document that a non-backgrounded master control channel process will remain
    open until the last connection has been closed, even after its session has
    ended. And also that in the meantime new clients can start using the master
    control channel.
  ? Document the default values of the ControlPath and ControlPersist
    directives.
  ? Minor spelling mistakes and improvements.

Signed-off-by: Christoph Anton Mitterer <mail at
christoph.anton.mitterer.name>
---
 ssh_config.5 | 49 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++----------------
 1 file changed, 33 insertions(+), 16 deletions(-)

diff --git a/ssh_config.5 b/ssh_config.5
index b702e32..30a4a47 100644
--- a/ssh_config.5
+++ b/ssh_config.5
@@ -487,10 +487,10 @@ to listen for control connections, but require
confirmation using the
 program before they are accepted (see
 .Xr ssh-add 1
 for details).
-If the
-.Cm ControlPath
-cannot be opened,
-ssh will continue without connecting to a master instance.
+If another 
+.Xr ssh 1
+is rejected to use the master instance, it will continue normally without
+using it.
 .Pp
 X11 and
 .Xr ssh-agent 1
@@ -508,25 +508,32 @@ and
 The latter requires confirmation like the
 .Dq ask
 option.
+.Pp
+Unless
+.Cm ControlPersist
+is set to have the master connection backrounded, it will remain open (and thus
+the master
+.Xr ssh 1
+process will not terminate even after its session has ended) until all other
+instances using it have been closed.
 .It Cm ControlPath
-Specify the path to the control socket used for connection sharing as described
+Specifies the path to the control socket used for connection sharing as
described
 in the
 .Cm ControlMaster
 section above or the string
 .Dq none
-to disable connection sharing.
+(the default) to disable connection sharing.
 In the path,
 .Ql %L
 will be substituted by the first component of the local host name,
 .Ql %l
-will be substituted by the local host name (including any domain name),
+by the local host name (including any domain name),
 .Ql %h
-will be substituted by the target host name,
+by the target host name,
 .Ql %n
-will be substituted by the original target host name
-specified on the command line,
+by the original target host name specified on the command line,
 .Ql %p
-the destination port,
+by the destination port,
 .Ql %r
 by the remote login username,
 .Ql %u
@@ -536,19 +543,28 @@ by the username of the user running
 by a hash of the concatenation: %l%h%p%r.
 It is recommended that any
 .Cm ControlPath
-used for opportunistic connection sharing include
+used for opportunistic connection sharing includes
 at least %h, %p, and %r (or alternatively %C).
 This ensures that shared connections are uniquely identified.
 .It Cm ControlPersist
 When used in conjunction with
 .Cm ControlMaster ,
-specifies that the master connection should remain open
+specifies whether and how the master connection should remain open
 in the background (waiting for future client connections)
 after the initial client connection has been closed.
+.Pp
 If set to
-.Dq no ,
-then the master connection will not be placed into the background,
-and will close as soon as the initial client connection is closed.
+.Dq no 
+(the default), then the master connection will not be placed into the
+background and will close as soon as it is no longer used by any client
+connection (both, the initial or later ones). Thus the master
+.Xr ssh 1
+process will not terminate (even after its session has ended) until all other
+instances using it have been closed. Even after the master
+.Xr ssh 1
+process? session has ended, new clients can still connect to the master
+connection as long as it is open.
+.Pp
 If set to
 .Dq yes ,
 then the master connection will remain in the background indefinitely
@@ -556,6 +572,7 @@ then the master connection will remain in the background
indefinitely
 .Xr ssh 1
 .Dq Fl O No exit
 option).
+.Pp
 If set to a time in seconds, or a time in any of the formats documented in
 .Xr sshd_config 5 ,
 then the backgrounded master connection will automatically terminate
-- 
2.1.4