openssh unix dev - Jan 2001 - ssh-keygen: passphrase.

Looking at openSSH INSTALL:

To generate a host key, run "make host-key". Alternately you can do so
manually using the following commands:

    ssh-keygen -b 1024 -f /etc/ssh/ssh_host_key -N ""
    ssh-keygen -d -f /etc/ssh/ssh_host_dsa_key -N ""

But when I try latter, I get:

(gdb) n
1  0x35a6 in save_private_key_ssh2 (
    filename=0xb2d2c "/mydir/ssh_host_dsa_key",
    _passphrase=0xb90f0 "''", key=0xc0360, comment=0xefbf91b0
"user at host")
    at authfile.c:172

^^^^^^^^^
This means:

In authfile.c - save_private_key_ssh2(..):

<clipped>
    if (len > 0 && len <= 4) {
        error("passphrase too short: %d bytes", len);
        errno = 0;
        return 0;
    }

<clipped>


Any ideas why this check, when INSTALL says passphrase not required ?

Thx.

Sunil.

On Thu, 11 Jan 2001, Sunil K. Vallamkonda wrote:
> 
> Looking at openSSH INSTALL:
> 
> To generate a host key, run "make host-key". Alternately you can
do so
> manually using the following commands:
> 
>     ssh-keygen -b 1024 -f /etc/ssh/ssh_host_key -N ""
>     ssh-keygen -d -f /etc/ssh/ssh_host_dsa_key -N ""
> 
> But when I try latter, I get:
> 
> (gdb) n
> 1  0x35a6 in save_private_key_ssh2 (
>     filename=0xb2d2c "/mydir/ssh_host_dsa_key",
>     _passphrase=0xb90f0 "''", key=0xc0360,
comment=0xefbf91b0
> "user at host")
>     at authfile.c:172
I am not sure what you are saying here - what is the problem you are 
seeing?
> ^^^^^^^^^
> This means:
> 
> In authfile.c - save_private_key_ssh2(..):
> 
> <clipped>
>     if (len > 0 && len <= 4) {
>         error("passphrase too short: %d bytes", len);
>         errno = 0;
>         return 0;
>     }
> 
> <clipped>
> 
> 
> Any ideas why this check, when INSTALL says passphrase not required ?
Read the check again - 0 length passphrases are allowed.

-d

-- 
| ``We've all heard that a million monkeys banging on | Damien Miller -
| a million typewriters will eventually reproduce the | <djm at
mindrot.org>
| works of Shakespeare. Now, thanks to the Internet, / 
| we know this is not true.'' - Robert Wilensky UCB /
http://www.mindrot.org

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA1

> To generate a host key, run "make host-key". Alternately you can
do so
> manually using the following commands:
> 
>     ssh-keygen -b 1024 -f /etc/ssh/ssh_host_key -N ""
>     ssh-keygen -d -f /etc/ssh/ssh_host_dsa_key -N ""
A zero length passphrase isn't the same as no passphrase.

I.e., leave off the
- -N  ""
and try again.


 -Jason

 ---------------------------
 If the Revolution comes to grief, it will be because you and those you
 lead have become alarmed at your own brutality.         --John Gardner



-----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
Version: GnuPG v1.0.4 (FreeBSD)
Comment: See https://private.idealab.com/public/jason/jason.gpg

iD8DBQE6XldaswXMWWtptckRAqM5AKDOTY0MJn6m56a3d/Y6hTI0fig2UwCdFNKt
KUjgVOnnumnTNK1DZP1XzR0=2gU/
-----END PGP SIGNATURE-----

On Thu, Jan 11, 2001 at 03:18:40PM -0800, Sunil K. Vallamkonda
wrote:
> 
> Looking at openSSH INSTALL:
> 
> To generate a host key, run "make host-key". Alternately you can
do so
> manually using the following commands:
> 
>     ssh-keygen -b 1024 -f /etc/ssh/ssh_host_key -N ""
>     ssh-keygen -d -f /etc/ssh/ssh_host_dsa_key -N ""
> 
> But when I try latter, I get:
> 
> (gdb) n
> 1  0x35a6 in save_private_key_ssh2 (
>     filename=0xb2d2c "/mydir/ssh_host_dsa_key",
>     _passphrase=0xb90f0 "''", key=0xc0360,
comment=0xefbf91b0
_passphrase == "''"

this does not look like an empty passphrase.

perhaps your shell quoting is wrong?

> "user at host")
>     at authfile.c:172
> 
> ^^^^^^^^^
> This means:
> 
> In authfile.c - save_private_key_ssh2(..):
> 
> <clipped>
>     if (len > 0 && len <= 4) {
>         error("passphrase too short: %d bytes", len);
>         errno = 0;
>         return 0;
>     }
> 
> <clipped>
> 
> 
> Any ideas why this check, when INSTALL says passphrase not required ?
> 
> Thx.
> 
> Sunil.
> 
>