openssh unix dev - Aug 2009 - [patch] ssh-copy-id: improve error reporting with -i and documentation

The "ssh-copy-id" program requires that the argument to -i end in
.pub, by appending that extension itself if it is missing.  But
if the file with .pub appended does not exist, ssh-copy-id
reports the misleading message "ERROR: No identities found".
This patch improves the error message by mentioning the name of
the actual file that does not exist.

Also, document that the argument of -i must end in .pub or that
.pub will be appended automatically.

Index: contrib/ssh-copy-id
==================================================================RCS file:
/cvs/openssh/contrib/ssh-copy-id,v
retrieving revision 1.7
diff -u -p -r1.7 ssh-copy-id
--- contrib/ssh-copy-id	21 Jan 2009 09:29:21 -0000	1.7
+++ contrib/ssh-copy-id	27 Aug 2009 15:57:49 -0000
@@ -18,6 +18,10 @@ if [ "-i" = "$1" ]; then
     fi
     shift         # and this should leave $1 as the target name
   fi
+  if [ ! -e "$ID_FILE" ]; then
+    echo "$0: ERROR: $ID_FILE does not exist" >&2
+    exit 1
+  fi
 else
   if [ x$SSH_AUTH_SOCK != x ] ; then
     GET_ID="$GET_ID ssh-add -L"
Index: contrib/ssh-copy-id.1
==================================================================RCS file:
/cvs/openssh/contrib/ssh-copy-id.1,v
retrieving revision 1.3
diff -u -p -r1.3 ssh-copy-id.1
--- contrib/ssh-copy-id.1	21 Jan 2009 09:29:21 -0000	1.3
+++ contrib/ssh-copy-id.1	27 Aug 2009 15:57:49 -0000
@@ -45,6 +45,10 @@ option is given then the identity file (
 .BR ~/.ssh/id_rsa.pub )
 is used, regardless of whether there are any keys in your
 .BR ssh-agent .
+The extension
+.B .pub 
+is automatically appended to the identity file's name if it does not
+already end with that extension.
 Otherwise, if this:
 .PP
 .B "      ssh-add -L"

-- 
Ben Pfaff 
http://benpfaff.org

Flavien Lebarbe <flavien-ssh at lebarbe.net> pointed out in private
mail that -r might be a better test.  Here's an updated patch and
changelog:

The "ssh-copy-id" program requires that the argument to -i end in
.pub, by appending that extension itself if it is missing.  But
if the file with .pub appended does not exist, ssh-copy-id
reports the misleading message "ERROR: No identities found".
This patch improves the error message by mentioning the name of
the actual file that does not exist.

Also, document that the argument of -i must end in .pub or that
.pub will be appended automatically.

Index: ssh-copy-id
==================================================================RCS file:
/cvs/openssh/contrib/ssh-copy-id,v
retrieving revision 1.7
diff -u -p -r1.7 ssh-copy-id
--- ssh-copy-id	21 Jan 2009 09:29:21 -0000	1.7
+++ ssh-copy-id	27 Aug 2009 19:53:48 -0000
@@ -18,6 +18,10 @@ if [ "-i" = "$1" ]; then
     fi
     shift         # and this should leave $1 as the target name
   fi
+  if [ ! -r "$ID_FILE" ]; then
+    echo "$0: ERROR: $ID_FILE cannot be read" >&2
+    exit 1
+  fi
 else
   if [ x$SSH_AUTH_SOCK != x ] ; then
     GET_ID="$GET_ID ssh-add -L"
Index: ssh-copy-id.1
==================================================================RCS file:
/cvs/openssh/contrib/ssh-copy-id.1,v
retrieving revision 1.3
diff -u -p -r1.3 ssh-copy-id.1
--- ssh-copy-id.1	21 Jan 2009 09:29:21 -0000	1.3
+++ ssh-copy-id.1	27 Aug 2009 19:53:48 -0000
@@ -45,6 +45,10 @@ option is given then the identity file (
 .BR ~/.ssh/id_rsa.pub )
 is used, regardless of whether there are any keys in your
 .BR ssh-agent .
+The extension
+.B .pub 
+is automatically appended to the identity file's name if it does not
+already end with that extension.
 Otherwise, if this:
 .PP
 .B "      ssh-add -L"

-- 
Ben Pfaff 
http://benpfaff.org