Package: openssh-server
Version: 1:7.4p1-10
Severity: important
I'm attempting to create a minimal custom Debian stretch disk image to use as a
template for VMs. I use packer to run debian-9.0.0-amd64-netinst.iso in a QEMU
VM with a custom preseed file that runs noninteractively. However, the install
dies toward the end because openssh-server configuruation returns an error. I
can't include openssh-server in the install (via tasksel/first of ssh-server or
standard, or including it in pkgsel/include) without the install failing.
Further investigation shows that openssh-server configuration is returning an
error code during configuration, causing the install to abort:
Setting up openssh-server (1:7.4p1-10) ...
Creating config file /etc/ssh/sshd_config with new version
Creating SSH2 RSA key; this may take some time ...
2048 SHA256:rTUS0h7zdLTuTFdpTWWf/TgbUJoZ5qP56ZgxY2dOqdg
root@debian-stretch-template (RSA)
Creating SSH2 ECDSA key; this may take some time ...
/etc/ssh/ssh_host_ecdsa_key.pub is not a public key file.
dpkg: error processing package openssh-server (--configure):
subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status
255
Processing triggers for libc-bin (2.24-11+deb9u1) ...
Processing triggers for systemd (232-25) ...
Errors were encountered while processing:
openssh-server
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)
This error says "reports failure", because while the message says that
"/etc/ssh/ssh_host_ecdsa_key.pub is not a public key file". "file" says it is,
and it looks OK to visual inspection.
If I manually intervene and reinstall openssh-server, it works:
Reading package lists...
Building dependency tree...
Reading state information...
openssh-server is already the newest version (1:7.4p1-10).
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
1 not fully installed or removed.
After this operation, 0 B of additional disk space will be used.
Setting up openssh-server (1:7.4p1-10) ...
Creating SSH2 ED25519 key; this may take some time ...
256 SHA256:07VOIBlUhI4y89Ght5Bt04JqPj5In+mcpqwjgY8G7Rg
root@debian-stretch-template (ED25519)
Created symlink /etc/systemd/system/sshd.service →
/lib/systemd/system/ssh.service.
Created symlink /etc/systemd/system/multi-user.target.wants/ssh.service →
/lib/systemd/system/ssh.service.
Packer configuration and preseed available if those will help.
There must be some environmental contribution, since I've been able to install
stretch with openssh-server in other environments without any failures. But I
can repeat the failure on demand, it happens every time.
I can reproduce the problem in a normal (non-install) environment by
configuring the install to not select openssh-server, letting the install
succeed, then logging in to the VM via VNC while Packer is waiting for SSH to
start running. So I could run the openssh-server install/config under strace
or similar if desired.
I'll note that the problem did *not* occur in mid-May when I was using the same
configuration with stretch RC3, but going back to the RC3 netboot.iso doesn't
fix the problem (as expected, since the openssh-server .deb is downloaded from
Debian, not included in the ISO).
-- System Information:
Debian Release: 9.0
APT prefers stable
APT policy: (500, 'stable')
Architecture: amd64 (x86_64)
Kernel: Linux 4.9.0-3-amd64 (SMP w/2 CPU cores)
Locale: LANG=en_US.UTF-8, LC_CTYPE=en_US.UTF-8 (charmap=UTF-8),
LANGUAGE=en_US.UTF-8 (charmap=UTF-8)
Shell: /bin/sh linked to /bin/dash
Init: systemd (via /run/systemd/system)
Versions of packages openssh-server depends on:
ii adduser 3.115
ii debconf [debconf-2.0] 1.5.61
ii dpkg 1.18.24
ii init-system-helpers 1.48
ii libaudit1 1:2.6.7-2
ii libc6 2.24-11+deb9u1
ii libcomerr2 1.43.4-2
ii libgssapi-krb5-2 1.15-1
ii libkrb5-3 1.15-1
ii libpam-modules 1.1.8-3.6
ii libpam-runtime 1.1.8-3.6
ii libpam0g 1.1.8-3.6
ii libselinux1 2.6-3+b1
ii libssl1.0.2 1.0.2l-2
ii libsystemd0 232-25
ii libwrap0 7.6.q-26
ii lsb-base 9.20161125
ii openssh-client 1:7.4p1-10
ii openssh-sftp-server 1:7.4p1-10
ii procps 2:3.3.12-3
ii ucf 3.0036
ii zlib1g 1:1.2.8.dfsg-5
Versions of packages openssh-server recommends:
ii libpam-systemd 232-25
ii ncurses-term 6.0+20161126-1
ii xauth 1:1.0.9-1+b2
Versions of packages openssh-server suggests:
pn molly-guard <none>
pn monkeysphere <none>
pn rssh <none>
pn ssh-askpass <none>
pn ufw <none>
-- debconf information:
openssh-server/permit-root-login: true
