Bug 4489

Summary:	The package does not contain the client command ssh
Product:	Mageia	Reporter:	excel1223 excel1223 <ewagner1223>
Component:	RPM Packages	Assignee:	Michael Scherer <misc>
Status:	RESOLVED INVALID	QA Contact:
Severity:	enhancement
Priority:	Normal
Version:	1
Target Milestone:	---
Hardware:	x86_64
OS:	Linux
Whiteboard:
Source RPM:	openssh 5.8p1	CVE:
Status comment:

Description excel1223 excel1223 2012-02-11 21:11:40 CET

Installed mageia-dvd-1-x86_64.iso after using Mandriva for several years. I think the openssh package with clients should be automatically installed with initial installation of the distribution.
I installed what I thought was the openssh client package because openssh was the only package I happened to see on the list. After entering the ssh command, I discovered that it did not include the clients.

The openssh package should include at least the contents of openssh-clients if not the openssh-server contents also. Why install ssh-keygen from the openssh package if none of the ssh clients are installed? Shouldn't there be a dependency check when installing the openssh package?

Not very intuitive:  don't understand the rationale.  Also, I think openssh-clients and necessary dependencies should be installed automatically when distribution is first installed. 

I ended up downloading/compiling/installing the source for openssh to get the clients because the openssh package did not include the clients.

I've been running Mandriva for the last several years and many ways seems more intuitive, but then again, I'm probably so used to the Mandriva rationale.

Ernie Wagner

Comment 1 Manuel Hiebel 2012-02-11 23:28:22 CET

Hi,

>the only package I happened to see on the list

which one ?

In the description of the package (openssh) you can see:
"This package includes the core files necessary for both the OpenSSH client and server. To make this package useful, you should also install openssh-clients, openssh-server, or both."

>why install ssh-keygen from the openssh package if none of the ssh clients are >installed? Shouldn't there be a dependency check when installing the openssh >package?

this seems indeed an bug 

>I think openssh-clients and necessary dependencies should be installed >automatically when distribution is first installed. 

Not all users use openssh.

Added the maintainer, maybe I'am wrong

(P.S, I don't know what to do with the summary since it's not really the same as the bug)

Assignee: bugsquad => misc

Comment 2 Michael Scherer 2012-02-11 23:46:34 CET

First :
$ rpm -qf /usr/bin/ssh ; cat /etc/mandriva-release 
openssh-clients-5.5p1-2mdv2010.1
Mandriva Linux release 2010.2 (Official) for x86_64

So the package have the same layout as mandriva one, and the layout of mandriva is here since years ( if not since the beginning ).  

In 2004, a "provides: ssh" was added top openssh-clients to make it easier to discover. It is still here today, so "urpmi ssh" would do the correct thing.

ssh-keygen is also used by the server initscript to create the key used by server. It does make sense to split it from the rpm with clients, since it can be used without the clients ( or without the server, for that matter ).
Openssh is also not the only client we can have, there is also dropbear ( not packaged ), or putty ( in 1 ). Both can use regular ssh keys, so ssh-keygen can work without openssh.

So unless I am wrong, there is no bug on openssh side, but feel free to reopen if you disagree with my reasoning.

If the main issue is "openssh-clients is not installed by default", the bug should be reassigned to another component, and you should explain how you did the installation so we can try to see if this can be fixed.

Status: NEW => RESOLVED
Resolution: (none) => INVALID