[SOLVED] openssh-6.6p1 does not create ed25519 host key file

lems · 03-29-2014, 02:57 AM

Hello,

I just upgraded my Slackware 14.1 installation with the latest patches.
I updated my sshd_config file and stopped ssh via rc.sshd. Then I wanted to start it and it said:

Code:

Could not load host key: /etc/ssh/ssh_host_ed25519_key

Looking at the rc.sshd script, sshd_restart() seems to miss the creation of a ed25519 host key.

Code:

  if [ ! -f /etc/ssh/ssh_host_ed25519_key ]; then
    /usr/bin/ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -f /etc/ssh/ssh_host_ed25519_key -N ''
  fi

So I created a host key with that command and ssh is happy. Am I missing something?

Regards

lems

PS: I noticed I had no rc.sshd.new file, even though there is one in the package. Though looking at rc.sshd.new of openssh-6.6p1, it seemed unchanged from my old one.

mancha · 03-29-2014, 06:32 AM

It appears the 14.1 OpenSSH 6.6 packages have a slight bug. Their rc.sshd did not get upgraded with the ed25519 key creation code.
The 14.0 updates are fine, however.

--mancha

ljb643 · 03-29-2014, 10:40 AM

It would be much better to replace the whole block of code in rc.sshd which generates missing host keys with this single line:

Code:

ssh-keygen -A

This option was added in openssh-6.4 and automatically creates any missing keys. Using this will also deal with any future key type additions.