Upgrading ssh
 

Hi,

At work we have a slackware 9.1 box. It runs fine, though it could use an upgrade.
Currently, we are switching to the most recent openssh version (4.3), and this box also needs to be upgraded. How can I do this ? I'm a Slack-newbie, so I could use some help.



best regards,
Anomander

Hello! You need to download 4.3 Openssh version: http://openssh.linux-mirror.org/port...h-4.3p2.tar.gz Extract it, cd to the extracted directory, run ./configure, ./make, ./make install.
As well, you can try installing Slackware package from: http://slackware.it/en/pb/package.ph...h-4.3p1-i486-1 Download it and use:
# installpkg openssh-4.3p1-i486-1.tgz

I think I wasn't entirely clear...Currently version openssh 3.7 runs on the box, it's path is /usr/bin. I want this version upgraded. Is that possible ? Or should I simply install the new 4.3 in, say, /usr/local and change the PATH according to so it uses the new 4.3 version, and leave the old ssh as it is ?

regards,
Anomander

Upgrade is possible. Use the command upgradepkg package name.
But I think that your suggested way is better because you will always have working ssh while the upgraded package could cause some dependency problems. While you solve these problems, you won't have working ssh.

If you've got Slack 9.1 on there, then the current openssh version will be installed via pkgtool.

Should confirm that you have a package of openssh installed (it'll return nothing if you don't have it!). /var/log/packages/ stores text files of what each package contains, so having a read of what's in the package via:

Should show you you have a bunch o' stuff.

Since this is a package, it can be reinstalled at any time. To test drive the new openssh, installing it somewhere else on the system is probably a good idea (especially if this is a production box that *needs* this program quite a lot). Otherwise, you can attempt to upgrade to the newer package (as listed above) with:

If that doesn't work, you may have to removepkg your existing openssh and installpkg your new one. There is no guarentee that this new slack package will run under 9.1 (since it was probably compiled for > 10), but it might, and there can be no harm in trying (see aforementioned note on production boxxen).

Failing all of that, you will have to install it from source.

Get the source, cd into the directory and run: ./configure
If that works, you can run: make
If that works, you can run: make install
This will install straight into your system.

!!Be warned!!

Running make install will dump the files into your system and they will NOT be registered anywhere. To get rid of them, you will have to work out which files are put where. I advocate using checkinstall while makes a package and installs it. So instead of ./configure, make, make install you will run (after installing checkinstall, of course):

Which will make a package as it is installed, registering your package in /var/log/packages/. So if you wanna get rid of the stuff you've just entered, you can removepkg it from there.

This works for anything from source. You may wish to upgrade from 9.1 to a newer version, but that's a different question =D

*whew*

Hope that wasn't too patronising - good luck with the upgrade!
- Piete.

Piete,

Thanks for the explanation. The package indeed is logged in /var/log/package. I'll fiddle around with the options you and the others described. You'll hear from me if I run into problems.

Thanks to all !!

Anomander

Well, that actually *is* my next question =) But I'll post it when I get to it

cheers,
Anomander