RE: ssh service staring problem "bad owner /var/empty" but not fixed

["Scott Prive" <Scott dot Prive at storigen dot com>]

I can say this works fine on one system, which I installed a while back. 

Then I got it working on a SECOND system, which worked fine UNTIL I updated Cygwin. Then it broke. I sent an email to this list but never got a reply.

Then I tried a THIRD system, and even a fresh install did not work.

That first system which still works, I refuse to update Cygwin until I understand what broke everything.

I've come to the conclusion that "something changed" in the packages, but obviously it's working on SOME people's systems, right? I see a lot of related questions in the recent archives, and suggestions (which I followed). 

Then again, I missed seeing any replies that said "thanks, that fixed it"... so it's possible those suggestions did not work for them either. 

-Scott 


> -----Original Message-----
> From: Elfyn [mailto:emcb_exposure@hotmail.com]
> Sent: Wednesday, October 09, 2002 2:08 PM
> To: cygml; Scott Prive
> Subject: Re: ssh service staring problem "bad owner 
> /var/empty" but not
> fixed
> 
> 
> Its pretty funky that this has started happening OOTB (out of 
> the blue).
> have you had a working sshd? ... i forget. have you installed 
> new soft,libs
> recently... have you downloaded new net-release packages as well?
> 
> All ive done is install mysql-3.23.52 on cygwin-1.3.12-2, 
> cant see that
> making a difference.
> 
> Elfyn
> 
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Scott Prive" <Scott.Prive@storigen.com>
> To: "Elfyn" <emcb_exposure@hotmail.com>; "cygml" <cygwin@cygwin.com>
> Sent: Wednesday, October 09, 2002 7:03 PM
> Subject: RE: ssh service staring problem "bad owner 
> /var/empty" but not
> fixed
> 
> 
> Looks like our problems are somewhat related. I wonder if 
> anyone else has
> ideas...
> 
> 
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Elfyn [mailto:emcb_exposure@hotmail.com]
> > Sent: Wednesday, October 09, 2002 1:44 PM
> > To: cygml; Scott Prive
> > Subject: Re: ssh service staring problem "bad owner
> > /var/empty" but not
> > fixed
> >
> >
> > Hey,
> >
> > What i meant by shared-server is that more than one person
> > (other than you)
> > would be accessing the server. So if it is a shared
> > environment you might
> > want to tighten security.
> >
> > In general you should run things like crond,sshd etc. as the
> > SYSTEM user as
> > Administrator doesnt have the required run as service tokens
> > and others
> > needed for a run-as-user service unless youve added them in
> > [domain|local]
> > security policy(s) thingys in Administrative tools.
> >
> > I dont know whats going on. I just had to stop sshd so i
> > could so i could
> > get rid of an ssh process that wouldnt go away, went away
> > when the service
> > stopped but now i cant restart it. I get these errors in the
> > eventlog...
> >
> > Event Type: Error
> > Event Source: sshd
> > Event Category: None
> > Event ID: 0
> > Date:  09/10/2002
> > Time:  17:57:14
> > User:  NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM
> > Computer: W3
> > Description:
> > The description for Event ID ( 0 ) in Source ( sshd ) cannot
> > be found. The
> > local computer may not have the necessary registry
> > information or message
> > DLL files to display messages from a remote computer. The following
> > information is part of the event: sshd : Win32 Process Id =
> > 0xCA8 : Cygwin
> > Process Id = 0xCA8 : starting service `sshd' failed: execv:
> > 1, Operation not
> > permitted.
> 
> YES! I get exactly this message in Event Viewer, except 
> execv=255 error=255
> 
> >
> > Event Type: Error
> > Event Source: sshd
> > Event Category: None
> > Event ID: 0
> > Date:  09/10/2002
> > Time:  17:57:13
> > User:  NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM
> > Computer: W3
> > Description:
> > The description for Event ID ( 0 ) in Source ( sshd ) cannot
> > be found. The
> > local computer may not have the necessary registry
> > information or message
> > DLL files to display messages from a remote computer. The following
> > information is part of the event: sshd : Win32 Process Id =
> > 0x950 : Cygwin
> > Process Id = 0x950 : starting service `l' failed:
> > redirect_fd: open (1,
> > /var/log/sshd.log): 22, Invalid argument.
> >
> I don't get this one exactly. The second error I get is line-for-line
> identical with the first event, minus the bit about "execv=255" (not a
> different error number... just not there at all).
> 
> > are you getting anything similar?
> >
> > Elfyn
> >
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Scott Prive" <Scott.Prive@storigen.com>
> > To: "Elfyn" <emcb_exposure@hotmail.com>; "cygml" <cygwin@cygwin.com>
> > Sent: Wednesday, October 09, 2002 6:23 PM
> > Subject: RE: ssh service staring problem "bad owner
> > /var/empty" but not
> > fixed
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: Elfyn [mailto:emcb_exposure@hotmail.com]
> > > Sent: Wednesday, October 09, 2002 12:02 PM
> > > To: cygml
> > > Subject: Re: ssh service staring problem "bad owner
> > > /var/empty" but not
> > > fixed
> > >
> > >
> > > Hi,
> > >
> > > I had that when i first installed it... i take it the
> > > permissions on files
> > > like /etc/sshd* /etc/ssh_host* are exclusive to the SYSTEM
> > > account (if your
> > > running a shared-style server) and the service is running as
> > > SYSTEM.
> >
> > Let's see...:
> > $ ls -l /etc/ssh*
> > -rw-r--r--    1 Administ None         1049 Sep  5 15:59
> > /etc/ssh_config
> > -rw-r--r--    1 Administ None          668 Sep  5 15:19
> > /etc/ssh_host_dsa_key
> > -rw-r--r--    1 Administ None          614 Sep  5 15:19
> > /etc/ssh_host_dsa_key.pub
> > -rw-r--r--    1 Administ None          539 Sep  5 15:19
> > /etc/ssh_host_key
> > -rw-r--r--    1 Administ None          343 Sep  5 15:19
> > /etc/ssh_host_key.pub
> > -rw-r--r--    1 Administ None          883 Sep  5 15:19
> > /etc/ssh_host_rsa_key
> > -rw-r--r--    1 Administ None          234 Sep  5 15:19
> > /etc/ssh_host_rsa_key.pub
> > -rw-r--r--    1 Administ None         2041 Sep  5 15:59
> > /etc/sshd_config
> >
> > Is "Administrator" here perfectly synonymous with "SYSTEM"?
> > Also, I'm not sure what you mean by "shared style server",
> > how to verify if
> > that is my case, or how this would affect things.
> >
> > The service in MMC shows it logs on as "Local System
> > Account", "interact
> > with desktop" NOT checked. Should this instead be running as
> > sshd user or
> > Administrator?
> >
> > I personally prefer to get things running "the right way" and
> > not blow holes
> > through local security. That said, this is a test lab system
> > and I'd go the
> > "hack" way to Make It Work... if I knew what to do next.
> >
> > >I got
> > > around that problem my making the system user the owner of
> > > /var/empty with
> > > exclusive rwx permissions and group/other with none. if youre
> > > not running
> > > the svc as SYSTEM just adjust the owner to your user.
> >
> > I've already `chmod 700 /var/empty`. Not sure what you mean
> > about ownership
> > of the service. I'm not sure this was the correct thing to
> > do, but I tried
> > setting CYGWIN sshd to log on as Administrator, set the
> > password, and now it
> > returns "Error 1069: Logon failure" (the password IS correct).
> > >
> > > Have you had problems with ssh when logging in at all?
> >
> > I can't even get the service to START.
> >
> > >my sshd has for some
> > > reason been denying access to anyone that trys to login to my
> > > CYGWIN server
> > > with a permission/access denied message. nothing in sshd.log
> > > but event-log
> > > shows a badpw error (very weird). i know the password is
> > > correct bacause im
> > > using terminal services to login to the server right now...
> > >
> > > hope the first bit helps, sorry to bore you with the latter :)
> >
> > No problem. :-D  I've been reading everything I can on the subject.
> >
> > There might be enough demand for a Cygwin book; I'd buy one
> > in a heartbeat.
> > With problems like this you get the complexity UNIX is known
> > for, with NT's
> > lack of decent error reporting. When you're DONE, of course, you get
> > powerful UNIX tools, with Win2K's good points (good points? A
> > free PC in
> > every box of MS Outlook)   :-)
> >
> > I'm still stuck, if anyone else has ideas.
> >
> > >
> > > Elfyn
> > >
> > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > From: "Scott Prive" <Scott.Prive@storigen.com>
> > > To: "Cygwin" <cygwin@cygwin.com>
> > > Sent: Wednesday, October 09, 2002 4:12 PM
> > > Subject: ssh service staring problem "bad owner /var/empty"
> > > but not fixed
> > >
> > >
> > > Hello,
> > >
> > > I understand the problem I am about to ask is not uncommon,
> > > and I have made
> > > considerable effort to look for the answers in the archive...
> > >
> > > On an up-to-date (today) Cygwin install, sshd refuses to
> > start (the MS
> > > Management console gives a useless error). On other 
> systems, I have
> > > installed Cygwin sshd and it worked fine (I have not done
> > > this "recently"
> > > though and I understand there have been changes to ssd of sorts).
> > >
> > > When I first attempted this install some weeks back, I
> > > followed the guide at
> > > http://tech.erdelynet.com/cygwin-sshd.html
> > >
> > > I didn't actually "run the permissions script" as the author
> > > had just days
> > > before, pulled down the script. I'm not sure if the other
> > > steps on this page
> > > complicate my problem, so I'll mention it.
> > >
> > > The first thing I check is /var/log/sshd.log, and it's "bad
> > > owner or mode
> > > for /var/empty". OK, it's some sort of NT permissions issue.
> > > A Google search
> > > tells me /var/empty should be chmod 700 or 755 (it's 755).
> > >
> > > grep /etc/passwd ssh shows ssh account is 1000:513, sshd
> > > privsep, home of
> > > /var/empty and shell of /bin/false
> > >
> > > I've also tried chowning the directory as SYSTEM:SYSTEM 
> (or 18:18).
> > >
> > > I did notice in the MMC Groups panel, there is no VISIBLE
> > > group for "sshd",
> > > but there is a sshd user. My Google searches tell me there
> > should be a
> > > group, so I attempt to add the group "sshd" and make "sshd"
> > > user a member. I
> > > get the error: "while attempting to create the group sshd
> > on computer
> > > QA2000TEST: The account already exists". I get this error if
> > > I attempt to
> > > create the group "sshd" with or with-out the member "sshd".
> > >
> > > I've Reinstalled openssh, and even selected Unininstall
> > > followed by Install
> > > in case there was a difference. The version of openssh I have
> > > is 3.4p1-5
> > >
> > > I appreciate any help. I hope I have checked all of the
> > > obvious "gotchas" so
> > > I don't waste anyone's time. Thanks.
> > >
> > > -Scott
> > >
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