VSI OpenVMS Forum

I see that the Installation Guide for x86_64 V9.2-1 (document DO-DVXINS-01A) suggests in
section 4.3 "Configuring VSI OpenSSH" to add the startup and ssh command definitions to
the end of the SYSTARTUP_VMS.COM file as -

$ @sys$common:[openssh.bin]SSH$STARTUP.COM
$ @sys$sysdevice:[vms$common.openssh.bin]SSH$DEFINE_COMMANDS

This second command file is pointless in the startup as it only defines the ssh commands
for the startup process.

Instead, the documentation should say to add the SSH$STARTUP.COM command to the
end of the SYSTARTUP_VMS.COM as

$ @sys$common:[openssh.bin]SSH$STARTUP.COM

and to add the command

@SSH$ROOT:[BIN]SSH$DEFINE_COMMANDS.COM

to the system-wide SYLOGIN.COM or a user's LOGIN.COM instead.

Tony

Tony,

thanks for bringing up this problem. It shows that the author of these guidelines may know OpenSSH, but not necessarily the workings of OpenVMS startup.

There might be another problem in these instructions, which has shown up in

viewtopic.php?f=37&t=8666

When SNMP is being started during TCPIP startup, it may fail to start, if SSH$ROOT is not yet defined ! This needs to be checked as well.

Volker.

Volker,

The SNMP issue that you referred me to would seem to suggest that invoking the
SSH$STARTUP.COM command file may need to be placed before the TCP/IP startup
in the SYSTARTUP_VMS.COM file. It defines the rooted logical SSH$ROOT (and is
the reason I altered the location of the command definition file for OpenSSH).

I might also add that I usually include some checks for command file existence
in my SYSTARTUP_VMS.COM and SYLOGIN.COM files - having been tripped up
by problems with the ordering of commands in the past. My SYLOGIN.COM has

$ IF F$SEARCH("SSH$ROOT:[BIN]SSH$DEFINE_COMMANDS.COM") .NES. "" THEN -
@SSH$ROOT:[BIN]SSH$DEFINE_COMMANDS.COM

Perhaps the SNMP enabling should check whether SSH$ROOT is defined, and if
not, then output an error message.

Tony

agn453 wrote: ↑

Sat May 06, 2023 8:53 pm

...
and to add the command

@SSH$ROOT:[BIN]SSH$DEFINE_COMMANDS.COM

to the system-wide SYLOGIN.COM or a user's LOGIN.COM instead.

Tony,

it would be safer to use the following syntax in SYLOGIN.COM - as given in the installation guide:

$ @sys$sysdevice:[vms$common.openssh.bin]SSH$DEFINE_COMMANDS

This would work even during startup of the various TCPIP services from TCPIP$STARTUP.COM.

Volker.