ProxyCommand not working if $SHELL not defined

[Antonio Mignolli]

Here is the suggested patch fixing the SHELL env var issues.

2009/9/16 Antonio Mignolli <antoniomignolli at gmail.com>
>
> I have a suggested patch for the discussed SHELL var issue.
> With the help of a function get_shell_from_env(), in misc.c,
> it is now able to set always a good shell, falling back
> to default if SHELL is not defined or it is not a valid executable,
> hence including SHELL="" (empty string).
>
> Tested in all cases:
> . ssh with proxycommand
> . ssh with local command execution
> . sftp with local command execution (ex. lls)
>
> (The patch also changes getenv("SHELL") with get_shell_from_env()
>   in ssh-agent.c, where there is a check whether csh is specified).
>
> The patch is made (and inspired) also by my friend Daniele Calore ( orkaan () orkaan dot org ).
>
> 2009/9/12 Antonio Mignolli <antoniomignolli at gmail.com>
>>
>> I forgot, same issue with sftp, when executing local commands.
>>
>>
>>
>> 2009/9/12 Antonio Mignolli <antoniomignolli at gmail.com>
>>>
>>> Now I got it.
>>> It happens when SHELL is defined but as empty string,
>>> so I don't know if is to be considered an openssh issue.
>>>
>>> My user had a blank field in /etc/passwd, and logging in
>>> in a icewm environment will give me shells with
>>> an empty SHELL variable, causing getenv return a not NULL value.
>>> Same issue when executing ssh_local_cmd, for the same reason,
>>> there is another check on SHELL not null.
>>> I have tested that, and with SHELL="" I got "Couldn't execute ..".
>>>
>>> Thanks for your attention.
>>>
>>> 2009/9/11 Darren Tucker <dtucker at zip.com.au>
>>>>
>>>> Antonio Mignolli wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>> Probably is not a real issue, because everyone should have its SHELL var
>>>>> defined,
>>>>> but as said above, when it's not, ssh with ProxyCommand will fail.
>>>>> I use connect.c, but with no SHELL var defined is not executed, ssh -v
>>>>> will give "No such file", and I'm pretty sure it refers to the shell,
>>>>> I read in ChangeLog that now ProxyCommand will use $SHELL instead
>>>>> of /bin/sh.
>>>>> Maybe consider using /bin/sh as default when SHELL is not defined?
>>>>
>>>> It already does that.  From sshconnect.c:ssh_proxy_connect()
>>>>
>>>>        if ((shell = getenv("SHELL")) == NULL)
>>>>                shell = _PATH_BSHELL;
>>>>
>>>> where _PATH_BSHELL is defined in defines.h as:
>>>>
>>>> #ifndef _PATH_BSHELL
>>>> # define _PATH_BSHELL "/bin/sh"
>>>>
>>>> The only thing I can think of is _PATH_BSHELL being defined in the system headers and pointing somewhere else.  If you strace/truss ssh can you see what it's trying to open immediately before the "No such file"?
>>>>
>>>> --
>>>> Darren Tucker (dtucker at zip.com.au)
>>>> GPG key 8FF4FA69 / D9A3 86E9 7EEE AF4B B2D4  37C9 C982 80C7 8FF4 FA69
>>>>    Good judgement comes with experience. Unfortunately, the experience
>>>> usually comes from bad judgement.
>>>
>>
>