Ssh Does Not Put Users Under $home

[idallen]

(I typed "ssh" into the TCH knowledge base search engine and it didn't

find anything.)

 

When I ssh into my server, I end up at the virtual ROOT directory, not

my $HOME directory:

 

$ ssh server20.totalchoicehosting.com pwd

/

 

This isn't true of any other machine into which I use ssh - they all

put me in my $HOME directory. Not being in $HOME breaks all my "rsync"

scripts and ssh commands for updating my site remotely.

 

While I can rewrite all my rsync and ssh scripts to work around this, I

would like to inquire if there is a simple way to have my ssh connection

put me in my $HOME directory and not in the virtual (jailshell) ROOT.

 

I suspect the act of doing the chroot in the jailshell loses the

initial $HOME setting from the sshd login and I end up at the root of

the chroot and not in my $HOME directory.

 

If this is the problem, the simple fix I would suggest is to pass an

appropriate BASH_ENV to the jailshell in the environment, pointing to a

TCH profile file (inside the chroot jail) that does a simple "cd" to set

the $HOME. (Reference: the "INVOCATION" section of the bash man page.)

 

Is this the right place to post this? Should I send in a help desk ticket?

[idallen]

In the jailshell chroot environment /tmp is not writable by me (owned

bv root, no perms), which breaks many of my scripts. (I've never worked

on a machine with an unwritable /tmp.)

 

I'm not too familiar with how the chroot environment is set up; but,

perhaps the chroot /tmp could be made a symlink to my $HOME/tmp (which

I can write); or, simply add the missing permissions to /tmp ?

 

Failing either of these things, I can rewrite the scripts to use $TMP

and point $TMP at my own $HOME/tmp ...

[Head Guru]

idallen - IM ME

Edited April 29, 2003 by Head Guru

[idallen]

Oh dear. I set you up in my "gaim" client; but, when I call up an IM window

and type in a message to you, gaim segfaults and drops a core file...

 

Plan B? Perhaps one of the other plug-ins is more stable?

 

AIM - idallen2

ICQ - 8313669

MSN - idallen@hotmail.com

[Head Guru]

ICQ - I added you chat me when you can.

 

Bill

[idallen]

Just to close off this thread in case anyone else using ssh stumbles across it:

 

Bill got back to me immediately about the ssh chroot "jailshell"

environment and explained that it was something of a work-in-progress

and that I had discovered some of its problems.

 

After reviewing my credentials and then making me pass six exams, three

character references, two bribes and one prayer to a lesser god, Bill

gave me a real shell prompt instead of the jailshell and everything is

fine now. :-)

[matman]

I don't blame him, and in fact I'm very grateful for his caution. This is shared hosting after all, and not a good place for anyone running loose with too much access and not enough knowledge. You certainly seem to have the requisite knowledge, but I am glad that Bill grilled you good to make quadruple sure.

 

That being said, congratulations on your "parole."