SSH stands for Secure SHell and is a protocol to logon to a terminal shell via network.
You need to have an SSHd (or Secure SHell Daemon i.e a background service) running to accept and facilitate connections.
Systemd is a suite of services and tools that manage a Linux system, like a init system, service management, handing run levels, socket management, logging etc and gives the user tools like systemctl, journalctl, bootctl, basically anything ending with ctl is conventionally a systemd tool for users to manage their systems with.
Get it? Got it? Good.
systemd.autossh is an embedded ssh client in systemd that tries to help in reestablishing dropping connections. It does not actually start an SSHd (the actual service that facilitates connections) and is embedded for convenience to minimize frustrations with dropping connections.
You are talking about autossh, which is a completely different third-party SSH client tool that you have to install separately (as the link you shared describes) to have persistent SSH client connections and has nothing to do with systemd other than that you can start it as a systemd service (like any other third-party service).
OP is talking about systemd-ssh-generator, which is described here by Lennart Poettering (author of systemd) as working exactly as OP described it.
I can’t believe you’re dissing systemd indirectly by dissing the reaction of systemd users to the reaction of the users that hate systemd.
To any neutral observers out there: See!?!! This is the kind of crap we get from the haters.
/s of course, I have no skin in this game. Any time I mess with init systems, I have to look up usage, no matter the system involved, and I haven’t run into anything too onerous.
Op actually writes about systemd-ssh-generaror which does exactly what they describe it’s just not a whole story or it won’t be this inflammatory (or interesting at all).
systemd-ssh-generator — Generator for binding a socket-activated SSH server to local AF_VSOCK and AF_UNIX sockets
Tap for spoiler
Also why shouldn’t things use kernel cmd? Is it taboo? Only good guys are allowed to use it, not bad horrible systemd?
Given that it helps with ssh client connections and sshd is, basically, a server—yes. And even then, I imagine it doesn’t actually do anything if there’s no ssh connection.
SSH (Secure SHell) is a protocol that allows remote shell access from other computers over network. It’s quite secure, but not everybody may want sshd (SSH daemon) running in the background automatically.
systemd, by far the most common init system (first program that the kernel runs, which starts and stops your other programs), however, does run it in the background automatically now.
The way to disable this is neither through a simple command, nor configured in a simple config file somewhere in /etc/systemd/... , but instead in your boot options. Understandably, this feels dumb.
It’s not really something to worry about for average users.
Linux has always had a hard line disposition about keeping Kernel-space and User-space separate. SSHD (and systemd) are User-space, but are being configured on the kernel’s boot line (in GRUB, which is also User-space).
I don’t like to use the term rage-bait, but this post is suggesting that User-space components should not be configured by the Kernel-space (which is not happening here, it’s just the kernel boot line parameters, you could, pass the parameter to start a different init system other than systemd).
I’m also a newb but from what I can tell it sounds like it’s telling users to mess with system settings in a way that will fuck up a lot of things up if you don’t know exactly what you’re doing.
I uhhh, just loaded Mint the other week. Any chance someone can English this for me?
Op is a bit confused, but here’s a primer first:
SSH stands for Secure SHell and is a protocol to logon to a terminal shell via network.
You need to have an SSHd (or Secure SHell Daemon i.e a background service) running to accept and facilitate connections.
Systemd is a suite of services and tools that manage a Linux system, like a init system, service management, handing run levels, socket management, logging etc and gives the user tools like systemctl, journalctl, bootctl, basically anything ending with ctl is conventionally a systemd tool for users to manage their systems with.
Get it? Got it? Good.
systemd.autossh is an embedded ssh client in systemd that tries to help in reestablishing dropping connections. It does not actually start an SSHd (the actual service that facilitates connections) and is embedded for convenience to minimize frustrations with dropping connections.
You can read about it here.
No, it seems you are a bit confused.
You are talking about autossh, which is a completely different third-party SSH client tool that you have to install separately (as the link you shared describes) to have persistent SSH client connections and has nothing to do with systemd other than that you can start it as a systemd service (like any other third-party service).
OP is talking about systemd-ssh-generator, which is described here by Lennart Poettering (author of systemd) as working exactly as OP described it.
*defeatedly puts away torch and pitchfork
*kicks dirt
Shucks I never get to be mad about systemd!
Just be mad at systemd the same way everyone else is; invent your own reality and throw a fit about that instead!
Every day I wake up and think to myself “today is the day I will form a strong opinion about systemd” but it never happens.
It’s upsetting for systemd users too, not having angry haters to go “See!?!!” back at.
I can’t believe you’re dissing systemd indirectly by dissing the reaction of systemd users to the reaction of the users that hate systemd.
To any neutral observers out there: See!?!! This is the kind of crap we get from the haters.
/s of course, I have no skin in this game. Any time I mess with init systems, I have to look up usage, no matter the system involved, and I haven’t run into anything too onerous.
Yeah. Just don’t interact with them often enough to remember and build muscle memory. Though, runit is very nice, very simple. E.g.
sv up thingOp actually writes about systemd-ssh-generaror which does exactly what they describe it’s just not a whole story or it won’t be this inflammatory (or interesting at all).
Tap for spoiler
Also why shouldn’t things use kernel cmd? Is it taboo? Only good guys are allowed to use it, not bad horrible systemd?
So systemd.autossh is running even if sshd.service is disabled?
Given that it helps with ssh client connections and sshd is, basically, a server—yes. And even then, I imagine it doesn’t actually do anything if there’s no ssh connection.
Heya thanks so much for that explanation, took a couple read throughs and some thinking but I think I get it!
The time ans thought you put into that are much appreciated and so emblematic of the awesome nature of the linux world.
Thanks again!
SSH (Secure SHell) is a protocol that allows remote shell access from other computers over network. It’s quite secure, but not everybody may want sshd (SSH daemon) running in the background automatically.
systemd, by far the most common init system (first program that the kernel runs, which starts and stops your other programs), however, does run it in the background automatically now.
The way to disable this is neither through a simple command, nor configured in a simple config file somewhere in
/etc/systemd/..., but instead in your boot options. Understandably, this feels dumb.It’s not really something to worry about for average users.
okay while typing this @thorhop@sopuli.xyz wrote a much better reply that also debunks the OP. Read that one
I appreciate both your responses, really awesome stuff!
Goddamn the linux community is good people.
it’s nothing, don’t worry kitten
yay
Ok
Linux has always had a hard line disposition about keeping Kernel-space and User-space separate. SSHD (and systemd) are User-space, but are being configured on the kernel’s boot line (in GRUB, which is also User-space).
I don’t like to use the term rage-bait, but this post is suggesting that User-space components should not be configured by the Kernel-space (which is not happening here, it’s just the kernel boot line parameters, you could, pass the parameter to start a different init system other than systemd).
I’m also a newb but from what I can tell it sounds like it’s telling users to mess with system settings in a way that will fuck up a lot of things up if you don’t know exactly what you’re doing.
In my head, this is the subtext of much linux info.