SSH login to Ubuntu Linux from OpenVMS 8.3 (IA64)

[Barney Kwok]

I have been using Kermit-95 in Windows to connect to Linux via SSH. Now, I want to connect from VMS (IA64 box) to Linux. When I enter the DCL command "ssh bkwok@linuxbox", it keeps asking password for 3 times before it stops. In the password question, the user name "bkwok" is shown as uppercase "BKWOK". In the Linux box, usernames are in lowercases. I wonder if this is a lower/uppercase problem or additional setup is required for OpenVMS/Linux connection.
The VMS online help of SSH is not useful. Is there any VMS manual describes SSH in details?
Most of the SSH examples from google apply to UNIX only and it does not work in OpenVMS.

VMS SSH version is:
archer_kwok$ ssh -v
ARCHER$DKA0:[SYS0.SYSCOMMON.][SYSEXE]TCPIP$SSH_SSH2.EXE: SSH Secure Shell OpenVM
S (V5.5) 3.2.0 on HP rx2600 (1.40GHz/1.5MB) - VMS V8.3

TCP version is:
HP TCP/IP Services for OpenVMS Industry Standard 64 Version V5.6
on an HP rx2600 (1.40GHz/1.5MB) running OpenVMS V8.3

Linux is Ubuntu 7.0.4.

Many thanks in advance for your help.

Barney Kwok

[Steven Schweda]

Hmmm. I haven't seen this problem on my
(older) system when dealing with a Solaris
system (which should also have case-sensitive
user names):

alp $ ssh "-V"
alp$dka0:[sys0.syscommon.][sysexe]tcpip$ssh_ssh2.exe: SSH Secure Shell OpenVMS (
V5.5) 3.2.0 on COMPAQ Professional Workstation - VMS V7.3-2

I am a bit puzzled by your "ssh -v" report,
however. Around here:

alp $ ssh -v
debug: Ssh2/SSH2.C:1906: CRTL version (SYS$SHARE:DECC$SHR.EXE ident) is V7.3-2-0
3
[...]

which is why I said '"-V"' above. You seem
to have more case confusion than I'd've
expected.

"SHOW SYMBOL SSH*"? (Should be none.)

I don't see any differences with SET PROC /PARSE = TRAD, either, so I doubt that
that's the cause.

Normally, I'd suggest trying it again with a
"-v" option in the "ssh" command, but your
"-v" doesn't seem to have the right case,
either. You could try quoting more things,
but I don't see why this should be needed.

[Steven Schweda]

You didn't define some DECC$* feature logical
names, did you?

SHOW LOGI DECC$*

HELP CRTL Feature_Logical_Names

[...]
o Do not set C RTL feature logical names for the system.
Set them only for the applications that need them,
because other applications including OpenVMS components
depend on the default behavior of these logical names.
[...]

[Jan van den Ende · Accepted solution]

Barney,

to begin with:
Welcome to the VMS Forum!

As you have alredy found out, VMS defaults to uppercasing (nearly) everything.
If you want to preserve case, the the old (and for VMSers easiest) way is to put that string between double quotes:
$ ssh "bkwok"@linuxbox

for someone more used to Unix, perhaps
$ SET PROCES/parse_style=extended
will result in a more used style.
It may have effects on other VMS commands though.

Try them both, and decide for yourself which you prefer.

hth

Proost.

Have one on me.

jpe

[Steven Schweda]

For the record:

alp $ set proc /pars = exte
alp $ ssh sms@sol
Authentication successful.
[...]

alp $ set proc /pars = trad
alp $ ssh sms@sol
Authentication successful.
[...]

Interestingly:

alp $ ssh SMS@sol
Authentication successful.
[...]

But:

alp $ ssh "SMS@sol"
SMS's password:
SMS's password:
SMS's password:

warning: Authentication failed.

Again, SET PROC /PARS has no effect.
However:

alp $ defi DECC$ARGV_PARSE_STYLE enable
alp $ ssh -v
ALP$DKA0:[SYS0.SYSCOMMON.][SYSEXE]TCPIP$SSH_SSH2.EXE: SSH Secure Shell OpenVMS (
V5.5) 3.2.0 on COMPAQ Professional Workstation - VMS V7.3-2

Note the case change in the program name.
And:

alp $ ssh sms@sol
SMS's password:
SMS's password:
SMS's password:

warning: Authentication failed.
[...]

So, I'm betting on DECC$something rather
than SET PROC /PARS.

Now, quotation will overcome even this:

alp $ ssh "sms@sol"
Authentication successful.

but the _right_ answer is not to define any
DECC$feature logical names when they're not
needed.

[Barney Kwok]

Thank you very much for all the helpful responses.
ssh "bkwok"@linuxbox does the trick.
I can't use "SET PROCESS/PARSE=EXTEND" because it affects an old application. So I stick with double quotes for now.

Cheers,
Barney Kwok

[Barney Kwok]

This problem is resolved by putting double quotes around the username to preserve lowercase.
ssh "bkwok"@linuxbox

[Steven Schweda]

> I can't use "SET PROCESS/PARSE=EXTEND" [...]

And, as has been shown, it wouldn't help.

SHOW LOGI DECC$*

I'm still betting that that's the real
problem.