Bug 228863

Summary: [installation] Allow SSH remote connection to FreeBSD Installer
Product: Base System Reporter: Ben RUBSON <ben.rubson>
Component: miscAssignee: freebsd-sysinstall (Nobody) <sysinstall>
Status: Open ---    
Severity: Affects Some People CC: lwhsu
Priority: --- Keywords: patch
Version: CURRENT   
Hardware: Any   
OS: Any   
URL: https://github.com/freebsd/freebsd/pull/156

Description Ben RUBSON 2018-06-10 10:55:26 UTC
Hi,

Would be nice to be able to launch SSH server from the FreeBSD Installer.

There are several occasions during the installation process where we can switch to a shell for manual operations.
Unfortunately, through a console, it's sometimes painful for example to properly prepare disks, even more to repair things (disks, zpools or whatever) after a crash etc...
One could then like to start SSH daemon to work easier through a remote connection.

Unfortunately, SSH daemon won't start as /etc/ssh/ssh_host_* files don't exist, and can't be generated as the FS is read only. In addition passwords can't be set / SSH configuration can't be modified for the same reason.

Could we then, into the installation ISOs :
- to add default "/etc/ssh/ssh_host_*" files ;
- or to modify SSH & rc script configurations so that they are generated into /tmp ?

We would also need a user with a shell and a password, and allow it to switch to root.
Or set/generate a default root password, and set SSH config "PermitRootLogin yes".

Thank you very much !

Best regards,

Ben
Comment 1 Ben RUBSON 2018-06-10 11:55:27 UTC
See https://github.com/freebsd/freebsd/pull/156 for a fix !
Comment 2 Ben RUBSON 2020-02-20 15:18:16 UTC
Could we think about reviewing and merging this patch please ?
Many thanks !
Ben