Syllable Desktop Gets OpenSSH Server

After many years of trying by several people, Kaj de Vos collected their hints and got the server part of OpenSSH to work. The integration into Syllable Desktop is based on earlier integration into Syllable Server of the system configuration needed for the OpenSSH server. Kristian Van Der Vliet implemented the socketpair function in Syllable 0.6.6 to support OpenSSH, although this currently still needs to be disabled. Michael Pavone and Adam Kirchhoff supplied and tested several more options that need to be disabled to get the server running and stable.

Although OpenSSH has been available for Syllable since the time of its AtheOS predecessor, the server component never received much attention because, after all, the project focused on a desktop system. In early Syllable times, there was a report that it worked with key-based authentication, but not with password authentication. Later versions of the OpenSSH server didn’t work at all.

However, the AtheOS website and several more of its public services already ran on AtheOS itself, even surviving several Slashdottings. Some people run websites on Syllable Desktop and it has even been used to operate a DVD factory. Even with the addition of Syllable Server to the operating system family, the OpenSSH server is still desirable to have on Syllable Desktop. Developing it first on Syllable Server made that easier. After that it could be established that IPv6, the socketpair function and privilege separation needed to be disabled, because Syllable Desktop does not fully support those features yet.

This work is now available in the current development build of Syllable Desktop. To activate the OpenSSH server, edit the file /resources/indexes/init/sshd and simply uncomment the last line, according to the instructions there. After that, the server will be started on each system start-up. Unique encryption keys that identify your system were already generated at the first start-up of your Syllable installation. In its default configuration, the sshd server provides access over the network to all user accounts on Syllable Desktop, by their normal passwords.