[Buildroot] [RFC] openssh: add option to allow login as root

[Peter Korsgaard <peter@korsgaard.com>]

>>>>> "Arnout" == Arnout Vandecappelle <arnout@mind.be> writes:

Hi,

 >> We discussed it tonight on IRC and didn't really get to a good compromise.
 >> 
 >> On one hand, we prefer to stick with upstream defaults (especially when
 >> security is involved)

 >  This patch doesn't change the defaults.

No, but the discussion on IRC included talking about if there should be
an option or if we should unconditionally allow/disallow root logins.

 >> We prefer to not add configuration options for these kind of
 >> detailed policy decisions,

 >  *That* is the crux of the matter. We normally only have configurability of
 > compile-time options, and assume that anything else is handled in post-build
 > scripts. The (only?) exception to that principle is the system menu.

 >  So *maybe* something global in the system menu could work, and then dropbear
 > and openssh and whatnot would do whatever is needed to permit/disallow root
 > login for that particular package. But I'm not exactly ecstatic about that option.

Me neither.


 >> as openssh has a LOT of other configuration
 >> options

 >  True, but permitting root login is clearly one that is a lot more
 > important/relevant than all the others. Currently, the typical user will naively
 > enable openssh, then try to ssh into the device, and fail...

Correct. It will also fail for dropbear as the root user by default does
not have a password set.


 >> So all in all, this kind of policy tweaks are better done in a post
 >> build script.

 >  In the few projects where I've seen openssh used, it was always with a custom
 > config file. Otherwise, there's not much reason to use openssh instead of
 > dropbear I guess.

Indeed. I always use dropbear as well.

-- 
Bye, Peter Korsgaard