[Linux] ssh -vs- openssh ?

[Kwan Lowe]

Jack Sasportas wrote:
> 
> In upgrading some servers I am deciding if I should stick with sshd or
> move to openssh.
> 
> My first question is, does it use the same format of files like
> authorized_keys etc, so that there is no learning curve to impliment the
> new one ?
> 
> Second if you have all the rpms from openssh.org, is it simply rpm and
> go ?
> Their instructions on the site make it seem like you have to complie
> etc.
> 
> Besides supporting 2.0 protocal what other reason should I switch ?

For one, it's open vs. the "increasingly restrictive" license of ssh.

I installed OpenSSH recently on a few Redhat, Mandrake and Debian boxes.
The Mandrake and Debian were fairly recent (3 months at oldest) and
these installed directly from the packages.

For the Redhat 5.2 box I needed to do some tweaking:

Built the packages from source. You'll need openssl and openssh.
After getting the rpm spec file, it failed to compile because it
complained about a missing library. I knew I had a current version and
ending up commenting out the line in the spec file. This occurred in
both packages.
Installed the binaries then.
The openssh-access and openssh-access-gnome were not available as source
when I checked so I didn't install these.

I also had to add a pam.d/sshd configuration.

Only other caveats is to watch your permissions. If you have trouble,
run ssh -v or check the messages log.