[Scribia-dev] FW: [Bug #131593] Please rethink CVS/SSH strategy

[Lark <lar...@ya...>]

FYI, my support request was closed again ("we don't offer pserver access at
this time"), so I submitted this. It has some details about why CVS/SSH on
the Mac is such a pain.
-- 
Lark <lar...@ya...>

----------
From: no...@so...
Date: Thu, 08 Feb 2001 11:07:49 -0800
To: lar...@ya..., no...@so...,
ale...@so...
Subject: [Bug #131593] Please rethink CVS/SSH strategy

Details: There are two ways to secure CVS using SSH:

1. substitute ssh for rsh at the client
2. configure an ssh tunnel between rsh ports, and use rsh

Method 1 is what Sourceforge uses, but it requires a client implementation
of ssh that is a plug-in replacement of rsh.

Not all clients have this; Mac OS doesn't. While MacOS CVS clients can do
rsh (it's hardcoded into the CVS clients), there is no way to make them use
ssh.

This means that Sourceforge cannot host MacOS projects at this time, since
developers cannot access their CVS trees from the Mac!

Method 2 does not need any client support other than an SSH implementation
that does connection forwarding. Those are available for most platforms,
including MacOS.

However, method 2 fails, because Sourceforge forbids ssh shell connections
into the CVS machine. In order to forward a connection (e.g. to run CVS
over), I must be able to first log into that machine with ssh.

Please allow ssh logins into the CVS server, so tunnels can be set up! This
will enable CVS/SSH using method 2 on systems that do not support method 1,
like the Mac. It would also enable secure pserver access, should Sourceforge
wish to offer it.

Otherwise, I will probably have to move my (MacOS) projects to another site,
since my developers cannot access our CVS trees (and are getting pissed at
me...)

Also, in the past, Sourceforge has given out pserver access in these
situations (I use it), but my developers are now being told this is no
longer offered. Why the change?

Thanks,
Lark

PS: Please CC me by email in responses, finding closed PRs is next to
impossible.