won't start with compression on

[Andrew Schulman]

When I try to start stunnel4 with compression=zlib, it fails with "Failed to initialize compression method":

# service stunnel4 start
Starting SSL tunnels: Clients allowed=500
stunnel 4.53 on x86_64-pc-linux-gnu platform
Compiled with OpenSSL 1.0.1e 11 Feb 2013
Running with OpenSSL 1.0.1f 6 Jan 2014
Update OpenSSL shared libraries or rebuild stunnel
Threading:PTHREAD SSL:+ENGINE+OCSP Auth:LIBWRAP Sockets:POLL+IPv6
Reading configuration from file /etc/stunnel/5200.conf
Failed to initialize compression method
str_stats: 12 block(s), 255 data byte(s), 696 control byte(s)
[Failed: /etc/stunnel/5200.conf]
You should check that you have specified the pid= in you configuration file

The same thing happens with compression = deflate. If I use no compression, stunnel4 starts normally.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 14.04
Package: stunnel4 3:4.53-1.1ubuntu1
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.13.0-24.46-generic 3.13.9
Uname: Linux 3.13.0-24-generic x86_64
NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia
ApportVersion: 2.14.1-0ubuntu3
Architecture: amd64
CurrentDesktop: Unity
Date: Sun May 4 07:04:28 2014
InstallationDate: Installed on 2010-03-04 (1521 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 9.10 "Karmic Koala" - Release amd64 (20091027)
SourcePackage: stunnel4
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to trusty on 2014-05-03 (0 days ago)
mtime.conffile..etc.default.stunnel4: 2013-12-21T13:34:05.076114

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

Status changed to 'Confirmed' because the bug affects multiple users.

[David (david-9ei9nyjpwdex)]

This affects me after an upgrade of xubuntu 64 bit from 13.10 to LTS 14.04.1

same .conf file and settings as it was an on-line distribution upgrade. If I disable zlib compression in the .conf file the process starts.

[David (david-9ei9nyjpwdex)]

I installed the lastest 5.02 version from debian repos and the error is different. zlib compression is disabled in the Debian package of OpenSSL. Could this be the problem why it fails on an earlier stunnel version

[.] stunnel 5.02 on x86_64-pc-linux-gnu platform
[.] Compiled with OpenSSL 1.0.1i-dev xx XXX xxxx
[.] Running with OpenSSL 1.0.1f 6 Jan 2014
[.] Update OpenSSL shared libraries or rebuild stunnel
[.] Threading:PTHREAD Sockets:POLL,IPv6 SSL:ENGINE,OCSP,FIPS Auth:LIBWRAP
[ ] errno: (*__errno_location ())
[.] Reading configuration from file /etc/stunnel/stunnel.conf
[!] Line 19: "compression = zlib": zlib compression is disabled in the Debian package of OpenSSL
[Failed: /etc/stunnel/stunnel.conf]
You should check that you have specified the pid= in you configuration file

[David (david-9ei9nyjpwdex)]

OK found this info for ubuntu 14.04

https://launchpad.net/ubuntu/trusty/+source/openssl/+changelog

openssl (1.0.1f-1ubuntu1) trusty;

  * Dropped changes:
    - debian/patches/arm64-support: included in debian-targets.patch
    - debian/patches/no_default_rdrand.patch: upstream
    - debian/patches/openssl-1.0.1e-env-zlib.patch: zlib is now completely
      disabled in debian/rules

So is zlib disabled in 14.04 which stops stunnel using compression. zlib is really useful for usenet when downloading headers.

[Saverio Miroddi (64kramsystem)]

Another common pattern of usage of the openssl compression, which is quite important, is to compress network conections on cerntralized logging setups based on syslog-ng and stunnel - which are now not supported anymore.