better feedback when git-user may not login with ssh public key

[N Stoker]

Binary package hint: gitosis

I was following the instructions in http://www.howtoforge.com/setting-up-gitosis-on-ubuntu to set up gitosis.

When trying to clone the gitosis-admin repo using

git clone git@YOUR_SERVER_HOSTNAME:gitosis-admin.git

(obviously I changed the server hostname, trying localhost, the local IP address as well as the host name).

ns@node0:~$ git clone git@node0:gitosis-admin.git
Initialized empty Git repository in /home/ns/gitosis-admin/.git/
git@node0's password:

I am using Ubuntu 9.10
Release: 9.10

ns@node0:~$ apt-cache policy gitosis
gitosis:
  Installed: 0.2+20080825-15
  Candidate: 0.2+20080825-15
  Version table:
 *** 0.2+20080825-15 0
        500 http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com karmic/universe Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status

[Vortex Cortex (vortex-cortex)]

I had this problem as well. Git uses SSH for authentication.

Check the output of the following command:

grep "AllowUsers" /etc/ssh/sshd_config

If "AllowUsers" is present in the SSH daemon config, make sure you include the "git" user.

eg: My "/etc/ssh/sshd_conf" file contained this line:
AllowUsers vortexcortex

I edited the file via this command:
gksudo gedit /etc/ssh/sshd_conf

Then, I changed the AllowUsers line to read:
AllowUsers vortexcortex git

I saved the file, quit the editor and finally restarted my SSH daemon:
sudo /etc/init.d/ssh restart

(I have also had success via removing the AllowUsers line completely)

[Michael Nagel (nailor)]

closing as requested

[Michael Nagel (nailor)]

sorry... wrong tab. no offense meant.

the gitosis docu is not the most comprehenive, but vortex coretex is right, the git user (i think the user is called gitosis in debian) must be able to connect to the machine via ssh. you can test via
ssh git@localhost
on the server.
you should _not_ get an error about connection problems or be asked for a password you do not know, but the message should read:
ERROR:gitosis.serve.main:Need SSH_ORIGINAL_COMMAND in environment.
you cannot connect properly because that user is not allowed to run a shell but only the gitosis program. but you should be able to connect in the first place.