Newly installed openssh-server and upstart: status: Unknown job: ssh

[Ivan Voras]

Just after installing openssh-server, there is no ssh service in the initctl's list. Consequently, the SSH server cannot be started:

# initctl start ssh
initctl: Unknown job: ssh

# dpkg -l | grep ssh
ii openssh-client 1:6.6p1-2ubuntu2 i386 secure shell (SSH) client, for secure access to remote machines
ii openssh-server 1:6.6p1-2ubuntu2 i386 secure shell (SSH) server, for secure access from remote machines

# cat /etc/lsb-release
DISTRIB_ID=Ubuntu
DISTRIB_RELEASE=14.04
DISTRIB_CODENAME=trusty
DISTRIB_DESCRIPTION="Ubuntu 14.04.1 LTS"

# initctl reload-configuration
# initctl list | grep ssh
ssh-agent start/running

# ps axuw | grep ssh
ivoras 1578 0.0 0.0 4216 200 ? Ss Sep08 0:00 ssh-agent -s
root 11810 0.0 0.0 6168 852 pts/2 S+ 11:26 0:00 grep ssh

# initctl start ssh
initctl: Unknown job: ssh

Running "/etc/init.d/ssh" does not do anything since the script exits, AFAIK in the upstart check.
Running "service ssh restart" results in:

# service ssh restart
stop: Unknown job: ssh
start: Unknown job: ssh

After rebooting the machine, sshd is started (!), but still not visible in "initctl list" (!!) and running /etc/init.d/ssh still doesn't do anything (!!!), as well as the "service" command returning the same "Unknown job: ssh" error.

Exactly the same problem happens with the php5-fpm service. I've also installed nginx and while it can be controlled by using /etc/init.d/nginx , it is not visible in "initctl list".

The question is - how do I control the services in Ubuntu 14.04? This is a fresh install, the ssh service was the first service installed.

[Ivan Voras (ivoras)]

As an update, the ssh.conf file exists in /etc/init :

# ls /etc/init/*ssh*
/etc/init/ssh.conf

and it looks correct (I haven't modified any files in /etc/init).

[Ivan Voras (ivoras)]

There is more information at https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/openssh/+question/254248 .

[Seth Arnold (seth-arnold)]

I believe this is an upstart issue, the tools appear to be selecting user tasks rather than system tasks. Try adding --system to your various commands:

sarnold@hunt:~$ initctl --system status ssh
ssh start/running, process 1352
sarnold@hunt:~$ initctl status ssh
initctl: Unknown job: ssh

[Ivan Voras (ivoras)]

Thanks, adding --system apparently helps.

The verbosity is awful / nonexistent, I can only guess the command did anything by seeing the PID changing:

# initctl --system restart ssh
ssh start/running, process 22389
# initctl --system restart ssh
ssh start/running, process 22394

Adding "-v" (the "verbose" switch) apparently doesn't do anything in any of the common initctl commands I've tried (list, start, stop, restart).

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

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

[Psykotik (linux-ikiru)]

This issue also affects mysql package.

$ sudo service mysql restart
stop: unknown job: mysql
start: unknown job: mysql

In other words, both mysql and ssh cannot be restarted.

I have recently upgraded from 12.04 to 14.04, then this bug started affecting mysql and ssh.

[kay (kay-diam)]

Have the same bug on fresh ubuntu 14.04 LTS.

--system helped

[kay (kay-diam)]

P.S. "initctl reload-configuration" didn't help

[Jens Elkner (jelmd)]

Probably because this piece of junk (upstart) just silently discards any *.conf file with errors/unknown directives in it instead of reporting/logging the problem.

[OkropNick (okropnick)]

I have exactly the same problem after fresh installation of Ubuntu 14.04 (64bit).

[Shawn Poquette (kickit2)]

Also confirmed after upgrade from functional 12.04 system to 14.04 (both 64 bit). --System flag makes it work

[Sebastian Wagner (sebix)]

I also have this problem on a client's machine. This leads to failing chef-scripts, that's very annoying.

Does anyone have a solution or workaround, except the --system flag?

[Sebastian Wagner (sebix)]

Here are some external descriptions of this problem:

https://askubuntu.com/questions/403279/sshd-wont-stop-start-properly
https://askubuntu.com/questions/406265/ssh-server-does-not-start-on-lubuntu-live-image
https://superuser.com/questions/931329/unable-to-setup-openssh-server-on-ubuntu
https://serverfault.com/questions/333943/cant-start-ssh-after-upgrade-ubuntu
http://aplawrence.com/Linux/ubuntu_start_bug.html
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2260006
http://xbian.org/forum/thread-2473-post-24475.html
https://stackoverflow.com/questions/30568905/ubuntu-when-upstart-service-is-run-with-user-root-it-returns-unknown-job

[Anthony Jewell (tjewell)]

Still an issue with a fresh install of Ubuntu 14.04:
$ su
# apt-get install openssh-server
....
initctl: Unknown job: ssh
....
# initctl status ssh
initctl: Unknown job: ssh
# initctl --system status ssh
ssh stop/waiting

But run the su as a login shell:
$ su -
# apt-get install openssh-server
.... (No "Unknown job: ssh) ...
# initctl status ssh
ssh start/running, process 18012