topic Re: Issue with sftp accessed by a local user in /etc/passwd in Network and Storage Protocols

Issue with sftp accessed by local users in /etc/passwd

khcchen — Thu, 05 Jun 2025 04:20:26 GMT

Hi all,

I am having issue to access  /etc folder using SFTP for adminitration purpose.

The controller is runing 7-mode 8.1.4p1 with NFS licensed and I used the following page as guidance
https://kb.netapp.com/support/index?page=content&id=1012617

However, when I tried to connect to the controller by WinSCP/Filezilla, the storage console returned the following messages, and then SFTP connection creation failed.
[controller01: sshd_1:error]: error: Disconnecting: SFTP connection creation failed
[controller01:sftp.connection.setup.failed:error]: SFTP (SSH File Transfer Protocol) connection (#72) from client system xx.xx.xx.xx, user sftpuser failed. Reason: Homedir not set

In /etc/passwd, I have created a new sftpuser and specified the the homedirectory  /etc:

Also checked by getXXbyYY getpwbyname_r
pw_dir = /etc

sftp settings..
options sftp.auth_style unix
options sftp.dir_override (null)
options sftp.enable on

ssh.enable on
ssh1.enable off
ssh2.enable on

All other controllers are working...except this one, I tried to compare the settings, re-configured SFTP, created new sftp users, sftp.dir_override directory, but none of them works.

Thanks in advanced.

Re: Issue with sftp accessed by a local user in /etc/passwd

aborzenkov — Mon, 11 May 2015 08:57:01 GMT

What is in your nsswitch.conf? Is filer set to uset /etc/passwd for users and in which order?

Re: Issue with sftp accessed by a local user in /etc/passwd

khcchen — Mon, 11 May 2015 11:42:18 GMT

Hi aborzenkov,

rdfile /etc/nsswitch.conf

hosts: files nis dns

passwd: files nis ldap

netgroup: files nis ldap

group: files nis ldap

shadow: files nis

Re: Issue with sftp accessed by a local user in /etc/passwd

rwelshman — Mon, 11 May 2015 21:05:26 GMT

I think the home directory should be set to /vol/vol0/etc ?

Re: Issue with sftp accessed by a local user in /etc/passwd

khcchen — Tue, 12 May 2015 00:04:51 GMT

Hi rwelshman

I tried different paths in the /etc/passwd file under different user names..but unfortunately...all failed

/etc

/vol/vol0/etc

Re: Issue with sftp accessed by a local user in /etc/passwd

rwelshman — Tue, 12 May 2015 17:57:28 GMT

have you tried setting the sftp.dir_override option to /vol/vol0/etc?

Re: Issue with sftp accessed by a local user in /etc/passwd

khcchen — Wed, 13 May 2015 00:38:59 GMT

I tried the following settings, but all failed.

sftp.dir_override /

sftp.dir_override /vol

sftp.dir_override /vol/vol0

sftp.dir_override /vol/vol0/etc

Done further checking on the sftp log (/etc/log/sftp.cmd), it seems like the path is set to /vol/vol0, instead of /vol/vol0/etc

Ptype SSH_FXP_INIT Version 3

Ptype SSH_FXP_REALPATH Id 256 Path /vol/vol0

Did I miss anything?