Broken SSH client on Mavericks

Ok, i have solved this in the past also.

But this seens to be a bit different.

last time i fixed it with this command

sysctl -w net.inet.tcp.always_keepalive=9999

let's wait? and maybe "appe" find a solution.. if not.. i always can try to install openssh ?

mm that is not cool. so it's not related to /etc/ssh_config so better check the

sysctl -w net.inet.tcp.always_keepalive=9999

again an tweak it better?

impossibleplanet wrote:

For anyone still questioning, for whatever reason, whether this is anything but a Mavericks issue, let's put that to bed now:

Sorry, still awake.

• I am able to connect to the remote server with PuTTY in my Windows 7 VM, running in VirtualBox... on my Mac. So it's NOT a network issue.
• Because of above, it is also NOT a server issue.

There are vast differences between one ssh implementation and another, let alone one OS and another. Networks, espeically secure ones, can be complicated.

I've tried it in Terminal and iTerm, so it is NOT a client app issue.

The GUI application running the ssh client is irrelevant.

I've tried it with the included ssh and brew-sourced opensssh clients so it is NOT an SSH issue.

Correct. That is because it is a network or server issue.

I've tried it with other existing user accounts and brand spanking new user accounts. So it is NOT a bad key issue.

No, because your partial debut output is post-authentication.

I've tried re-installing Mavericks, so it is NOT a bad upgrade issue.

Reinstalling applications or OS builds will not fix misconfiguration on another machine.

I have two co-workers with the same problem so it is NOTuser error.

No. It is IT error - far more common..

Like many bugs, just because it's not experienced by everyone, doesn't mean it doesn't exist.

Correct. But think about that for a bit. If the bug is on the server side, your statement is still true.

Just because something works in one particular configuration doesn't mean it was implemented correctly. The one and only way to debug this problem is by looking at both the client and the server. If you have found a Mavericks bug and can reproduce it, then file a bug report. But you haven't demonstrated that yet. I have demonstrated that Linux misconfigurations can produce identical symptoms to what you are seeing. That occurs in environments with no Macs involved and has been reported for years. You haven't encountered the bug year simply because you haven't encountered it yet. Now, with Mavericks, you have. You need to work with your IT department to track the the likely causes of this bug and look for solutions. You could eliminate the one new configuration where the bug is exposed. Or you could fix it. I suggest fixing it because any future change, even if you dump your Macs, could trigger the problem at some point in the future. The best, and, in fact, only way to identify and fix these problems is when it is sitting right in front of you. Mavericks have given you that opportunity.

I am having the same problem as impossibleplanet since I upgraded my laptop to Mavericks, but interestingly the phenomenon is only occurring when I try to ssh to one particular server that is running Snow Leopard. I can connect to several Linux servers fine (and even one super old Tiger(!) server lets me ssh in just fine). No updates or changes have been made to the Snow Leopard server since this problem started - my upgrade to Mavericks is the only change since this started happening. Any input, tips, or feedback is welcomed!

I have been sufferring with this for weeks. I narrowed this issue to combination of OpenSSH client (Mac OS X/MacPort/Linux) and my Asus AC68U router. I am able to access hosts using putty though with same router. Also, I am able to access hosts using OpenSSH client over my Note 3 Hotspot.

Solution: Use MacPort putty(plink) and ssh-agent (for password-less login)

Its not a 100% fix as plink command is not 100% compatible with ssh command, but its still a life saver

Have you tried clearing the host key for the server in question?

In terminal:

ssh-keygen -R <ip-address>

<ip-address> being the IP of the server you are trying to connect to.

When you next try to connect again you will get a prompt to save the new / updted host key.

A changed host key will cause the same error sequence you are showing, the connection just dies with no error message given.

I am having exactly the same issues, I get a message saying "Write failed: Broken pipe" after succesfully entering my password when using Terminal.

I have no problems using PuTTY with wine, ubuntu terminal (virtualbox) or booting into windows and using PuTTY there.

The problem seems to lie with the Terminal app in Mavericks. I also have a hackintosh that works fine with the terminal running Mountain Lion, I updated to Mavericks and immediatly faced the same problems as with my MacBook.

I have tried all the suggestions with keep alive settings and what not.

It seems strange that PuTTY would work but the built in Terminal won't.

I have the same problem with several servers I own, from VPS, dedicated, Amazon EC2 and even when logging into CISCO routers over SSH. All with various distributions of Linux.

In my opinion this problem lies with the Terminal app/Mavericks.

TJN93 wrote:

I have the same problem with several servers I own, from VPS, dedicated, Amazon EC2 and even when logging into CISCO routers over SSH. All with various distributions of Linux.

In my opinion this problem lies with the Terminal app/Mavericks.

Terminal is just a shell app. It has no relation to ssh at all. It sounds like you have made some system change on your Mac that has rendered it inoperable. When Linux users switch to the Mac they tend to bring some Linux habits with them, such as updating system compontents to more recent versions. That never ends well.

Hi there. I have the same problem, and it definetely started with Maverick. All of the sudden I could not scp any files, my ssh connections got stalled. I tried the keep alive configuration mentioned earlier on, and this makes ssh / scp usable, but extremely slow. I have compared this to using a linux box and or cygwin, and there I have no problems.

That worked for me! What exactly does the command do?