Bug#765486: openssh-server: ssh server should start ealier on Debian to allow debugging hanging application startup

[Paul Shore <paul.j.shore@gmail.com>]

Package: openssh-server
Version: 1:6.0p1-4+deb7u2
Severity: normal

Dear Maintainer,
*** Please consider answering these questions, where appropriate ***

   * What led up to the situation?

Another application had issues starting, hanging for 20+ minutes in its init.d startup script

   * What exactly did you do (or not do) that was effective (or
     ineffective)?

Unable to to anything as couldn't get to server!

Unable to access server as ssh server not started yet and console login waiting for application to start before it starts login console (or alternative consoles)

   * What was the outcome of this action?

Had to wait for application startup script to timeout before accessing server

   * What outcome did you expect instead?

Would like to be able to access ssh server ealier in boot (i.e. first service to be started after network).
Not sure how you specify this in the /etc/init.d/ssh startup script or if its even possible within the Debian configuration.
The other alternative would be the console login service starts the alternative consoles early in the boot
so you can get in an diagnose why an application startup script is hanging!

*** End of the template - remove these lines ***


-- System Information:
Debian Release: 7.6
  APT prefers stable-updates
  APT policy: (500, 'stable-updates'), (500, 'stable')
Architecture: amd64 (x86_64)

Kernel: Linux 3.2.0-4-amd64 (SMP w/2 CPU cores)
Locale: LANG=en_GB.UTF-8, LC_CTYPE=en_GB.UTF-8 (charmap=UTF-8)
Shell: /bin/sh linked to /bin/dash

Versions of packages openssh-server depends on:
ii  adduser                3.113+nmu3
ii  debconf [debconf-2.0]  1.5.49
ii  dpkg                   1.16.15
ii  libc6                  2.13-38+deb7u4
ii  libcomerr2             1.42.5-1.1
ii  libgssapi-krb5-2       1.10.1+dfsg-5+deb7u2
ii  libkrb5-3              1.10.1+dfsg-5+deb7u2
ii  libpam-modules         1.1.3-7.1
ii  libpam-runtime         1.1.3-7.1
ii  libpam0g               1.1.3-7.1
ii  libselinux1            2.1.9-5
ii  libssl1.0.0            1.0.1e-2+deb7u12
ii  libwrap0               7.6.q-24
ii  lsb-base               4.1+Debian8+deb7u1
ii  openssh-client         1:6.0p1-4+deb7u2
ii  procps                 1:3.3.3-3
ii  zlib1g                 1:1.2.7.dfsg-13

Versions of packages openssh-server recommends:
ii  ncurses-term             5.9-10
ii  openssh-blacklist        0.4.1+nmu1
ii  openssh-blacklist-extra  0.4.1+nmu1
ii  xauth                    1:1.0.7-1

Versions of packages openssh-server suggests:
pn  molly-guard   <none>
pn  monkeysphere  <none>
pn  rssh          <none>
pn  ssh-askpass   <none>
pn  ufw           <none>

-- debconf information excluded