Output via debug mode is empty

[zimmnik]

Hi!
I use Fedora 27. I set up my vpn connection and it works fine. But I want to understand in detail what going on when I start connection.

I read README.md and launched nm-ssh-service in a debug mode

[root@ideapad ~]# /usr/libexec/nm-ssh-service --debug
** Message: nm-ssh-service (version 1.2.7-1.fc27) starting...

Further I started vpn-ssh connection, but debug output still empty.
What I did incorrectly?

[danfruehauf]

Not a problem. So if you export your SSH VPN connection, it'll create a bash script. This script, once executed, will do exactly the same as what the plugin does.

But to answer your question, it does the following:

• As root, starts a ssh connection to the target computer with -o TunnelDevice=1:100 - that asks SSH to open a tunnel device (tun or tap) numbered 1 on the local side and 100 on the server side
• Once the devices are open, it uses ifconfig to configure IP address, netmask and gateway on the local side - your desktop side
• The initial SSH command also uses ifconfig on the server side to configure the remote tunnel with a relevant IP address and netmask

Once all of these are in place, we have a successful tunnel and data can be routed.

Does it answer your question?

[danfruehauf]

Oh, but as to your question. I think what might have happened is that you already had a nm-ssh-service up and running. So your new one that you spawned was not used. Verify it by running:

$ ps -ef | grep nm-ssh-service

If there are any up, kill them, then start yours and try to start a connection.

[rubenvereecken]

I had the same issue and found killing the existing service so I could spin up my own with debug enabld had no effect; as soon as I attempted a VPN connection it would spin up a new nm-ssh-service. Actually, originally I had quite a few running all from failed attempts.

[danfruehauf]

I had the same issue and found killing the existing service so I could spin up my own with debug enabld had no effect; as soon as I attempted a VPN connection it would spin up a new nm-ssh-service. Actually, originally I had quite a few running all from failed attempts.

I'm afraid you are correct. NM has changed quite a bit since I wrote the README. I'll fix it shortly.

[audetto]

This is very interesting.
I would like to see the exact script executed: the reason is that I want to add some extra customisation and I would like to start from what nm-ssh does as I would not be able to do any better.

What is the best way to see it?