2 files changed, 16 insertions, 0 deletions

diff --git a/debian/changelog b/debian/changelog
index e07aa8f25..12ebb566e 100644
--- a/debian/changelog
+++ b/debian/changelog
@@ -60,6 +60,8 @@ openssh (1:4.6p1-1) UNRELEASED; urgency=low
     Christian Perrier; closes: #389038).
   * Move init script start links to S16, and remove stop links altogether
     (closes: #122188).
+  * Emit a slightly more informative message from the init script if
+    /dev/null has somehow become not a character device (closes: #369964).
 
  -- Colin Watson <cjwatson@ubuntu.com>  Tue, 12 Jun 2007 14:31:01 +0100
 
diff --git a/debian/openssh-server.init b/debian/openssh-server.init
index 6fd04bb74..72ce5c179 100644
--- a/debian/openssh-server.init
+++ b/debian/openssh-server.init
@@ -39,6 +39,18 @@ check_for_no_start() {
     fi
 }
 
+check_dev_null() {
+    if [ ! -c /dev/null ]; then
+        if [ "$1" = log_end_msg ]; then
+            log_end_msg 1 || true
+        fi
+        if ! run_by_init; then
+            log_action_msg "/dev/null is not a character device!"
+        fi
+        exit 1
+    fi
+}
+
 check_privsep_dir() {
     # Create the PrivSep empty dir if necessary
     if [ ! -d /var/run/sshd ]; then
@@ -58,6 +70,7 @@ export PATH="${PATH:+$PATH:}/usr/sbin:/sbin"
 case "$1" in
   start)
         check_for_no_start
+        check_dev_null
         log_daemon_msg "Starting OpenBSD Secure Shell server" "sshd"
         check_privsep_dir
         if start-stop-daemon --start --quiet --oknodo --pidfile /var/run/sshd.pid --exec /usr/sbin/sshd -- $SSHD_OPTS; then
@@ -92,6 +105,7 @@ case "$1" in
         log_daemon_msg "Restarting OpenBSD Secure Shell server" "sshd"
         start-stop-daemon --stop --quiet --oknodo --retry 30 --pidfile /var/run/sshd.pid
         check_for_no_start log_end_msg
+        check_dev_null log_end_msg
         if start-stop-daemon --start --quiet --oknodo --pidfile /var/run/sshd.pid --exec /usr/sbin/sshd -- $SSHD_OPTS; then
             log_end_msg 0
         else