[PR #4873] SSH: prefer using runuser instead of login #21476

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saavagebueno · 2026-08-05T05:08:34-04:00

saavagebueno commented

2026-08-05 05:08:34 -04:00

Original Pull Request: https://github.com/netbirdio/netbird/pull/4873

State: closed
Merged: No

Describe your changes

Some distros use util-linux's login binary, which doesn't work with NetBird's SSH.
Debian, for example, started using this binary recently in Debian 13, which broke NetBird's SSH.
runuser is the recommended utility for this use case and is now tried first on all Linux systems.
If runuser doesn't exist, it falls back to the standard login method.
I also removed the special handling for arch-linux, since it just uses runuser for that distro now.

Issue ticket number and link

#4869

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Is it a bug fix
Is a typo/documentation fix
Is a feature enhancement
It is a refactor
Created tests that fail without the change (if possible)

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**Original Pull Request:** https://github.com/netbirdio/netbird/pull/4873 **State:** closed **Merged:** No --- ## Describe your changes Some distros use util-linux's `login` binary, which doesn't work with NetBird's SSH. Debian, for example, started using this binary recently in Debian 13, which broke NetBird's SSH. `runuser` is the recommended utility for this use case and is now tried first on all Linux systems. If `runuser` doesn't exist, it falls back to the standard login method. I also removed the special handling for arch-linux, since it just uses `runuser` for that distro now. ## Issue ticket number and link #4869 ## Stack  ### Checklist - [x] Is it a bug fix - [ ] Is a typo/documentation fix - [ ] Is a feature enhancement - [ ] It is a refactor - [ ] Created tests that fail without the change (if possible) > By submitting this pull request, you confirm that you have read and agree to the terms of the [Contributor License Agreement](https://github.com/netbirdio/netbird/blob/main/CONTRIBUTOR_LICENSE_AGREEMENT.md). ## Documentation Select exactly one: - [ ] I added/updated documentation for this change - [x] Documentation is **not needed** for this change (explain why)

saavagebueno added the pull-request label 2026-08-05 05:08:34 -04:00

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Reference: DYNR/netbird#21476

[PR #4873] SSH: prefer using runuser instead of login #21476

Describe your changes

Issue ticket number and link

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[PR #4873] SSH: prefer using `runuser` instead of `login` #21476