Unable to determine known_hosts location (-16 LIBSSH2_ERROR

BernieC has asked for the wisdom of the Perl Monks concerning the following question:

I have a program that I've used for *years*. I recently updated Strawberry Perl to v5.38.0, and when I run it I get Unable to determine known_hosts location (-16 LIBSSH2_ERROR_FILE) The code looks like

my $ssh2 = Net::SSH2->new() ;
$ssh2->connect(HOST) or $ssh2->die_with_error ;
# $ssh2->check_hostkey(tofu => HOSTKEY) 
$ssh2->check_hostkey("LIBSSH2_HOSTKEY_POLICY_TOFU") 
    or $ssh2->die_with_error ;
$ssh2->auth_publickey(USER, PUBLICKEY, PRIVATEKEY)
    or $ssh2->die_with_error ;
$ssh2->auth_ok() ;
[download]

The error is on the check_hostkey line. I wrote this program long ago and I neither know why it stopped working nor what is wrong. Apparently "back in the day" it know how to find the known_hosts but now it doesn't

Comment on Unable to determine known_hosts location (-16 LIBSSH2_ERROR_FILE) Download Code

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Re: Unable to determine known_hosts location (-16 LIBSSH2_ERROR_FILE) by choroba (Cardinal) on Oct 18, 2023 at 17:17 UTC
The exception is thrown here: https://github.com/rkitover/net-ssh2/blob/master/lib/Net/SSH2.pm#L377C13-L377C13. It seems unable to find the home directory of the user, which happens in _local_home: https://github.com/rkitover/net-ssh2/blob/master/lib/Net/SSH2.pm#L344C5-L344C5 Try setting the HOME environment variable. What does `print +(getpwuid($<))[7];` [download] return on the system? `map{substr$_->[0],$_->[1]\|\|0,1}[\\|\|{},3],[[]],[ref qr-1,-,-1],[{}],[sub{}^ARGV,3]`	[reply] [d/l] [select]
Re^2: Unable to determine known_hosts location (-16 LIBSSH2_ERROR_FILE) by Discipulus (Canon) on Oct 20, 2023 at 06:52 UTC
Hello choroba, most routines of this family are not implemented in win32 perl L* There are no rules, there are no thumbs.. Reinvent the wheel, then learn The Wheel; may be one day you reinvent one of THE WHEELS.	[reply] [d/l]
Re: Unable to determine known_hosts location (-16 LIBSSH2_ERROR_FILE) by kcott (Archbishop) on Oct 18, 2023 at 17:47 UTC
G'day BernieC, I'm not a user of Net::SSH2, but looking at its documentation and its source it would seem `LIBSSH2_HOSTKEY_POLICY_TOFU` should be a constant: try removing the quotes. If that doesn't work, providing additional information may help others to troubleshoot your problem. Does your code have a `use VERSION`? If so, what is it? With no `use VERSION` or `VERSION` < `v5.12`, you should include `strict` and `warnings`; with `VERSION` >= `v5.12` and < `v5.36`, you should include `warnings` (you automatically get `strict`); with `VERSION` >= `v5.36`, you automatically get `strict` and `warnings`. What does your code have? What version of Perl relates to "back in the day"? What was the previous version of `Net::SSH2` you used? What is the current version? `Net::SSH2` is not a core module. Did you install it with your new `v5.38.0`? What version of `libssh2` do you have installed? See also: "Net::SSH2: Error handling"; in particular, its reference to `check_hostkey`. — Ken	[reply] [d/l] [select]
Re^2: Unable to determine known_hosts location (-16 LIBSSH2_ERROR_FILE) by hippo (Archbishop) on Oct 18, 2023 at 18:29 UTC
it would seem LIBSSH2_HOSTKEY_POLICY_TOFU should be a constant: try removing the quotes. Just as discussed 2 days ago in the original thread. 🦛	[reply]
Re^3: Unable to determine known_hosts location (-16 LIBSSH2_ERROR_FILE) by kcott (Archbishop) on Oct 18, 2023 at 19:03 UTC
++ I thought it sounded familiar; couldn't pinpoint it though. Thanks. — Ken	[reply]
Re^3: Unable to determine known_hosts location (-16 LIBSSH2_ERROR_FILE) by BernieC (Pilgrim) on Oct 19, 2023 at 16:37 UTC
Bareword "LIBSSH2_HOSTKEY_POLICY_TOFU" not allowed while "strict subs" in use	[reply]
Re^4: Unable to determine known_hosts location (-16 LIBSSH2_ERROR_FILE) by choroba (Cardinal) on Oct 19, 2023 at 16:48 UTC