Source code

The source code is available in the github repository: apple-oss-distributions/OpenSSH.

Very well. An Xcode project is also inlcuded. It should be a breeze to rebuild the command I need and debug it.

Rebuild

When compiling, I get the following error:

error: unable to find sdk 'macosx.internal' (in target 'ssh' from project 'OpenSSH')

This is because the configured SDK (SDKROOT) is set to macosx.internal. See https://github.com/apple-oss-distributions/OpenSSH/blob/OpenSSH-354.0.3/xcconfigs/base.xcconfig#L9.

//  Copyright © 2023 Apple Inc. All rights reserved.
//
//  NOTE: We use MixedCase for user-defined settings.

PRODUCT_NAME = $(TARGET_NAME)
PRODUCT_MODULE_NAME = $(TARGET_NAME:identifier)
PRODUCT_BUNDLE_IDENTIFIER = com.apple.$(TARGET_NAME:rfc1034identifier)

SDKROOT = macosx.internal
MACOSX_DEPLOYMENT_TARGET = 14.0
[...]

Of course I don't have this internal SDK.

OK. I can try using the default SDK (while searching for "macosx.internal", I found a tool that does just that: fix-macos-internal-sdk). But now I get the following error:

.../OpenSSH/sshd-keygen-wrapper/SystemProperties.swift:3:8: error: Unable to find module dependency: 'DarwinPrivate'
import DarwinPrivate.os.variant
           ^ (in target 'sshd-keygen-wrapper' from project 'OpenSSH')
.../OpenSSH/sshd-keygen-wrapper/SystemProperties.swift:3:8: note: A dependency of main module 'sshd_keygen_wrapper'
import DarwinPrivate.os.variant
           ^ (in target 'sshd-keygen-wrapper' from project 'OpenSSH')

Unsurprisingly, some dependencies are now missing. DarwinPrivate is required.

Of course, I don't have the DarwinPrivate package used here https://github.com/apple-oss-distributions/OpenSSH/blob/OpenSSH-354.0.3/sshd-keygen-wrapper/SystemProperties.swift#L3.

import IOKit
import System
import DarwinPrivate.os.variant

protocol SystemPropertiesStrategy {
[...]

Other packages are also required and missing:

• AppleKeyStore https://github.com/apple-oss-distributions/OpenSSH/blob/OpenSSH-354.0.3/sshd-keygen-wrapper/SSHDWrapper.swift#L1

• CoreAnalytics https://github.com/apple-oss-distributions/OpenSSH/blob/OpenSSH-354.0.3/sshd-keygen-wrapper/SSHDWrapper.swift#L2C8-L2C21

import AppleKeyStore
import CoreAnalytics
import Foundation
import System

struct SSHDWrapper {
[...]

Another option

Rebuilding OpenSSH as provided by Apple is not working. However, it is possible is to try rebuilding OpenSSH from its upstream source code i.e. OpenSSH Portable Release.

This is what I did. I managed to compile OpenSSH Portable (very easily) and debug my problem (we'll come back to that later).

Conclusion

The source code of the modified OpenSSH is provided by Apple. But you cannot recompile it without components that are internal (to my knowledge) to Apple and, of course, not provided by Apple.

This may be the difference between Open Source and Free Software.

Unmaintained drivers

Some older, unmaintained drivers will no longer work with pcscd. I have requested their removal from Debian unstable.

They are:

• libasedrive-serial & libasedrive-usb from asedriveiiie (see bug #1119077)

• libgempc410 & libgempc430 from ifd-gempc (see bug #1119078)

I am the Debian maintainer of these packages, so it is my responsibility to open tickets to remove the packages.

I also filed a release critical bug #1119081 on libgcr410 so that this driver will not be included in the next version of Debian (unless the issue is fixed).

Popularity

I have already published an article on the popularity of Debian packages for smart cards in 2020 in Smart card Usage in Debian: pcscd and drivers.

With updated graphics, we now have:

• asedriveiiie

• ifd-gempc

• libgcr410

Very few people still have these packages installed. And even fewer use them.

Changes required

I also filed the bug #39 "Set group to pcscd in the udev rules file" on the upstream acsccid driver.

This driver is a fork of my CCID driver and is still actively maintained. The problem should therefore be resolved in a new version.

Conclusion

I don't have enough free time to maintain software that is no longer in use.

I haven't used these drivers for at least 10 years. And I don't plan on using them in the future, because I discovered that I no longer have the smart card readers.

Changes:

2.3.1 (October 2025)

• Add support of SWIG 4.4.0

• Add support of Mac OS X Snow Leopard

• Minor changes