# Rocky 9.2 -- Odd message about /root/.ssh from dnf?

**URL:** <https://forums.rockylinux.org/t/rocky-9-2-odd-message-about-root-ssh-from-dnf/10215>\
**Category:** Rocky Linux Help & Support\
**Created:** [June 7, 2023, 6:10pm UTC](https://forums.rockylinux.org/t/rocky-9-2-odd-message-about-root-ssh-from-dnf/10215 "2023-06-07T18:10:49Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![wrsomsky](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/forums.rockylinux.org/wrsomsky/32/2309_2.png) [@wrsomsky](https://forums.rockylinux.org/u/wrsomsky)\
**Post date:** [June 7, 2023, 6:10pm UTC](https://forums.rockylinux.org/t/rocky-9-2-odd-message-about-root-ssh-from-dnf/10215/1 "2023-06-07T18:10:49Z")

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I’m working w/ Rocky Linux 9.2 and am running into an odd message from dnf. It has happened a couple of times now, but here is a concrete, reproducible sample:

```auto
trantor.phys #] dnf reinstall -y grafana-pcp
      [...]
Running transaction
  Preparing : 1/1 
  Reinstalling : grafana-pcp-5.1.1-1.el9.x86_64 1/2 
  Cleanup : grafana-pcp-5.1.1-1.el9.x86_64 2/2 
  Running scriptlet: grafana-pcp-5.1.1-1.el9.x86_64 2/2 
"/root/.ssh" already exists and is not a directory.

  Verifying : grafana-pcp-5.1.1-1.el9.x86_64 1/2 
  Verifying : grafana-pcp-5.1.1-1.el9.x86_64 2/2 
      [...]

```

What is this weird message about “/root/,ssh”???

It is true that we have a symlink rather than a directory for /root/.ssh, but _ **why** _ is it doing _ **anything** _ w/ /root/.ssh?

If I remove /root/.ssh completely, I find that a new /root/.ssh directory has been created.

What is going on here?

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**Author:** ![wrsomsky](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/forums.rockylinux.org/wrsomsky/32/2309_2.png) [@wrsomsky](https://forums.rockylinux.org/u/wrsomsky)\
**Post date:** [June 7, 2023, 11:18pm UTC](https://forums.rockylinux.org/t/rocky-9-2-odd-message-about-root-ssh-from-dnf/10215/2 "2023-06-07T23:18:54Z")

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Okay, I think I figured out what is going on, though I’m not thrilled about it.

The ‘systemd’ package has numerous ‘file triggers’ including one on the /usr/lib/tmpfiles.d directory, so anytime any dnf/rpm action changes things in that directory (say by adding its own directory in there), the systemd package runs a /usr/bin/systemd-tmpfiles --create for the _ **entire** _ directory – not just what has been changed. And one of the files in there – provision.conf – has instructions to tweak the ownership/permissions for the /root/.ssh directory and ends up complaining if it happens to be a symlink. Grrr…

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**Author:** ![felfert](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/forums.rockylinux.org/felfert/32/2259_2.png) [@felfert](https://forums.rockylinux.org/u/felfert)\
**Post date:** [June 8, 2023, 6:06am UTC](https://forums.rockylinux.org/t/rocky-9-2-odd-message-about-root-ssh-from-dnf/10215/3 "2023-06-08T06:06:47Z")

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So I suggest to find out the culprit package which dropped provision.conf into /usr/lib/tmpfiles.d/

What does  
`sudo rpm -qf /usr/lib/tmpfiles.d/provision.conf`  
show?

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**Author:** ![brian](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/forums.rockylinux.org/brian/32/5777_2.png) [@brian](https://forums.rockylinux.org/u/brian)\
**Post date:** [August 25, 2023, 3:11am UTC](https://forums.rockylinux.org/t/rocky-9-2-odd-message-about-root-ssh-from-dnf/10215/4 "2023-08-25T03:11:23Z")

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Closed on August 25, 2023, 3:11am UTC