Comment 36 for bug 687535

I just updated to the openssh-server_5.3p1-3ubuntu5 package for a Lucid instance, and now I can't get SSH to start. Or, rather, I'm running into what Jan mentioned above, with the respawning/terminating loop that eventually results in init deciding that SSH isn't going to start, and giving up. Something like:

init: ssh main process (430) terminated with status 255
init: ssh main process ended, respawning
init: ssh main process (449) terminated with status 255
init: ssh main process ended, respawning
init: ssh main process (456) terminated with status 255
init: ssh main process ended, respawning
...
init: ssh main process (468) terminated with status 255
init: ssh respawning too fast, stopped

The real trouble here is, this is an EC2 instance that was just restarted, so now I have no means by which I can get on that machine to do any additional troubleshooting or ultimately fix this. But this was not caused by me executing an /etc/init.d/ssh stop, so I don't think this is bug #531912.

So my question would be what now? Downgrade upstart (I just upgraded to 0.6.5-8)? Downgrade openssh-server (I just upgraded to openssh-server_5.3.01-3ubuntu5? Is there something I can do to workaround this? My existing instance my be lost, but what will keep me from running into this again if I build a new EC2 instance with the same package versions?