Ssh sometimes mysteriously fails with the following error message:

Script started on Thu Nov 18 02:15:48 1999
eagle:~$ ssh -v owl
SSH Version OpenSSH-1.2, protocol version 1.5.
Compiled with SSL.
debug: Reading configuration data /etc/ssh/ssh_config
debug: Applying options for *
debug: ssh_connect: getuid 1000 geteuid 0 anon 0
debug: Connecting to owl.zoo [192.168.128.1] port 22.
debug: Allocated local port 1023.
debug: Connection established.
debug: Remote protocol version 1.5, remote software version OpenSSH-1.2
debug: Waiting for server public key.
debug: Received server public key (768 bits) and host key (1024 bits).
debug: Host 'owl.zoo' is known and matches the host key.
debug: Encryption type: 3des
debug: Sent encrypted session key.
debug: Installing crc compensation attack detector.
debug: Received encrypted confirmation.
debug: Trying RSA authentication via agent with 'stalex@norwood'
debug: Received RSA challenge from server.
debug: Sending response to RSA challenge.
debug: Remote: RSA authentication accepted.
Connection closed by remote host.
debug: Calling cleanup 0x8055728(0x0)
eagle:~$ exit
exit

Script done on Thu Nov 18 02:15:57 1999

Apparently it starts connecting again after I telnet into the same computer.
Wierd...
--- Begin /etc/ssh/ssh_config (modified conffile)
Host *
   ForwardAgent yes
   ForwardX11 yes

--- End /etc/ssh/ssh_config

severity 50517 wishlist
thanks

	That's PAM failing from under SSH, maybe because of an
	NFS-mounted homedir going missing. I'm downgrading this
	to wishlist; there's nothing SSH can do, but it should
	give a better error message.

Closing this ticket because it is out-dated and there was no activity.
No
activity means also no interest from maintainer nor the reporter. The
package
might be not actively maintained anymore.

This happens in interest of Debian GNU/Linux project because it harms
the
project keeping tickets of that age open without any activity, decision
or
action taken.

With all due respect but that is not a reason to keep the ticket open
for so many years.
If you opened a ticket at upstream to report the issue and request an
improved error message, please provide the link here.

Feel free to re-open or open a fresh report.