#984876 openssh-server: logs unsightly errors from pam_env due to missing /etc/default/locale

Package:
openssh-server
Source:
openssh
Description:
secure shell (SSH) server, for secure access from remote machines
Submitter:
Ferenc Wágner
Date:
2021-03-09 15:39:04 UTC
Severity:
minor
#984876#5
Date:
2021-03-09 15:37:10 UTC
From:
To:
Package: openssh-server
Version: 1:8.4p1-4
Severity: minor

Dear Maintainer,

I installed openssh-server in an autopkgtest VM for debugging.  It works
fine, but pollutes the logs with red messages like

sshd[2122]: pam_env(sshd:session): Unable to open env file: /etc/default/locale: No such file or directory

The locales package is not installed on this VM, but I didn't do
anything for that.

In my opinion it would be nice to get rid of that error is possible.
Apparently it comes from /etc/pam.d/sshd:

# In Debian 4.0 (etch), locale-related environment variables were moved to
# /etc/default/locale, so read that as well.
session    required     pam_env.so user_readenv=1 envfile=/etc/default/locale

Or should (for example) base-files make sure it exists?