I hit this problem (I found http://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=422699 first, then this bug).
Here's how I reproduced: Setup an account on a remote system with /bin/false as a login shell: remote# useradd -s /bin/false blah remote# passwd blah ... Try something that tickles the SVN/Core.pm code from the local system: local# git svn init -Ttrunk svn+ssh://b...@remote/junk ... -- Quentin -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-bugs-dist-requ...@lists.debian.org with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact listmas...@lists.debian.org