Missing known_hosts file in Windows prevents connection as of 5.3.0

[scottrudy]

Issue Description

Podman 5.3.0 on Windows throws exception on missing path when run.

Steps to reproduce the issue

Steps to reproduce the issue

1. In my case I had 5.2.5 installed via winget (pretty vanilla install) and upgraded using winget upgrade --all
2. the podman machine would start, but when trying issue a podman ps -a and other commands I would get a connectivity error
3. logging into the machine allowed podman ps -a to work fine
4. I uninstalled the machine and podman and then reinstalled 5.3.0 directly, but faced the same issue

Describe the results you received

Cannot connect to Podman. Please verify your connection to the Linux system using podman system connection list, or try podman machine init and podman machine start to manage a new Linux VM
Error: unable to connect to Podman socket: open C:\Users{username}.ssh\known_hosts: The system cannot find the path specified.

Describe the results you expected

I expected to see the containers on the machine

podman info output

PS C:\Users\scott> podman version
Client:       Podman Engine
Version:      5.3.0
API Version:  5.3.0
Go Version:   go1.23.3
Git Commit:   874bf2c301ecf0ba645f1bb45f81966cc755b7da
Built:        Wed Nov 13 08:19:59 2024
OS/Arch:      windows/amd64

Server:       Podman Engine
Version:      5.3.0
API Version:  5.3.0
Go Version:   go1.22.7
Built:        Tue Nov 12 19:00:00 2024
OS/Arch:      linux/amd64
PS C:\Users\scott> podman info
host:
  arch: amd64
  buildahVersion: 1.38.0
  cgroupControllers: []
  cgroupManager: cgroupfs
  cgroupVersion: v1
  conmon:
    package: conmon-2.1.12-2.fc40.x86_64
    path: /usr/bin/conmon
    version: 'conmon version 2.1.12, commit: '
  cpuUtilization:
    idlePercent: 99.1
    systemPercent: 0.35
    userPercent: 0.55
  cpus: 12
  databaseBackend: sqlite
  distribution:
    distribution: fedora
    variant: container
    version: "40"
  eventLogger: journald
  freeLocks: 2041
  hostname: SPRUDY-SP9
  idMappings:
    gidmap:
    - container_id: 0
      host_id: 1000
      size: 1
    - container_id: 1
      host_id: 524288
      size: 65536
    uidmap:
    - container_id: 0
      host_id: 1000
      size: 1
    - container_id: 1
      host_id: 524288
      size: 65536
  kernel: 5.15.167.4-microsoft-standard-WSL2
  linkmode: dynamic
  logDriver: journald
  memFree: 6386536448
  memTotal: 8238841856
  networkBackend: netavark
  networkBackendInfo:
    backend: netavark
    dns:
      package: aardvark-dns-1.12.2-2.fc40.x86_64
      path: /usr/libexec/podman/aardvark-dns
      version: aardvark-dns 1.12.2
    package: netavark-1.12.2-1.fc40.x86_64
    path: /usr/libexec/podman/netavark
    version: netavark 1.12.2
  ociRuntime:
    name: crun
    package: crun-1.17-1.fc40.x86_64
    path: /usr/bin/crun
    version: |-
      crun version 1.17
      commit: 000fa0d4eeed8938301f3bcf8206405315bc1017
      rundir: /run/user/1000/crun
      spec: 1.0.0
      +SYSTEMD +SELINUX +APPARMOR +CAP +SECCOMP +EBPF +CRIU +LIBKRUN +WASM:wasmedge +YAJL
  os: linux
  pasta:
    executable: /usr/bin/pasta
    package: passt-0^20241030.gee7d0b6-1.fc40.x86_64
    version: |
      pasta 0^20241030.gee7d0b6-1.fc40.x86_64
      Copyright Red Hat
      GNU General Public License, version 2 or later
        <https://www.gnu.org/licenses/old-licenses/gpl-2.0.html>
      This is free software: you are free to change and redistribute it.
      There is NO WARRANTY, to the extent permitted by law.
  remoteSocket:
    exists: true
    path: unix:///run/user/1000/podman/podman.sock
  rootlessNetworkCmd: pasta
  security:
    apparmorEnabled: false
    capabilities: CAP_CHOWN,CAP_DAC_OVERRIDE,CAP_FOWNER,CAP_FSETID,CAP_KILL,CAP_NET_BIND_SERVICE,CAP_SETFCAP,CAP_SETGID,CAP_SETPCAP,CAP_SETUID,CAP_SYS_CHROOT
    rootless: true
    seccompEnabled: true
    seccompProfilePath: /usr/share/containers/seccomp.json
    selinuxEnabled: false
  serviceIsRemote: true
  slirp4netns:
    executable: ""
    package: ""
    version: ""
  swapFree: 2147483648
  swapTotal: 2147483648
  uptime: 0h 10m 55.00s
  variant: ""
plugins:
  authorization: null
  log:
  - k8s-file
  - none
  - passthrough
  - journald
  network:
  - bridge
  - macvlan
  - ipvlan
  volume:
  - local
registries:
  search:
  - docker.io
store:
  configFile: /home/user/.config/containers/storage.conf
  containerStore:
    number: 5
    paused: 0
    running: 4
    stopped: 1
  graphDriverName: overlay
  graphOptions: {}
  graphRoot: /home/user/.local/share/containers/storage
  graphRootAllocated: 1081101176832
  graphRootUsed: 1758658560
  graphStatus:
    Backing Filesystem: extfs
    Native Overlay Diff: "true"
    Supports d_type: "true"
    Supports shifting: "false"
    Supports volatile: "true"
    Using metacopy: "false"
  imageCopyTmpDir: /var/tmp
  imageStore:
    number: 4
  runRoot: /run/user/1000/containers
  transientStore: false
  volumePath: /home/user/.local/share/containers/storage/volumes
version:
  APIVersion: 5.3.0
  Built: 1731456000
  BuiltTime: Tue Nov 12 19:00:00 2024
  GitCommit: ""
  GoVersion: go1.22.7
  Os: linux
  OsArch: linux/amd64
  Version: 5.3.0

Podman in a container

No

Privileged Or Rootless

Rootless

Upstream Latest Release

Yes

Additional environment details

PS C:\Users\scott> cmd /c ver

Microsoft Windows [Version 10.0.22631.4460]
PS C:\Users\scott> wsl -l -v
NAME STATE VERSION

• Ubuntu Stopped 2
  podman-machine-default Running 2
  PS C:\Users\scott> wsl --version
  WSL version: 2.3.26.0
  Kernel version: 5.15.167.4-1
  WSLg version: 1.0.65
  MSRDC version: 1.2.5620
  Direct3D version: 1.611.1-81528511
  DXCore version: 10.0.26100.1-240331-1435.ge-release
  Windows version: 10.0.22631.4460

Additional information

I was able to eventually workaround the issue by adding an empty C:\Users\{username}\.ssh\known_hosts file, but given that the file is 0 bytes, it doesn't seem like it's something the podman command should fail on or at least possibly the installer could touch the file to ensure it exists.