ssh user@server1.cyberciti.biz
Last login: Wed Mar 26 08:45:36 2014 from 1.2.3.4
-bash: warning: setlocale: LC_CTYPE: cannot change locale (UTF-8): No such file or directory
How do I fix this error?
| Tutorial details | |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | Easy (rss) |
| Root privileges | No |
| Requirements | None |
| Time | 2m |
Understanding LC_* environment variables
Type the following command on remote server to display of all locales supported by Glibc:
$ locale -a
Next, type the following command to display settings on your local system (OSX/Unix/Linux based desktop):
printenv echo "$LC_CTYPE"
Sample outputs:
UTF-8
The above commands display the country and language names, the character encoding used by the locale. Your local ssh client is sending your LC_* environment variables to remote sshd server. In other words, SSH will try to set every LC_* variable you have set on your local OSX system on the remove server too. Here is an example of such problem:
Fig 01: warning setlocale lc_ctype cannot change locale (utf-8)
Fixing the LC_CTYPE: cannot change locale (UTF-8) error on Linux/OS X
This can be fixed as follows.
Method #1: If you are using the Terminal app on OS X
If you are using the ‘Terminal’ app then click on
Terminal > Preferences > Select Terminal type such as Basic (default) > Advanced tab
Make sure that the ‘Set locale environment variables on startup’ is unchecked as follows:
Fig.02: Fixing OS X terminal by unsetting ‘Set locale environment variables on startup’ check box
Fig.03: Unsetting ‘Set locale environment variables on startup’ check box on OS X EI Caption
Method #2: Preventing OpenSSH Client from sending the LC_* variables on OS X / Linux / Unix desktop
Edit /etc/ssh/ssh_config or /etc/ssh_config file, enter:
$ sudo vi ~/.ssh/config
Remove or comment out as follows:
#SendEnv LANG LC_*
Save and close the file.
Method #3: Install required locale on the remote server
Finally, you can fix this problem either installing the desired locale using the localedef command, or consider choosing a different locale in locale/remote system:
# localedef -i en_US -f UTF-8 en_US.UTF-8
🐧 28 comments so far... add one ↓
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Thank you very much, Nix! This solves my problem! :)
thanks.
The /etc/ssh_cofig change worked for me too.
Thanks!
Thank you! This was the unique method that worked for me. (I’m using os x mavericks)
The /etc/ssh_cofig fix worked for me. Thanks!
It was quick, nice, and easy change.
In your post, You should change
sudo vi ~/.ssh/config
to
sudo vi /etc/ssh_cofig
.
Regards,
Devashish.
This is path for ubuntu and macOS:
sudo vi /etc/ssh/ssh_config
Thanks that worked like a charm(Method #1)
Thanks a lot!! (solved with method #1)
Thanks a lot!
Funcionó con localedef -i en_US -f UTF-8 en_US.UTF-8, ya no se presenta el problema.
Just wanted to say thanks.
Using iTerm2 – but there’s no option to unset locale variable on startup in the GUI, so the /etc/ssh_config edit was the way to go – and worked.
In iTerm2 it is done under Preferences -> Profiles -> Terminal
Uncheck the box “Set locale variables automatically”
It works!
Thank you.
Hi, when I tried the third method, I get the error
“Can’t open charmap file UTF-8: No such file or directory”. Any idea on how to fix this?
Thanks!
Hi thanks very much
Method #2 worked for me but
i did
nano /etc/ssh_config to
fix my error ; now i don’t have the problem again when i ssh into my remote machine.
Thanks!
option 3 worked. Thanks
resolved…
Thanks, Method #1 did the trick for me.
Thanks man, option #1 works (El Capitan)
It worked thanks
It works well. Thanks!
Hi, thanks for the article.
I was facing this issue, not always, while connection to an EC2 Linux instance through macOS console app, and that small checkbox made all the difference.
thanks for the clear explanation! bookmarked the site.
Thanks Vivek, this is by far the best explanation to this issue I’ve found
Excellent !! Saved my day !! Worked like charm on my Macbook Pro.
First method worked for me. Thanks mate
Method#2 works for me and my location of the file is /etc/ssh/ssh_config.
Thanks a lot!