Since about 2 weeks, building an image including openssh-client fails in the following fashion:

Collected errors:
* pkg_run_script: package "openssh-client" preinst script returned status 126.
* preinst_configure: Aborting installation of openssh-client.
* opkg_install_cmd: Cannot install package openssh-client-utils.
* pkg_run_script: package "openssh-client" preinst script returned status 126.
* preinst_configure: Aborting installation of openssh-client.
* opkg_install_cmd: Cannot install package openssh-client.

I've tried commenting out everything inside the preinit script (from the Makefile in which it is generated), but that doesn't seem to do the trick.

I've tried this for a trunk build for a TP-Link WDR4900 and a Netgear WNDR3700v2. Have been building my own images for the last 3 years or so, and am currently running an image including openssh-client on the '4900 (Barrier Breaker r40526). In that version there was no problem compiling.

Any ideas on the cause, or how to investigate this further? Should I attempt git bisect to find which commit broke things?

You need to post the full log, since the actual error happens way up.

Pasted the output of make V=s here http://pastebin.com/U2WZQqji

There's only an (ignored) error 123 in clean-staging that I can see.

Looked through the output (V=s) of a make after dirclean and spotted this:

Installing openssh-client-utils (6.6p1-1) to root...
Installing openssh-client (6.6p1-1) to root...
sh: /tmp/opkg-xI14yc/openssh-client-X9gm4r/preinst: Permission denied
Installing openssh-client (6.6p1-1) to root...
sh: /tmp/opkg-xI14yc/openssh-client-X9gm4r/preinst: Permission denied
Installing openssh-keygen (6.6p1-1) to root...

One step further - now to figure out what causes the problem with the preinst script in the /tmp directory.

We're not supposed to execute files in the /tmp directory. Of course this fails since I have the noexec mount option on my /tmp. This is a security problem in the build system.