====== Using an SSH agent to avoid typing your password ======

==== Do not use this tutorial until you [[http://sdf.org/?tutorials/SSH-SDF#public_key|make a unix account accessible via public key authentication following this tutorial]]. ====

Not only is typing your passphrase once convenient, you can [[http://xkcd.com/936/|make your password very complicated and only ever type an easy to remember passphrase to access all your accounts]].

  * Unix
    * [[#shell|At the shell]]
    * [[#anywm|Any Window Manager]]
    * [[#gnome|Gnome]]
    * [[#kde|KDE]]
  * [[#macos|MacOS X]]
  * [[#windows|Windows]]

===== At the shell =====

At any time, you can type\\ \\ " ssh-agent /bin/ksh\\  ssh-add $HOME/private_key.rsa\\ "\\  (you can replace "/bin/ksh" by your favorite shell). Any command issued from then on that uses "ssh" to interact with a server that hosts your public key (e.g. "ssh, sshfs, rsync") will not require a password e.g. \\ \\ " home_pc$ ssh-agent /bin/ksh\\  home_pc$ ssh-add $HOME/public_key.rsa\\  Enter passphrase for /home/user/public_key.rsa:\\  Identity added: /home/user/public_key.rsa (/home/user/public_key.rsa)\\  home_pc$ ssh miku.freeshell.org\\  miku$ "\\ \\

===== Any Window Manager =====

Arrange to have\\ \\ " ssh-add $HOME/private_key.rsa "\\ \\  run at login (e.g. via $HOME/.xinitrc or as a "Startup Application in Gnome/KDE"). You should get a popup asking for your passphrase.

===== Gnome =====

===== KDE =====

===== Mac OS X =====

===== Windows =====

You may have to change your openssh formatted private key to PuTTY's .ppk format via [[http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/putty/download.html|PuTTYgen]]. \\ \\  $Id: agent.html,v 1.3 2011/09/11 13:31:10 jbaber Exp $