User Commands ssh-agent(1)
NAME
ssh-agent - authentication agent
SYNOPSIS
ssh-agent [-a bindaddress] [-c -s ] [-d]
[command [args]...]
ssh-agent [-c -s] -k
DESCRIPTION
ssh-agent is a program to hold private keys used for public
key authentication (RSA, DSA). ssh-agent is often started at
the beginning of a login session. All other windows or pro-
grams are started as clients to the ssh-agent program.
Through use of environment variables, the agent can be
located and automatically used for authentication when log-
ging in to other machines using ssh(1). See the System
Administration Guide: Security Services.
If a command line is given, this is executed as a subprocess
of the agent. When the command dies, so does the agent.
The agent initially does not have any private keys. Keys are
added using ssh-add(1), which sends the identity to the
agent. Several identities can be stored in the agent; the
agent can automatically use any of these identities. Use the
-l option in ssh-add(1) to display the identities currently
held by the agent.
The agent is run in the user's local host. Authentication
data need not be stored on any other machine, and authenti-
cation passphrases never go over the network. However, if
the connection to the agent is forwarded over SH remote
logins, the user can use the privileges given by the identi-
ties anywhere in the network in a secure way.
There are two main ways to get an agent setup. Either you
let the agent start a new subcommand into which some
environment variables are exported, or you let the agent
print the needed shell commands (either sh(1) or csh(1) syn-
tax can be generated) which can be evalled in the calling
shell. Later, use ssh(1) to look at these variables and use
them to establish a connection to the agent.
SunOS 5.11 Last change: 17 Nov 2008 1
User Commands ssh-agent(1)
A unix-domain socket is created (/tmp/ssh-
X/agent.pid) and the name of this socket is stored in
the SHAUTHSOCK environment variable. The socket is made
accessible only to the current user. This method is easily
abused by root or another instance of the same user.
The SHAGENTPID environment variable holds the agent's
PID.
The agent exits automatically when the command given on the
command line terminates.
OPTIONS
The following options are supported:
-a bindaddress Binds the agent to the unix-domain socket
bindaddress. The default is /tmp/ssh-
X/agent.pid.
-c Generates C-shell commands on stdout.
This is the default if SHEL indicates
that it is a csh style of shell.
-d Debug mode. When this option is speci-
fied, ssh-agent will not fork.
-k Kills the current agent (given by the
SHAGENTPID environment variable).
-s Generates Bourne shell commands on
stdout. This is the default if SHEL does
not indicate that it is a csh style of
shell.
EXIT STATUS
The following exit values are returned:
0 Successful completion.
1 An error occurred.
FILES
SunOS 5.11 Last change: 17 Nov 2008 2
User Commands ssh-agent(1)
/tmp/ssh-X/agent.pid
Unix-domain sockets used to contain the connection to
the authentication agent. These sockets should only be
readable by the owner. The sockets are removed when the
agent exits.
ATRIBUTES
See attributes(5) for descriptions of the following attri-
butes:
ATRIBUTE TYPE ATRIBUTE VALUE
Availability SUNWsshu
Interface Stability Committed
SEE ALSO
ssh(1), ssh-add(1), ssh-keygen(1), sshd(1M), attributes(5)
System Administration Guide: Security Services
SunOS 5.11 Last change: 17 Nov 2008 3
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