ssh-agent admitting failure

Kopkins · 2014-09-07 21:27:27

So I used to use ssh-keys for all my remote logins for increased security and disabled password logins. But Lately I have had trouble getting ssh-keys to work properly.

All of the directories and files have the correct permissions.

Starting with trying to ssh somewhere where a key is required.

...
Offering RSA public key: /home/kyle/.ssh/id_rsa
debug3: send_pubkey_test
debug2: we sent a publickey packet, wait for reply
debug1: Server accepts key: pkalg ssh-rsa blen 279
debug2: input_userauth_pk_ok: fp <FINGERPRINT>
debug3: sign_and_send_pubkey: RSA <FINGERPRINT>
Agent admitted failure to sign using the key.
...

Without debug it would go like this:

$ ssh me@host.net
Agent admitted failure to sign using the key.
Password for me@host.net:

I can fix that with this

exec ssh-agent zsh

$ ssh me@host.net
Enter passphrase for key '/home/user/.ssh/id_rsa':

Which works, but I would rather not have to type that command and the passphrase every time I was to ssh.

So I try 'ssh-add' which asks for the passphrase. Then I can ssh into any of the machines I need without entering all those commands. But as soon as I open a new terminal or reboot I have to enter everything again.

What could be the issue that requires the agent to be started that way every time?

Thanks,

Kyle

anatolik · 2014-09-08 04:44:18

The fact that "ssh-agent zsh" works makes me believe your current terminal session sees incorrect ssh-agent.

Do you have only one ssh-agent instance running?

ps ax | grep ssh-agent

Show us content of the SSH_* envvars

env | grep SSH

Make sure that socket file pointed by $SSH_AUTH_SOCK is valid and belongs to ssh-agent process.

Do you have keys added to the agent?

ssh-add -l

.

UPD: Did you change the key recently? Could it be that ssh-add caches your old identity?

Last edited by anatolik (2014-09-08 04:47:11)

Arch Linux

#1 2014-09-07 21:27:27

ssh-agent admitting failure

#2 2014-09-08 04:44:18

Re: ssh-agent admitting failure

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