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x70b1 merged 2 commits into from
Jan 29, 2026
Merged

use keychain if available to automatically start ssh-agent #2

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6f9d8cd
use keychain if available to start ssh-agent
SuperBFG7 Jan 28, 2026
3bc253d
quote the keychain output for eval to avoid splitting
SuperBFG7 Jan 29, 2026
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11 changes: 9 additions & 2 deletions README.md
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Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
Expand Up @@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ It is assumed that your login password is identical to the password of the keys.

For Arch Linux users is already a [pam_exec-ssh-git](https://aur.archlinux.org/packages/pam_exec-ssh-git/) package in the AUR.

Otherwise just copy the script, set the permissions and install the dependencies `pam` and `expect`.
Otherwise just copy the script, set the permissions and install the dependencies `pam` and `expect` and optionally `keychain`.

```sh
cp pam_exec-ssh /usr/bin/pam_exec-ssh
Expand All @@ -26,7 +26,14 @@ chmod 755 /usr/bin/pam_exec-ssh
## Configuration

You need a running `ssh-agent` that have to be started before you login.
You can start your agent [manually](https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/SSH_keys#ssh-agent) or as a [systemd user service](https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/SSH_keys#Start_ssh-agent_with_systemd_user).
If you have `keychain` installed, the script will run it and start the `ssh-agent` automatically.
Be sure to also start it in your `~/.bashrc` to get the environment variables set correctly, for example:

```
eval $(keychain --eval --quiet)
```

Of course you can also start your agent [manually](https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/SSH_keys#ssh-agent) or as a [systemd user service](https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/SSH_keys#Start_ssh-agent_with_systemd_user).

Make sure that the socket path is correct.
`pam_exec-ssh` use `/run/user/YOUR-USER-ID/ssh-agent.socket` for it.
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8 changes: 6 additions & 2 deletions pam_exec-ssh
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Expand Up @@ -24,8 +24,12 @@ else
read -r PAM_PASS
PAM_PASS=$(echo "$PAM_PASS" | sed 's/\$/\\\$/')

SSH_AUTH_SOCK=/run/user/$(id -u "$PAM_USER")/ssh-agent.socket
export SSH_AUTH_SOCK
if hash keychain 2>/dev/null; then
eval "$(keychain --eval --quiet)"
else
SSH_AUTH_SOCK=/run/user/$(id -u "$PAM_USER")/ssh-agent.socket
export SSH_AUTH_SOCK
fi

find "$unlockdir" -maxdepth 1 ! -wholename "$unlockdir" | while read -r key; do
printf 'log_user 1\n\nspawn ssh-add "%s"\n\nexpect "Enter passphrase for %s" {\nsend "%s\r"\n}\n\nexpect eof' "$key" "$key" "$PAM_PASS" | expect
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