ssh_find_agent

ssh_find_agent is a tool for locating existing ssh compatible agent processes (e.g., ssh-agent, gpg-agent, gnome-keyring, osx-keychain); and, optionally, setting SSH_AUTH_SOCK accordingly.

Build Status

Usage

Somewhere in shell initialization (~/.bashrc or ~./.zshrc)

. ssh-find-agent.sh # for bash
emulate ksh -c ". ssh-find-agent.sh" # for zsh

Add the following to automatically choose the first agent

ssh_find_agent -a
if [ -z "$SSH_AUTH_SOCK" ]
then
   eval $(ssh-agent) > /dev/null
   ssh-add -l >/dev/null || alias ssh='ssh-add -l >/dev/null || ssh-add && unalias ssh; ssh'
fi

… or, as ssh_find_agent with -a or -c returns non-zero if it cannot find a live-agent, simply:

ssh_find_agent -a || eval $(ssh-agent) > /dev/null

To choose the agent manually run

ssh_find_agent -c

NOTE: The choose option is Useful when you actually want multiple agents forwaded. eg. pairing
To list the agents run

ssh_find_agent

This will return a list of export commands that can be used to set the socket.
Should this output be executed it will set the socket to the last agent found.

eval $(ssh_find_agent)

Status

Alternatives

• keychain
• envoy