Can't get ssh-agent working

[altano]

Please answer the following

"OpenSSH for Windows" version
7.6.0.0

Windows 10 Pro

What is failing
C:\src> ssh-add C:\Users\alan\.ssh\ripper\ripper_id_rsa

Expected output
shrug

Actual output

Error connecting to agent: No such file or directory

Diagnostics
I used procmon to discover that the failed file open operation is on a file called 'C:\tmp\ssh-DEhw9URW70Jz\agent.24500' which does NOT exist. In fact, the c:\tmp directory doesn't exist.

I installed OpenSSH using choco install -y openssh -params '"/SSHAgentFeature"' and I verified that ssh-agent service is installed AND running.

What was supposed to create 'C:\tmp\ssh-DEhw9URW70Jz\agent.24500' and how can I diagnose why it didn't?

[charabaruk]

I assume that %SSH_AUTH_SOCK% is set, and/or you're using a different ssh-add than the one that comes with Win32-OpenSSH. This port uses named pipes rather than files or sockets to communicate with ssh-agent, so anything that doesn't start with \\.\pipe\ is suspect.

Make sure you're using the correct ssh-add.exe and that the %SSH_AUTH_SOCK% environment variable is unset, and it should work then.

[altano]

UPDATE: Oh, you said UNSET %SSH_AUTH_SOCK%. Yeah, that did the trick. I'll figure out what is setting it and take care of that. Thanks :)

I'm definitely using the ssh from this OpenSSH port:

C:\WINDOWS\system32> Get-Command ssh-add

CommandType     Name                                               Version    Source
-----------     ----                                               -------    ------
Application     ssh-add.exe                                        7.6.1.0    C:\Program Files\OpenSSH-Win64\ssh-add.exe


C:\WINDOWS\system32> Get-Command ssh

CommandType     Name                                               Version    Source
-----------     ----                                               -------    ------
Application     ssh.exe                                            7.6.1.0    C:\Program Files\OpenSSH-Win64\ssh.exe

But interestingly,

C:\WINDOWS\system32> gci Env: | grep -i ssh
SSH_AGENT_PID                  8072
SSH_AUTH_SOCK                  /tmp/ssh-nxsdvBS2drI3/agent.24336

Which appears to be a valid path (in PowerShell) to c:\tmp, but still empty:

C:\WINDOWS\system32> gci -Recurse /tmp


    Directory: C:\tmp


Mode                LastWriteTime         Length Name
----                -------------         ------ ----
d-----        4/14/2018   6:42 PM                ssh-DEhw9URW70Jz

[altano]

It was coming from posh-git. There's an effort to separate out ssh from posh-git[0] which maybe will make the two play well together, but for now I just uninstalled posh-git.

[0] dahlbyk/posh-git#526

[JeremySkinner]

For anyone who also comes across this issue who wants to use the ssh agent service that ships as part of the Win10 spring update and is using posh-git, a simple fix is just to delete the environment variables inside your profile after importing the posh-git module. Eg:

Import-Module "$mydir\posh-git\src\posh-git"
remove-item env:\SSH_AGENT_PID
remove-item env:\SSH_AUTH_SOCK

[davclark]

I just came to this issue after a fresh install (last night) of Win 10 Edu 1803. I don't have either SSH_AGENT_PID or SSH_AUTH_SOCK set, but still get:

PS> ssh-agent.exe
unable to start ssh-agent service, error :1058

or

PS> Get-Service ssh-agent

Status   Name               DisplayName
------   ----               -----------
Stopped  ssh-agent          OpenSSH Authentication Agent


PS> Start-Service ssh-agent
Start-Service : Service 'OpenSSH Authentication Agent (ssh-agent)' cannot be started due to the following error: Cannot start service ssh-agent on computer '.'.
At line:1 char:1
+ Start-Service ssh-agent
+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    + CategoryInfo          : OpenError: (System.ServiceProcess.ServiceController:ServiceController) [Start-Service], ServiceCommandException
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : CouldNotStartService,Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.StartServiceCommand

Note that the SSH client was also NOT installed by default, and after installation didn't show up in my path right away (though seems to have done so eventually?).

EDIT: nevermind, worked this time when I ran in an administrative shell (it wasn't working before). I guess there is some async stuff that Windows 10 is doing in the background?

[kevmul]

For anyone else looking to fix this issue that uses Scoop.

I had this error thrown when I had pshazz installed using Scoop.
I ran

~ $ gci Env: | grep -i ssh
SSH_ASKPASS    C:\Users\{me}\scoop apps\pshazz\curren...

Uninstalled, and error went away.

Hope this helps!

UPDATE:

I saw this error over on pshazz lukesampson/pshazz#70 and @myty had a comment that solved this for me too, without uninstalling pshazz. Go take a look, and if it works give him a well deserved thumbs up!

[rageshkrishna]

Just ran in to this myself and found that the "Startup Type" for the ssh-agent service was set to "Disabled". I changed that to "Manual" and was able to start the service normally.

[manojampalam]

@rageshkrishna what's your openssh version?

[rageshkrishna]

I don't have an exact version number at the moment, but it was whatever came with the "OpenSSH Server" feature in Windows 10 (build 1803).

[manojampalam]

If so, this is expected, ssh-agent was set to disabled in the recent Windows 10 update. You'll have to enable it explicitly if you need it.

[jmegevand]

Hey that was my issue too:
1 . Check the current status of ssh-agent: "Get-Service | select -property name,starttype"
2. Set the new type : "Set-Service -Name ssh-agent -StartupType Manual"
3. Start it: "Start-Service ssh-agent"
4 Add simply your key as before: "ssh-add"

[egbertn]

On my Windows there is even no ssh-agent service.
SshDBroker service exists
SSH Server Proxy
SSH Server Broker
Therefore, I cannot add users from the commandline…
Microsoft Windows [Version 10.0.17134.137]

[manojampalam]

Looks like you may have Developer mode on. Can you disable those legacy services and see if you have ssh.exe and ssh-agent.exe installed under %windir%\system32\openssh ?

If you dont see them there - can you try installing OpenSSH using steps similar to what's detailed here (these were for Beta, your entries wouldn't have "Beta" in them) - https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/powershell/2017/12/15/using-the-openssh-beta-in-windows-10-fall-creators-update-and-windows-server-1709/

[egbertn]

Ok, developer mode is removed, those files exist but still the same message.

And starting it using PowerShell gives this:

Start-Service : Service 'OpenSSH Authentication Agent (ssh-agent)' cannot be started due to the following error: Cannot
start service ssh-agent on computer '.'.
At line:1 char:1

• Start-Service ssh-agent

•   + CategoryInfo          : OpenError: (System.ServiceProcess.ServiceController:ServiceController) [Start-Service],
   ServiceCommandException
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : CouldNotStartService,Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.StartServiceCommand
  

[manojampalam]

You could do the following to set ssh-agent back to "auto" on-demand start:
sc.exe config sshd start= auto