Re: creative ssh-agent uses

[Brett Parker <iDunno@sommitrealweird.co.uk>]

On Sat, Dec 09, 2006 at 12:44:54AM -0800, Rudi Cilibrasi wrote:
> Dear Ratiu,
> 
> I am not sure I understand your situation, but maybe this can help?
> 
> When creating an ssh-key using ssh-keygen, it prompts you for a
> passphrase.  It isn't so obvious, but you can simply hit return at that
> point to have "no passphrase".  This means that the resulting key
> is unencrypted on your hard drive, so you have to rely
> on unix (chmod) permissions to protect it from being
> copied by unauthorized people.  As long as you just press enter when
> asked for a passphrase from ssh-keygen, this will ensure that using
> that key with ssh-agent and ssh-add will not prompt you for
> a passphrase.  This is one way to use ssh-agent with a script
> noninteractively.  Just eval `ssh-agent`, ssh-add the unencrypted key,
> then do the ssh commands all without a passphrase prompt.

Errr, minor point here... but if you haven't got a passphrase on the ssh
key, then there is no reason to use ssh-agent or ssh-add, they're
non-ops for passphraseless keys.

Thanks,
-- 
Brett Parker