starting ssh-agent as parent of X session for SSH

[doug reeder]

I have SSH up and running on some systems, but I would like to
have ssh-agent run as the parent of X, so that ssh-agent can
handle the user's keys.

When a machine is set up for console login, I can get everything running
by entering at the console:

$ ssh-agent startx

and then in a shell window under X:

$ ssh-add

Thereafter, ssh-agent handles the user's keys, and all is copacetic.

However, I do not see a way to get this all going when the machine is
set up for graphical login (i.e. X starts right after the machine
boots). How is this normally done? Do I need to edit the startx
script?

--
P. Douglas Reeder Lecturer, Computer. Science. Dept., Ohio State Univ..
ree...@cis.ohio-state.edu http://www.cis.ohio-state.edu/~reeder/reeder.html
GE/S d+ s+:- a C+@$ UH+ P+ L E W++ N+ o? K? w !O M+ V PS+() PE Y+ PGP- t 5+ !X
R>+ tv+ b+++>$ DI+ D- G e+++ h r+>+++ y+>++

[Robert Lynch]

I don't know if this is the BEST way, but the way I did it is to
edit /etc/X11/xdm/Xsession:
...
case $# in
1)
case $1 in
failsafe)
exec xterm -geometry 80x24-0-0
;;
gnome)
exec gnome-session
;;
kde|kde1)
# 10-17-00 start with ssh-agent
exec ssh-agent /usr/share/apps/switchdesk/Xclients.kde
#exec /usr/share/apps/switchdesk/Xclients.kde
;;
kde2)
...

HTH. Bob L.
--
Robert Lynch-Berkeley CA USA-r...@best.com

[Bernd Eckenfels]

In comp.os.linux.networking doug reeder <ree...@cis.ohio-state.edu> wrote:
> I have SSH up and running on some systems, but I would like to
> have ssh-agent run as the parent of X, so that ssh-agent can
> handle the user's keys.

With the current ssh-agent you only need to run it as a sister of the
session. (and get the envirenment variables set).

> $ ssh-agent startx

You should better set the exec ssh-agent <your window manager> in .xsession
since the ssh agent needs to be directly connected by sockets and
environment, both wont work with x servers in between.

Greetings
Bernd