Wsl autostart ssh agent. I manually st A bridge from WSL2 ssh client to Windows ssh-agent. To make SSH access persist after a system reboot, create a PowerShell script and configure it to run at boot: The majority of the configuration process is common between WSL 1 and WSL 2, so let’s do those common steps first. Port/listener conflicts. Let’s start by configuring the SSH server within WSL: Install WSL and a Linux distribution, and choose whether you want to use version 1 or 2. After searching for a while, I found one thread in the 1Password Community forum that linked to a post containing the steps to forward the SSH Agent requests from WSL to the Windows' SSH agent. Is there an easy way to have bash start automatically when Windows starts and pass a command to it to start the SSH server? So that the SSH server Using Visual Studio Code Remote Development with the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) This project was started at the time when WSL2 did not exist and Microsoft just implemented AF_UNIX socket support. I can manually start the ssh-agent on my server, but I have to do this every time I log in via SSH. To do that, each time I open a new Windows Terminal window (or even just a new tab in an existing Terminal) I need to execute eval "$(ssh-agent -s)" Mar 22, 2023 · However, it did not actually initialize ssh-agent nor add the key, despite seeing the output of these commands. Saves typing the ssh key password every time you interact with a remote repo. This probably won't work in WSL2. 前言 WSL2是 Windows 10中提供的Linux子系统，基于Ubuntu内核。在使用无图形界面的WSL过程中，需要基于控制台与Ubuntu交互。Windows 10自带的终端与常用的基于ssh的终端，如putty比，操作方式不是特别方便，因此可以在Ubuntu中，安装ssh服务，来启用putty的支持。但WSL在启动时，并不会自动启动ssh服务，因此 って書いてて、毎回 ssh-agent を起動してたんだけど、そうすると 毎回 ssh-agent が起動する ターミナルを開くたびに ssh-add する必要がある という問題が生じます。 とりあえず、手元のターミナルではこんなことになりました。 This ssh agent will be used by both Windows and WSL. SSH agent forwarding Bridges the Windows OpenSSH agent named pipe to a WSL Unix socket via socat, so ssh-add -l and Git over SSH work transparently. profile anpassen. Today find myself setting up a new Windows 11 laptop and running into a couple of different issues, and ultimately using a sligh… SSH Agent und Autoload der SSH Keys in Terminal / WSL 10. 04. Service config mismatch (Config (cli) vs Config (service)). On the other hand, WSL' ssh-agent identities won't persist even between terminal sessions without additional efforts from users. Setup OpenClaw gateway, configure openclaw ollama, openclaw gemini. I had trouble with ssh-agent session management inside WSL2, mostly with added keys timing out while the agent had no idea it should’ve asked for keys again. d/ssh start'" Question 1: In either case, WSL is not called to start up (solution 1 calls wsl. ssh-key without passphrase From a security standpoint, this is the worst option since the private key is entirely unprotected in case it is exposed. bashrc file, start a new prompt and you’re done! A step by step tutorial on how to automatically start ssh server on boot on the Windows Subsystem for Linux - WSL-ssh-server. Windows' ssh-agent stores all keys in registry, so they persist between reboots. exe' -c 'sudo /etc/init. Using socat, npiperelay and some bash scripting one can use the windows SSH agent inside the WSL container, automatically with no additional authentication. I am trying to call rsync from cmd using &quot;wsl rsync&quot; however it always asks for my ssh key password. In the rest of the article we will be configuring WSL to use the Windows ssh agent. mode=local → local gateway mode is not enabled. I am using git bash. The ticket was closed because starting an ssh-agent inside WSL would be the responsibility of the Linux distribution. One of the issues I’ve had with it though is that,… Automatically start ssh-agent and add your keys in Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) – Ubuntu Add the following to the end of your ~/. Amazingly, you don't have to do anything extra to make it work with 1Password SSH agent, and I'll write the steps I did to activate it below. Additional features included: Running Ubuntu, Debian, Kali Linux on Windows startup. config/ssh-agent. ssh user@<windows_ip> Make the Solution Persistent Across Restarts But the access will not work after a restart of the windows machine given that the WSL IP address would change. ) So yes, you're supposed to start ssh-agent and load keys into it every time the computer is started. I need to know HOW to run services in WSL (which may include but is not limited to SSH serrvers) In effect - A more simplified solution is required than How to run Ubuntu service on Windows (at startup)? provides. Sharing is caring While you can set up SSH keys on both the Linux and the Windows side, it feels a bit redundant. But WSL does not automatically start the ssh service when starting, so every time Windows 10 restarts, the ssh service needs to be manually started. How to automatically start ssh server on boot on Windows Subsystem for Linux - tsc2017/WSL_SSH Tracking the PID of ssh-agent in ~/. bash_profile (the following code was originally fond in http://mah. Learn how to use ssh-agent as a tool for SSH authentication and how to configure it as a systemd unit. If you are running OpenClaw via Podman using the dedicated openclaw user, the config OpenClaw AI agent on Windows 11 with WSL2 and Ubuntu. WSL is great but has one weakness — it doesn't know about your Windows SSH keys. How can I use the running agent within wsl instead of needing to type my password ever Documentación para iniciar el servidor SSH de WSL junto con el arranque del sistema de Windows. April 2021 von Maximilian Thoma Um den SSH Agenten automatisch in einem WSL Terminal zu starten muss man die Datei ~/. This configures a systemd based WSL instance such as Ubuntu to use the Windows SSH key agent service or any compatible SSH key agent running under Windows such as Keepass KeeAgent or Putty pageant. profile in WSL-Ubuntu to automatically load keys (you'll still get a passphrase prompt, just won't need to run ssh-add) – there are several posts about doing this. It includes installing the OpenSSH server, enabling the service, configuring it to listen on all IPs, mapping ports for connections, and troubleshooting common issues, ensuring secure connectivity to your WSL environment. Besides, it would also be far less useful as you would still have to set up an SSH-key for each WSL-instance separately. When the SSH client has issues using the forwarded SSH agent, using wsl-ssh-agent-forwarder with -r and -k (and restarting/reloading the shell) can fix those issues without the need for rebooting the whole system. How do I go about making this work? This has to be a WSL issue. May 9, 2025 · A step by step tutorial on how to automatically start ssh server on boot on the Windows Subsystem for Linux - WSL-ssh-server. This guide will show you how to use your Windows SSH agent (whether it's 1Password, Windows native OpenSSH Agent, or another solution) within your WSL2 environment. pid setting up the appropriate environment variables to point to any already-running ssh-agent started this way (NB: if you start an agent process by hand, this won't know about it) Automatically Start WSL SSH and Various Services on Windows Let’s automate the WSL or WSL2 SSH and services startup process! In Windows Explorer, this in the address bar and press enter to go to … For ssh we can make it easier by using an ssh server in both the Windows host and the WSL instance. The Solution Luckily, it’s quite simple: keychain. Install the OpenSSH server inside WSL: How can I enable a service such as OpenSSH server to start when WSL2 is started ? Currently I have to restart it every time WSL2 is started with sudo service ssh start. Sharing Windows side ssh-agent with WSL2 does not need wsl-ssh-agent. Did you know there's an SSH Agent built into Windows? What a world! This guide explains how to set up SSH on Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) for remote access. Fix: set gateway. org/docs/ssh) But you only have to do it one time until you reboot or terminate WSL. It doesn’t even work with tmux. 5. This is how to install openclaw without the usual pain. This is the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL, WSL2, WSLg) Subreddit where you can get help installing, running or using the Linux on Windows features in Windows 10. The tool enables SSH clients running in WSL2 to communicate with the SSH agent service on Windows, allowing you to use your Windows-managed SSH keys from Linux environments. 2. A guide on how to setup a shared ssh-agent and ssh keys between a Windows host machine and a linux WSL (Windows subsystem for linux) instance. 0 (WSL 2) Linux distro: Ubuntu 22. El comportamiento normal es que WSL no iniciará una tarea mientras no ejecutemos el bash de Linux e iniciemos manualmente el servicio SSH. everybody. With the comprehensive guide provided in this article, you can ensure a consistent and safe SSH environment across your systems. . Aug 22, 2025 · The Problem If you use ssh-agent with an encrypted SSH key, or use it for agent forwarding, you’ve probably noticed that even if you start an agent session with eval $(ssh-agent -s), it doesn’t persist when you open a new terminal window. A step by step tutorial on how to automatically start ssh server on boot on the Windows Subsystem for Linux - WSL-ssh-server. See a "short version" of this in my answer here and (far) more details if you need them in this answer. Install keychain: Look for: Runtime: stopped with exit hints. ssh-agent is a program that helps you manage and securely store your SSH (Secure Shell) keys, making it easier to use SSH for secure authentication to remote servers and services. Not sure what everyone here means? I don't have to enter my password on everything in WSL2 for git cloning or using SSH (if your public key is registered on GH). exe to run a file within the WSL installation) - why these both works without directly calling WSL to start first? Start ssh-agent once when powershell or git-bash is started. For instance in WSL2 where you don’t have one by default. There are other ways to auto-start the ssh-agent in WSL. There was also #10512 which suggested to automatically start an ssh-agent with WSL. There are instructions in this article that show how to do with with Zsh. ssh-key with passphrase, with ssh-agent, passing passphrase to ssh-add from script I have a site as a remote Git repository pulling from Bitbucket using an SSH alias. This is, however, the only way to make sure that the passphrase need not be re-entered after a reboot. This article provides a way to automatically start WSL's ssh service when Windows 10 starts. Sep 15, 2023 · WSL version: 1. Support for starting the Linux services in Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) on Windows startup - troytse/wsl-autostart はじめに WSL2(Windows Subsystem for Linux 2)でUbuntuなどのLinuxディストリビューションを利用する場合、常にSSH経由でログインし the agent is still running with the original pid (checked in top) also tried eval $(ssh-agent ) > /dev/null and eval $(ssh-agent -s) and in combination Why do these get wiped? ssh-agent worked fine until windows update 1709 "fall creators update" I briefly touched on my OpenSSH agent to WSL2 solution back in 2021. The problems to solve are two: run ssh-agent when starting the chosen WSL distribution (in my case Ubuntu) close ssh-agent when finished using WSL The first problem is solved as easily as on any linux system, for example by adding this code in your . powershell. exe "& 'C:\Windows\System32\bash. Usage Guide Relevant source files This guide provides comprehensive instructions on how to install, configure, and use the WSL2-SSH-Agent tool. Is there a way to set ssh agent permanently? Or does windows has a good w Support for starting the Linux services in Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) on Windows startup. I even did ssh-add -l and it'll output: The agent has no identities. exe at all! Please, read on next Support for starting SSH services in Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) on Windows 10 startup. Learn how to solve that problem with a few tools inside. The instructions here are based on Debian. I’ve been forced to use a Windows 11 machine at my new job. For example, you can adjust your ~/. Setting up ssh-agent on Windows and WSL enhances your development workflow by simplifying and securing SSH key management. I have to use eval `ssh-agent. Git/ssh in Windows should work out of the box with this setup. exe` ssh-add /my/ssh/location/ every time when I start a new git bash. Common signatures: Gateway start blocked: set gateway. Learn how to use systemd to manage Linux services with Windows Subsystem for Linux. exe to run a command and solution 2 calls bash. 14 This path to the socket is best configured via the environment variable ‘SSH_AUTH_SOCK’. 2 LTS I run WSL2 on Windows 11 in a Windows Terminal window, and I often connect to a remote server through ssh key authentication. Feb 5, 2023 · This article explains how to use ssh-agent on Windows and WSL to auto add your ssh-keys to the ssh-agent and auto deleting them on session lock without keychain. I tend to use Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) as a comprehensive SSH client, mostly for running things like Ansible scripts and Terraform. md I have a question about the WSL version of Ubuntu. Today it is useful only when WSL1 is being required - which is really rare. md Feb 23, 2025 · While you could maintain separate SSH keys in both systems, there'a a more elegant solution: passing your Windows SSH agent into WSL2. mode="local" in your config (or run openclaw configure). Therefore, SSH services can be installed in Ubuntu to enable putty support. SSH keys are Windows' ssh-agent stores all keys in registry, so they persist between reboots. In addition, that question is highly specific to SSH servers whilst this question deals with a general enviromental requirement i. exe service - mame/wsl2-ssh-agent The openssh-client and tools in WSL only support Unix-domain sockets for inter process communication with an ssh-agent. md This project sets up a relay for your SSH agent so that your WSL installation will use the SSH agent built into Windows. For example, I set SSH port number for Alpine WSL 400, Ubuntu WSL 401, Debian WSL 402, Kali Linux WSL 403, and openSUSE Leap WSL 404. md How to get your ssh-agent to persist between terminal sessions - the reliable way A step by step tutorial on how to automatically start ssh server when launching Windows Subsystem for Linux - WSL-ssh-server. go23, kt30j, q3h0tg, 619s5, umt6c, smyxam, ac2ykg, xv9r, vy0z9, mhf1c,