SSH Agent

Description

SSH (Secure Shell) is a cryptographic network protocol for operating network services securely over an unsecured network. The OpenSSH project provides the reference implementation, including ssh-agent for managing authentication keys.

Overview

This role is intended for Manjaro/Arch systems where gnome-keyring no longer reliably manages ssh-agent due to changes in behavior under Wayland. It works by deploying a systemd --user service, making SSH Agent integration predictable and independent of graphical environment quirks.

Cosmos

The diagram places SSH Agent in the Infinito.Nexus cosmos: the components it deploys (capabilities), the central services it consumes (dependencies), and its outward reach (federation and bridged external networks).

flowchart LR
    subgraph deps [Dependencies]
        dep_desk_git["desk-git 💻 ⚙️"]
    end
    subgraph role [desk-ssh 💻]
        svc_ssh["ssh"]
    end
    dep_desk_git -- "1:1" --> svc_ssh

Solid 1:1 edges are fixed relationships; dashed 0..1 edges are conditional (enabled only in matching deployments); red 0..0 edges are turned off in this role. Node markers show the role’s deploy modes (💻 host, 🐳 compose, 🐝 swarm); ❌ marks a service that is explicitly turned off, and ⚙️ an Ansible role dependency declared in meta/main.yml.

Purpose

The purpose of this role is to automate the provisioning of SSH agent capabilities and synchronize the .ssh directory from a Git repository. This enables users to access private repositories or authenticate with remote servers immediately after login.

Features

  • Clones a remote SSH config repository into ~/.ssh using the desk-git role.

  • Deploys and enables a systemd user service for ssh-agent.

  • Ensures environment compatibility by injecting the SSH_AUTH_SOCK variable into either .bash_profile or .profile.

  • Fails gracefully with an optional debug message if the Git repository is unreachable.

  • KeePassXC ready: Ensures compatibility with password managers that support SSH agent integration.

Quick Setup

Development

Clone, set up the workstation, and deploy SSH Agent onto the local stack:

git clone https://github.com/infinito-nexus/core.git
cd core
make onboard
make compose-deploy mode=reinstall apps=desk-ssh full_cycle=false

Production

Install SSH Agent directly onto the target machine: clone the repository, install the OS prerequisites and the repository toolchain, then deploy against localhost over a local connection (no SSH, no container):

git clone https://github.com/infinito-nexus/core.git
cd core
bash scripts/install/package.sh
make install
source scripts/meta/env/load.sh

APP=desk-ssh
DOMAIN=<your-domain>
TLS_MODE=self_signed
SSH_PUBLIC_KEY="<your-ssh-public-key>"
INVENTORY=inventories/production
infinito administration inventory provision "$INVENTORY" \
  --inventory-file "$INVENTORY/devices.yml" \
  --host localhost \
  --include "$APP" \
  --vars "{\"TLS_MODE\": \"$TLS_MODE\", \"DOMAIN_PRIMARY\": \"$DOMAIN\", \"users\": {\"administrator\": {\"authorized_keys\": [\"$SSH_PUBLIC_KEY\"]}}}"
infinito administration deploy dedicated "$INVENTORY/devices.yml" \
  --password-file "$INVENTORY/.password" \
  --diff -vv

Credits

Implemented by Kevin Veen-Birkenbach. Part of the Infinito.Nexus Project and maintained by Kevin Veen-Birkenbach. Licensed under the Infinito.Nexus Community License (Non-Commercial).