what is ssh-sgent?

[John K Masters]

On 20:40 Sat 03 May     , John K Masters wrote:
> On 20:11 Sat 03 May     , andy baxter wrote:
> > Hello,
> > 
> > Could someone tell me what ssh-agent is? I have the following process 
> > running on my computer, and I'm not sure what it does:
> > 
> > root at monkey:~# ps ax | grep 5474
> >  5474 ?        Ss     0:00 /usr/bin/ssh-agent /usr/bin/dbus-launch 
> > --exit-with-session x-session-manager
> > 16932 pts/1    R+     0:00 grep 5474
> > 
> 
> ssh-agent is part of the ssh suite of programs. Basically it allows you
> to have a secure connection to another machine using public/private
> keys. Once you have authenticated your connection using your passphrase
> via ssh-add, the session details are kept in RAM on the client machine
> and you can access the server securely without needing a password. 
> 
> If you have not explicitly installed ssh on your machine (IIRC it is not
> installed by default) then I would look closely at the possibility your
> machine has been compromised. However, depending on what applications
> you have installed, ssh may have been pulled in as a dependancy.
> 

On checking my Hardy install, looks like Seahorse IS installed by
default and consequently so is ssh-agent. (Seahorse is the Gnome keyring
manager) Why on earth do these distros keep moving the goalposts? :-)

-- 
Wisdom is divided into two parts 
  1.  Having a great deal to say
  2.  Not saying it
Regards, John