Eclipse git and ssh-agent

Question

I use eclipse with git (egit).

I would like to make use of my ssh-agent so I can push from eclipse. Does anybody know how to set up egit to use ssh-agent?

background: I can't upload my key to eclipse as my keys are on a cryptostick. My ssh-agent can loaded with the help of opensc.

Seclusive

Answer 1

Update June 2016 (4 years later): Gunnar Wagenknecht now mentions in the comments:

It's now possible in Eclipse Neon with project eclipseguru/eclipse-jsch-agent-proxy, an Eclipse ssh-agent and Pageant support.

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A workaround for older Eclipse versions is to use the native OS SSH client instead of the Eclipse built-in one by setting GIT_SSH environment variable:

export GIT_SSH=/usr/bin/ssh

(See EGit SSH configuration and EGit FAQ, SSH Config)

Intemperate

@gautamvegeta you can try (not tested myself) bugs.eclipse.org/bugs/show_bug.cgi?id=179924#c28 – Intemperate

The repository/plugin is no longer maintained. :-( – Enantiomorph

@Enantiomorph 7 years later, I am not chocked :) bugs.eclipse.org/bugs/show_bug.cgi?id=541274 might include more up-to-date (2019) references. – Intemperate

Note that (as of Q1/2021) OS-provided ssh agents (such as seahorse on Ubuntu) are still not supported on Linux workstations; see: eclipse.org/lists/egit-dev/msg04781.html – Pricket

@Pricket That is too bad. I hope those agents will be supported soon. – Intemperate

Answer 2

In your eclipse startup script or .profile (or wherever) add export GIT_SSH=/usr/bin/ssh before starting eclipse. Then eclipse uses default ssh which uses ssh agent and you cann run pull and push commands within eclipse even if your key is on a smartcard.

Edit: GIT_SSH is interpreted by eclipse's egit, but also by the stand-alone git. Setting it to /usr/bin/ssh sets it to the default value for stand-alone git, so only egit will change it's behavior.

Seclusive

If you set GIT_SSH in .profile and Eclipse complains about missing /usr/bin/ssh-askpass make sure you don't have conflicts in your .ssh/known_hosts. For instance, try git fetch in a terminal in the same Git working copy and see if it complains about the host. – Seaplane

Answer 3

No way! Sooo many years of eclipse out there and still no way to work with a smartcards and ssh/ssh-agent? Really disappointing come back to eclipse..

https://bugs.eclipse.org/bugs/show_bug.cgi?id=179924

Cumbersome

Answer 4

Checkout cac-agent. It includes cac-ssl-relay, which can work as a universal tunnel from any client application that needs CAC access (including git/eclipse).

Synchronism