"Private Key is Locked" when using SSH

Hi:

I'm not sure if this is the proper forum to post this problem in, so if it isn't, please move it to the appropriate place.

I've set up password-less ssh logins on a few remote servers, and everything was working fine. Then recently, when I tried to SSH to one, this dialog box pops up that says:

"An application is trying to access the private key id_rsa, but it is locked"

It then gives me options to unlock it. I didn't try because I was worried about potential security issues. So I clicked "Deny", the dialog disappears, and I suppose naturally, I have to enter a password to login (i.e., password-less SSH login no longer works).

In order to make SSH behave like it had before, I ran:

ssh-add -D

to remove all identities, and then ran:

ssh-add

to re-add my identity.

I would greatly appreciate it if someone could tell me:

• what caused the original change in behaviour
• why the above steps "fixed" it
• what does "unlocking" the private key do

My current theory (more of hunch :)) is that there is a "lifetime" associated with identities, and it just so happened that mine had expired. If this is so, could people also tell me where this lifetime is specified?

Cheers, LK

I'm having a similar issue. I'm getting the same pop-up. But I'm using a key with a password.

I get this strange behavior:

If I enter the correct password, it will not accept it. But if I try again right after it works without the pop-up poping up again and letting me login without the password that goes with the key.

I found this in launcpad.net:

https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/gnome-keyring/+bug/187127

I tried:

sudo gconftool-2 --set -t bool /apps/gnome-keyring/daemon-components/ssh false

But still got the same problem. The only thing that worked was:

sudo killall gnome-keyring-daemon

But I don't know if the above will affect something else, for now things seem ok.

Things where working just fine yesterday. I haven't done anything, like any major update or install.

I have another system and it's not having this problem. The one with this issue is 32bit and the other is 64bit. Both are running Xubuntu 8.10.

I will like to know what is causing this? And if killing gnome-keyring-daemon will cause more problems?

Can anyone help?

I believe this is happening because the gnome-keyring daemon is managing the ssh keys (it shouldn't do this since ssh already has an agent). You can tell the daemon to stop doing this by issuing this command:

sudo gconftool-2 --set -t bool /apps/gnome-keyring/daemon-components/ssh false

There is more info here: http://live.gnome.org/GnomeKeyring/Ssh

I think this fixed the problem for me. I say think because a system update occurred at the same time. Good luck.

Cheers