Since upgrading from 25.04 to 25.10, using ssh with GitHub has stopped working. ssh-add -L just hangs.
Should ksshaskpass or kwalletaskpass be the default ssh-askpass in Kubuntu 25.10? I see:
> update-alternatives --config ssh-askpass
There are 2 choices for the alternative ssh-askpass (providing /usr/bin/ssh-askpass).
Selection Path Priority Status
------------------------------------------------------------
* 0 /usr/bin/ksshaskpass 35 auto mode
1 /usr/bin/ksshaskpass 35 manual mode
2 /usr/bin/kwalletaskpass 30 manual mode
I want to check that is correct.
It seems like it cannot open the password dialog:
> ssh-add -v ~/.ssh/id_rsa
debug1: read_passphrase: requested to askpass
Running ksshaskpass does however show a password prompt.
Killing the agent and starting another works:
pkill ssh-agent
eval "$(ssh-agent -s)"
ssh-add ~/.ssh/id_rsa
My ssh-agent.service file:
[Unit]
Description=SSH key agent
After=graphical-session.target
[Service]
Type=simple
Environment=SSH_AUTH_SOCK=%t/ssh-agent.socket
ExecStart=/usr/bin/ssh-agent -D -a $SSH_AUTH_SOCK
[Install]
WantedBy=default.target
ssh_auth_socket.conf:
SSH_AUTH_SOCK=${XDG_RUNTIME_DIR}/ssh-agent.socket
ssh_askpass.conf:
SSH_ASKPASS=/usr/bin/ksshaskpass
SSH_ASKPASS_REQUIRE=prefer
I have run into problems multiple times with Kubuntu upgrades in the past. Nearly 3 years ago, I asked this [ How do I set up KDE, KWallet and ssh so I’m not asked to enter my ssh passphrase? on Unix&Linux Exchange, and answered my own question with a ksshaskpass setup that worked with Kubuntu 22.10.
Later when I upgraded to 24.04, the dialog changed from ksshaskpass to pinentry-qt and I had to make a setup with kwalletcli.
Now with 25.10, it seems that the default has changed back again to ksshaskpass after upgrade, but it’s not working properly (again).
I am now confused about what the default should be and how to make a working setup. Has anyone experienced this issue? Does anyone have a solution?