Xagent is an SSH authentication agent. Xagent keeps a record of every user key in Xshell user key database, and asks for the passphrase of a user key when it is required. When the passphrase of a user key is provided, Xagent decodes the user key and holds it in memory. Thus, using Xagent, you can use the same user key several times without entering the same passphrase repeatedly. Also, using agent forwarding feature of Xshell, other SSH clients on the remote machine can get access to the user keys held in Xagent.

Login with Xagent

To configure Xshell to use Xagent:
  1. Open the Properties dialog box.
  2. From Category, select SSH.
  3. Select Use Xagent (SSH agent) for passphrase handling.
  4. Click OK.
To log on to an SSH server using Xagent:
  1. Configure Xshell to use Xagent.
  2. Run Xagent if it is not running.
  3. Connect to an SSH server with Xshell.
    Note: The SSH server must support public key authentication and your public key must be registered.
  4. A Passphrase dialog box appears. Type the passphrase of the selected user key.

Note: You can skip the 2nd step by selecting the Launch Xagent Automatically option in the SSH part of the Session dialog box. The Passphrase dialog box appears only if the status of the user key is Close. You can confirm the status of user keys in the Key List box of Xagent.

Using Xagent's user keys in the remote host

When using Xagent, remote SSH clients can use the private keys in Xshell. In other words, the remote host can use the keys that Xagent has. To use the user keys held in Xagent on the remote machine, the remote SSH server should support the agent forwarding feature.

To enable agent forwarding feature of ssh.com server:
  1. Open the /etc/ssh2/sshd2_config file.
  2. Set the AllowAgentForwarding option as following:

    AllowAgentForwarding yes

  3. Restart the SSH server.

    Note: OpenSSH servers automatically enable the agent forwarding feature unless user specifies the no-agent-forwarding option when they are started.

To use Xagent's user keys from remote machine:
  1. Configure Xshell to use Xagent.
  2. Run Xagent if it is not running.
  3. Log on to an SSH server with Xshell.

    Note: If the SSH server supports the agent forwarding feature, the environment variable for agent forwarding (SSH_AUTH_SOCK or SSH2_AUTH_SOCK) is set to a proper value.

  4. Connect to another server with the SSH client program on the first server.
    Note: 'Another server' must support public key user authentication, and the public key part of the user key must be stored in the server.
  5. A Passphrase dialog box appears. Type the passphrase of the selected user key.
  6. Note: Passphrase dialog box opens if the status of select key is closed. You can check the status of private keys from the User Keys list in Xagent.