ssh:tldr:96b6d

ssh: Start an SSH Agent for the current shell.

eval

$ eval $(ssh-agent)

try on your machine

The command eval $(ssh-agent) is used to start an SSH agent and set the necessary environment variables in your current shell session.

An SSH agent is a program that manages your SSH keys and provides them to the SSH client when needed. It eliminates the need to re-enter your passphrase every time you want to connect to a remote server.

Breaking down the command:

ssh-agent: This is the command that starts the SSH agent program.
$(ssh-agent): This command substitution executes the ssh-agent command and captures its output, which includes setting certain environment variables.
eval: This command evaluates and executes the output of the command substitution in the current shell session.

By running eval $(ssh-agent), the SSH agent program will be started, and the necessary environment variables (SSH_AUTH_SOCK and SSH_AGENT_PID) will be set. These environment variables will be used by the SSH client to communicate with the SSH agent and manage your SSH keys.

After executing this command, you can add your private key to the agent using the ssh-add command, allowing you to use it for secure SSH connections without entering the passphrase repeatedly.

This explanation was created by an AI. In most cases those are correct. But please always be careful and never run a command you are not sure if it is safe.

back to the eval tool