Ubuntu Subsystem Windows und Keepass KeeAgent / pageant

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• • This is an updated posting from my older German Article. **I don’t want to give a rating of the Subsystem for Linux; for some, it is very useful; others may not be so happy about it, but let’s get straight to the point.

The most pain I had was having my private key in the Subsystem and needing to re-authenticate every time by entering the key. I’m used to using the Keepass integrated (plugin) Agent, and that’s why my key has a password that’s too long to type.

In Ubuntu for Windows, the native pageant support from a Pagent initialized in Windows is not possible because the system “lives” within another layer of the OS.

The solution is an Agent Helper.

Installation

1. Download the latest ZIP Files of Vuoris pagent from the Release Seite.

2. Extract into a Folder which can be accessed from within your WSL Linux.

   Therefore, I created an extra directory in my Windows User homedir. I added that directory as a symbolic Link to my WSL. See Screenshot:

   

3. Edit the .bashrc in your WSL Homedir.

4. Add the following Code at the end; please adjust the Agent Path (/mnt/c/Users/mg/…).

# using pagent / Keepass for Authentication
# see: https://tcpip.wtf/en/linux-ubuntu-subsystem-windows-keepass-keeagent-pageant.htm

# Getting exec location
# I use this script on several Computers, to easy have it copy and paste
# I added those "Path finding"...
# If you know the Path is fixed for you, just set it as WEASEL 
if [ -f "/mnt/c/path-to-pageant/weasel-pageant-1.4/weasel-pageant" ]; then
	WEASEL="/mnt/path-to-pageant0/weasel-pageant-1.4/weasel-pageant"
elif [ -f "/mnt/d/another-path-to-pageant/weasel-pageant-1.4/weasel-pageant" ]; then
	WEASEL="/mnt/d/another-path-to-pageant/weasel-pageant-1.4/weasel-pageant"
elif [ -f "/mnt/e/another-path-to-pageant/weasel-pageant-1.4/weasel-pageant" ]; then
	WEASEL="/mnt/e/another-path-to-pageant/weasel-pageant-1.4/weasel-pageant"
fi

if [ -f "$WEASEL" ]; then
	echo -n "pageant:"
    # killing old running socket
	"$WEASEL" -k >/dev/null 2>/dev/null
    # starting new
	eval $($WEASEL -r -q) >/dev/null 2>/dev/null
	sshkeysloaded=$(ssh-add -l|grep -c SHA)
	if [[ $sshkeysloaded -gt 0 ]] ; then
	    echo -e "\e[92m OK, ready for Agent forward, loaded $sshkeysloaded keys."
	else
	    echo -e "\e[91m Fail, no keys found or pageant connection failed. "
	fi
	echo
fi

That’s actually all. As soon as you start a new WSL, the .bashrc gets loaded, and weasel PAGEANT loads the Keys provided within your Windows Pageant environment.