My Setup and the Problem

I use Linux on my main work laptop, where remote access is effortless: I can SSH with Kitty’s remote edit kitten or mount remotes via KDE Dolphin.

But at home, my desktop runs Windows 11 for gaming (thanks to stupid anti-cheat restrictions). I normally just game on the desktop; but sometimes I have to do some work from the Desktop, already at the desk and need to quickly edit stuff remote. Most time I just used scp. But remembering in the past as win user, I used WinSCP for remote file editing. Found out quicky it natively refuses to connect using my SSH key from the already running agent in 1password.

Solve it quickly

  1. Ensure 1password SSH Agent is running (Settins > Developer)
  2. Disable the Windows built in OpenSSH Agent Service
    (Services.msc > find OpenSSH Auth… and set it to Disabled)
  3. Get winssh-pageant
    Install it and ensure it is run in Autostart adding the Param --no-pageant-pipe
  4. In WinSCP under Authentication of a Session chosse “Allow Agent forwarding”

Thats it, your winscp should work as intended using the SSH Keys in your 1password.