Auto-supplying SSH passwords without sshpass: the SSH_ASKPASS trick

📰 Dev.to · Max RH

Learn how to auto-supply SSH passwords without sshpass using the SSH_ASKPASS trick, streamlining your SSH workflow

intermediate Published 9 Jun 2026
Action Steps
  1. Set the SSH_ASKPASS environment variable to a custom script
  2. Create a script that outputs the SSH password
  3. Configure your SSH client to use the SSH_ASKPASS script
  4. Test the setup by connecting to an SSH host
  5. Integrate the SSH_ASKPASS trick with your existing SSH workflow tools
Who Needs to Know This

DevOps engineers and system administrators can benefit from this trick to simplify their SSH connections and improve productivity

Key Insight

💡 The SSH_ASKPASS environment variable can be used to specify a custom script that outputs the SSH password, eliminating the need for sshpass

Share This
💡 Ditch sshpass! Use SSH_ASKPASS to auto-supply SSH passwords and streamline your workflow

Key Takeaways

Learn how to auto-supply SSH passwords without sshpass using the SSH_ASKPASS trick, streamlining your SSH workflow

Full Article

I built sshelf, a terminal UI for managing SSH hosts. Save each host once (key, port, jump hosts,...
Read full article → ← Back to Reads

Related Videos

Is your free email putting your bank account at risk? #Podcast #Interview #Efani #BankAccounts
Is your free email putting your bank account at risk? #Podcast #Interview #Efani #BankAccounts
efani
Photo Metadata Exposure Explained
Photo Metadata Exposure Explained
efani
Hackers, Scammers & Surveillance: The 3 Biggest Threats to Your Privacy | Ep. 26
Hackers, Scammers & Surveillance: The 3 Biggest Threats to Your Privacy | Ep. 26
efani
How to Detect and Block Canvas Fingerprinting
How to Detect and Block Canvas Fingerprinting
efani
Is your email account actually secure? Here’s a simple fix. #podcast #interview #efani #security
Is your email account actually secure? Here’s a simple fix. #podcast #interview #efani #security
efani
Browser Fingerprinting Explained (2026)
Browser Fingerprinting Explained (2026)
efani