passing in a passphrase from a file to ssh-add

From: Uejio, Wayne (Corporate) (Wayne.Uejio_at_corporate.ge.com)
Date: 03/23/04

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To: <secureshell@securityfocus.com>

    We have a need to run batch jobs which use SFTP using public keys and passphrases. We have architected this in a way so that passphrases are not included in code, and are not visible to developers or users, but only to a very small group of administrators. We do this by starting an ssh agent, and the running ssh-add. I am told that the OpenSSH version of ssh-add does not take input from stdin, and hence requires user input to add passphrases to the agent. This is obviously not a workable solution in a "lights-out" mode. If we implemeted OpenSSH, how would this issue be resolved? could we use ssh_askpass?

    Wayne Uejio The opinions expressed in this message
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