Make Pageant autoload keys at startup

pageant-autoload-keys-at-startup.txt

To make Pageant automatically run and load keys at startup:

- Find the location of pageant.exe

- Windows key + R to open the 'run' dialog box

- Type: 'shell:startup' in the dialog box

- Create a shortcut to the pageant.exe and put into this startup folder.

- Right click on the shortcut and open 'Properties'

- In 'Target' add: "<route to>/pageant.exe" myprivatekeyname.ppk

- In 'Start in' add: "<route to myprivatekeyname.ppk>"

- Click on the shortcut link and check that Pageant has started and has loaded your keys

Since the project is no longer maintained (1), do you use one of the many forks and can recommend one, or do you use the original? I use WSL2 (Debian), which indeed offers many possibilities.

(1) https://github.com/BlackReloaded/wsl2-ssh-pageant

Again, thanks for sharing! 👍

There are quite a few different things like that including ones that are based on npiperelay, but I use BlackReloaded/wsl2-ssh-pageant as it specifically supports GPG for Windows too, which I will still be using it for. It's only no longer maintained as the guy who wrote it doesn't use Windows anymore, but it still works perfectly fine. Eventually Microsoft will probably add something native that allows this.

Got it - indeed very promising. Meanwhile, I looked into this fork, which has several updates (not yet tested):
https://github.com/KerickHowlett/wsl2-ssh-bridge

EDIT1: I like Pageant, because it supports WinSCP, too, and I was not aware if there are alternatives for this, too.

EDIT2: Might be helpful, too:
https://gist.github.com/dinvlad/a62d44325fa2b989a046fe984a06e140

You may also find this guide for setting up KeePass + KeeAgent for WSL 2 SSH interesting:
https://gist.github.com/strarsis/e533f4bca5ae158481bbe53185848d49