ssh-keysign(8) on Solnix vs Linux and the BSDs
ssh-keysign on Solnix is the OpenSSH helper that ssh(1) calls to sign host-based authentication requests with the local host keys. Its page matches the Linux, FreeBSD, OpenBSD and NetBSD pages: it is off by default, enabled only with EnableSSHKeysign in /etc/ssh/ssh_config, and not run by hand.
The manual pages
- Solnix: ssh-keysign(8) from
pkgs.solnix.openssh - Linux: ssh-keysign(8) openssh-10.5p1
- FreeBSD: ssh-keysign(8) 15.1-RELEASE
- OpenBSD: ssh-keysign(8) 8.0
- NetBSD: ssh-keysign(8) 11.0
What Solnix runs
A default Solnix system runs OpenSSH's ssh-keysign, published by pkgs.solnix.openssh and part of the base system packages. No other variants are shipped.
Differences
| Compared with | Topic | What differs |
|---|---|---|
| all four | same program and behaviour | The Solnix, Linux, FreeBSD, OpenBSD and NetBSD pages describe the same OpenBSD-derived helper in the same words. It is disabled by default, and EnableSSHKeysign must be set to yes in /etc/ssh/ssh_config. No differences in options, defaults or exit status are documented.Source: ssh-keysign(8) DESCRIPTION on Solnix, Linux, FreeBSD, OpenBSD and NetBSD |
| all four | no options or arguments | The SYNOPSIS on every system is just ssh-keysign, with no flags. The page documents nothing to pass on the command line. ssh(1) starts the helper, and the page says it is not meant to be invoked by the user. Source: ssh-keysign(8) SYNOPSIS and DESCRIPTION on Solnix, Linux, FreeBSD, OpenBSD and NetBSD |
| all four | configuration file location | All five pages name the global client file /etc/ssh/ssh_config as the only place to enable it. The pages do not document the path of the ssh-keysign binary, any other config file, or any environment variable.Source: ssh-keysign(8) DESCRIPTION on Solnix, Linux, FreeBSD, OpenBSD and NetBSD |
Standards
- POSIX: ssh-keysign is not a POSIX.1-2024 utility.
- Solnix: The page gives no STANDARDS section. HISTORY says ssh-keysign first appeared in OpenBSD 3.2.
- Linux: No STANDARDS section. HISTORY says ssh-keysign first appeared in OpenBSD 3.2.
- FreeBSD: No STANDARDS section. HISTORY says ssh-keysign first appeared in OpenBSD 3.2.
- OpenBSD: No STANDARDS section. HISTORY says ssh-keysign first appeared in OpenBSD 3.2.
- NetBSD: No STANDARDS section. HISTORY says ssh-keysign first appeared in OpenBSD 3.2.
Writing portable scripts
- To use host-based authentication on any of these systems, set EnableSSHKeysign to yes in
/etc/ssh/ssh_config.Do not call ssh-keysign directly.
Every difference here is taken from the manual pages linked above: Solnix's published page, Linux (man-pages and the GNU and util-linux manuals), FreeBSD, OpenBSD and NetBSD. Each row names its source. Where a manual is silent, this page is too. Compiled 2026-10-26. Found a mistake? Mail hackers@lists.solnix.io.