Automic VaultAutomic Vault

brew

Install onlykey-agent with Homebrew, Nix

Middleware that lets you use OnlyKey as a hardware SSH/GPG device. Version 1.1.15 via Homebrew; verified 2026-05-14.

Install commandSecurity notes

install

Additional install commands

macOS

Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install onlykey-agent

local Homebrew formula metadata

Linux

Nixverified · 92%
nix profile install nixpkgs#onlykey-agent

nixpkgs package indexes · pkgs/by-name/on/onlykey-agent/package.nix · source: api.github.com

overview

Package summary

Middleware that lets you use OnlyKey as a hardware SSH/GPG device

Commands and aliases

  • onlykey-agent
  • onlykey-gpg
  • onlykey-gpg-agent
  • onlykey_agent.py

history

Project history and usage

onlykey-agent is middleware that lets an OnlyKey hardware token act as an SSH and GPG agent. It bridges standard developer/admin workflows such as SSH login, Git over SSH, GPG signing, and password-store decryption to keys generated or stored on the hardware device.

Project history

The project is maintained by CryptoTrust/trustcrypto and described upstream as an SSH agent for OnlyKey. PyPI's release history starts with 0.0.2 on March 11, 2018, reaches 1.0.0 on November 14, 2019, and lists 1.1.15 on July 21, 2023.

OnlyKey's documentation positions the agent as a way to keep SSH and OpenPGP private keys off the computer while still using ordinary SSH and GnuPG workflows. The agent uses OnlyKey button presses or challenge codes to authorize signing and decrypt operations.

Adoption history

onlykey-agent is available from PyPI and Homebrew, and Homebrew's formula exposes its native dependencies on GnuPG, hidapi, libusb, libsodium, and Python. Its audience is narrower than general FIDO/U2F tooling because it specifically serves OnlyKey users who want SSH-agent and gpg-agent style integration.

How it is used

For SSH, users generate or expose a public key with onlykey-agent, add it to authorized_keys or a Git hosting account, and run commands inside an agent-backed shell or command wrapper. For GPG, users initialize a dedicated GNUPGHOME such as ~/.gnupg/onlykey and use onlykey-gpg for signing, encryption, and Git commit/tag signing.

The documentation distinguishes derived keys from stored keys. Derived keys are generated from identity@host-style inputs, while stored keys use key material loaded into OnlyKey slots, including ECC and RSA slots for SSH/GPG operations.

Why package nerds care

The package is interesting because it turns a hardware-security product into normal Unix developer plumbing. The package exposes multiple executables, slots into SSH_AUTH_SOCK and GNUPGHOME conventions, and depends on USB/HID and cryptographic libraries rather than inventing a separate workflow.

Timeline

  • 2018-03-11: PyPI lists onlykey-agent 0.0.2.
  • 2019-11-14: PyPI lists onlykey-agent 1.0.0.
  • 2021-08-27: CryptoTrust published guidance for using OnlyKey with OpenPGP and SSH workflows.
  • 2023-07-21: PyPI lists onlykey-agent 1.1.15.

Related projects

  • Related projects and technologies include OnlyKey firmware and desktop software, OpenSSH, GnuPG, pass, gopass, hidapi, libusb, and hardware-backed SSH/GPG agents.

security posture

No protected-tool coverage found yet

No matching local secret-handling manifest was found for onlykey-agent. Nucleus package metadata is still published here so future coverage has a stable package URL.

Install behavior

  • No Homebrew post-install hook is recorded in formula metadata.
  • Homebrew bottle metadata is available for 6 platform targets.
  • Installs with 7 runtime dependencies.
  • Build metadata lists 1 build dependencies.

Recommended review

Before unattended agent use, check whether the tool reads plaintext credentials, writes remote state, publishes artifacts, or shells out to plugins.

local files

Configuration and credential file locations

These source-backed paths show where this package keeps local settings or durable credentials. Automic Vault can use them as review targets for secret scanning, migration, and command approval.

Configuration files

Config paths the tool may read or write during local use.

Unix
~/.ssh/config~/.gnupg/onlykey

executables

Installed executables

CommandKindExposureNote
onlykey-agentcliglobal executable
onlykey-gpgcliglobal executable
onlykey-gpg-agentcliglobal executable
onlykey_agent.pycliglobal executable

freshness

Version and freshness

These signals separate page generation age, package-manager activity, and upstream release comparison. Version lag is warned only when an evidence URL and comparable versions are present.

page generated2026-07-08
manager version1.1.15
manager updated2026-05-14
local dataok
upstreamnot checked
latest detectednot detected

https://docs.crp.to/onlykey-agent.html

install metadata

Package metadata

Package keybrew:onlykey-agent
Version1.1.15
Package managerHomebrew
Package manager pagehttps://formulae.brew.sh/formula/onlykey-agent
Homepagehttps://docs.crp.to/onlykey-agent.html
Repositoryhttps://github.com/trustcrypto/onlykey-agent
Upstream docshttps://docs.onlykey.io/onlykey-agent.html
LicenseLGPL-3.0-only
Source archivehttps://files.pythonhosted.org/packages/68/80/e89b6c3680bedb1e14e99f0539ac805bddc7d8dd87c58805c64484966b7c/onlykey-agent-1.1.15.tar.gz
Last updated2026-05-14T10:23:53Z
Pulseupdated
Dependenciescertifi, cryptography, gnupg, hidapi, libsodium, libusb, python@3.14
Build dependenciespkgconf
Bottleavailable (on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, sonoma, x86_64_linux)
Homebrew post-installnot defined
Servicenone declared

registry facts

Source database details

Source DatabaseHomebrew formula API
Taphomebrew/core
Full Nameonlykey-agent
Version Scheme0
Revision13
Bottle Stable Root URLhttps://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core
Deprecatedno
Disabledno
Keg Onlyno
URL Keys
  • stable

source database matches

Other package-manager records

Matches are pulled from external package-manager indexes and kept separate from local Automic Vault package links.

Nix95%

onlykey-agent

nix profile install nixpkgs#onlykey-agent
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Onlykey Agent
nixpkgs package indexes · api.github.com · nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/on/onlykey-agent/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1

package graph

Links come from deterministic package relationships, av.db category and tag curation, ecosystem matches, and package hub membership.

Related tools

  • gnupgRuntime dependency declared by Homebrew.
  • hidapiRuntime dependency declared by Homebrew.
  • python@3.14Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew.
  • pkgconfBuild dependency declared by Homebrew.

Same workflow

  • cyrus-saslShares av.db curated category or tags: authentication, cli, security.
  • google-authenticator-libpamShares av.db curated category or tags: authentication, cli, security.
  • heimdalShares av.db curated category or tags: authentication, cli, security.
  • keychainShares av.db curated category or tags: authentication, cli, gpg-agent, security, ssh-agent.
  • krb5Shares av.db curated category or tags: authentication, cli, security.
  • kstartShares av.db curated category or tags: authentication, cli, security.

source trail

Generated from repository data

This page is generated by av-web from the private package SQLite artifact built by scripts/generate-pkg-sqlite.py.

Used sources

  • Geiger risk classifier
  • Nucleus package database
  • av.db category and tag curation
  • cross-ecosystem install command graph
  • curated configuration and credential file locations
  • curated package history
  • external package-manager database matches
  • package relationship graph
  • package version freshness
  • package-page enrichment