Automic VaultAutomic Vault

brew

Install tkey-ssh-agent with Homebrew, apk, apt, Nix, winget

SSH agent for use with the TKey security stick. Version 1.1.1 via Homebrew; verified 2026-06-06.

Install commandSecurity notes

install

Additional install commands

macOS

Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install tkey-ssh-agent

local Homebrew formula metadata

Linux

Alpine Linux apkverified · 92%
sudo apk add tkey-ssh-agent

Alpine Linux edge package indexes · tkey-ssh-agent · source: dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org

Debian aptverified · 92%
sudo apt install golang-github-tillitis-tkey-ssh-agent-dev

Debian stable package indexes · golang-github-tillitis-tkey-ssh-agent-dev · source: deb.debian.org

Nixverified · 92%
nix profile install nixpkgs#tkey-ssh-agent

nixpkgs package indexes · pkgs/by-name/tk/tkey-ssh-agent/package.nix · source: api.github.com

Windows

Windows Package Managerverified · 92%
winget install --id Tillitis.TKeySSHAgent -e

Windows Package Manager source index · Tillitis.TKeySSHAgent · source: cdn.winget.microsoft.com

overview

Package summary

SSH agent for use with the TKey security stick

Commands and aliases

  • tkey-ssh-agent

history

Project history and usage

tkey-ssh-agent is an OpenSSH-compatible agent for the Tillitis TKey USB security token. It bridges the standard SSH agent protocol with a small open hardware/software signing device.

Project history

The official README describes tkey-ssh-agent as an OpenSSH-compatible agent for use with the Tillitis TKey USB security token. The project embeds a signer device application and warns users to prefer tagged releases because changes to the signer app, user-supplied secret, or user device secret can change the resulting SSH key pair.

The release notes show an early v0.0.1 phase focused on a revised SSH agent for Linux distributions, daemon operation, udev-based TKey detection, and pinentry for the user-supplied secret. Version 1.0.0 separated related apps, libraries, and packages into their own repositories, embedded the binary signer to enable go install, and added release/package builds with GoReleaser.

Adoption history

The project is aimed at TKey users who want SSH authentication without storing private keys on a general-purpose computer. Its packaging path followed both source installs and OS packages: the README mentions operating-system package systems, go install, manual pages, udev rules, and systemd units.

The supplied package-manager facts show availability through Homebrew, Alpine/apk, Debian source packaging, Nix, and winget, which is unusually broad for a hardware-token-specific SSH utility.

How it is used

A typical use starts the agent on a chosen socket, optionally selects the serial port, then points SSH_AUTH_SOCK at that socket before using OpenSSH. The README also documents a public-key display mode and USS flags for user-supplied secrets.

For package nerds, the interesting part is that the installed CLI is only half the artifact: udev rules, systemd service files, manual pages, embedded signer binaries, and reproducible release packages all matter for a usable install.

Why package nerds care

tkey-ssh-agent sits at the intersection of open hardware, SSH agent ergonomics, and distro packaging. Its release notes make key continuity a packaging concern because changing firmware, signer binaries, or secret handling can change the generated SSH identity.

It is a useful example of a niche security package where version pinning, tagged releases, and release notes are operationally important rather than cosmetic.

Timeline

  • v0.0.1: Release notes describe the revised SSH agent with daemon operation, udev detection, and pinentry support.
  • v1.0.0: Related apps and libraries moved to separate repositories; embedded signer enabled go install; GoReleaser package builds added.
  • 2026-03-24: GitHub releases page lists v1.1.1 with updated tkeyclient handling for TKey Unlocked.

Related projects

  • Tillitis TKey is the hardware/software USB security token targeted by the agent.
  • OpenSSH is the client ecosystem consuming the SSH agent socket.
  • tkey-device-signer, tkeyclient, and tkeysign are related Tillitis components named in the release notes.

security posture

Risk level: orange

broad file, network, media, or database tool signal. formula declares a Homebrew service.

Risk classifier

orange risk · medium confidence · infrastructure

Why

  • broad file, network, media, or database tool signal
  • formula declares a Homebrew service

Signals

  • metadata:service
  • text:ssh

Install behavior

  • No Homebrew post-install hook is recorded in formula metadata.
  • Formula metadata declares a service or daemon block.
  • Homebrew bottle metadata is available for 6 platform targets.
  • Installs with 1 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.

executables

Installed executables

CommandKindExposureNote
tkey-ssh-agentcliglobal 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 version1.1.1
manager updated2026-06-06
local dataok
upstreamcurrent
latest detectedv1.1.1

https://github.com/tillitis/tkey-ssh-agent

  • okNo freshness warnings were generated.

install metadata

Package metadata

Package keybrew:tkey-ssh-agent
Version1.1.1
Package managerHomebrew
Package manager pagehttps://formulae.brew.sh/formula/tkey-ssh-agent
Homepagehttps://tillitis.se/
Repositoryhttps://github.com/tillitis/tkey-ssh-agent
Upstream docshttps://github.com/tillitis/tkey-ssh-agent#readme
LicenseGPL-2.0-only
Source archivehttps://github.com/tillitis/tkey-ssh-agent/archive/refs/tags/v1.1.1.tar.gz
Last updated2026-06-06T11:29:14Z
Pulseupdated
Dependenciespinentry-mac
Build dependenciesgo
Bottleavailable (on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, sonoma, x86_64_linux)
Homebrew post-installnot defined
Servicedeclared
CaveatsTo use this SSH agent, set this variable in your ~/.zshrc and/or ~/.bashrc: export SSH_AUTH_SOCK="$HOMEBREW_PREFIX/var/run/tkey-ssh-agent.sock"

registry facts

Source database details

Source DatabaseHomebrew formula API
Taphomebrew/core
Full Nametkey-ssh-agent
Version Scheme0
Revision0
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.

Debian apt95%

golang-github-tillitis-tkey-ssh-agent-dev 1.0.0+ds-4

SSH Agent for Tillitis TKey (Go development library)

https://github.com/tillitis/tkey-ssh-agent

sudo apt install golang-github-tillitis-tkey-ssh-agent-dev
  • Section: golang
  • Architecture: all
  • Source Package: tkey-ssh-agent
  • 2 dependencies
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Tkey Ssh Agent
Debian stable package indexes · deb.debian.org · Debian stable package indexes: golang-github-tillitis-tkey-ssh-agent-dev from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz
Debian apt95%

tillitis-tkey-udev 1.0.0+ds-4

Tillitis TKey udev rule

https://github.com/tillitis/tkey-ssh-agent

sudo apt install tillitis-tkey-udev
  • Section: admin
  • Architecture: all
  • Source Package: tkey-ssh-agent
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Tkey Ssh Agent
Debian stable package indexes · deb.debian.org · Debian stable package indexes: tillitis-tkey-udev from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz
Debian apt95%

tkey-ssh-agent 1.0.0+ds-4+b2

SSH Agent for Tillitis TKey (application)

https://github.com/tillitis/tkey-ssh-agent

sudo apt install tkey-ssh-agent
  • Section: admin
  • Architecture: amd64
  • Source Package: tkey-ssh-agent
  • 2 dependencies
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Tkey Ssh Agent
Debian stable package indexes · deb.debian.org · Debian stable package indexes: tkey-ssh-agent from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz
Nix95%

tkey-ssh-agent

nix profile install nixpkgs#tkey-ssh-agent
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Tkey Ssh Agent
nixpkgs package indexes · api.github.com · nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/tk/tkey-ssh-agent/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1
apk95%

tkey-ssh-agent 1.1.1-r2

SSH Agent for TKey, a flexible open hardware/software USB security key

https://www.tillitis.se/

sudo apk add tkey-ssh-agent
  • License: GPL-2.0-only
  • Architecture: x86_64
  • Source Package: tkey-ssh-agent
  • 1 dependencies
  • 1 provides
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Tkey Ssh Agent
Alpine Linux edge package indexes · dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org · Alpine Linux edge package indexes: tkey-ssh-agent from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz
apk95%

tkey-ssh-agent-doc 1.1.1-r2

SSH Agent for TKey, a flexible open hardware/software USB security key (documentation)

https://www.tillitis.se/

sudo apk add tkey-ssh-agent-doc
  • License: GPL-2.0-only
  • Architecture: x86_64
  • Source Package: tkey-ssh-agent
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Tkey Ssh Agent
Alpine Linux edge package indexes · dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org · Alpine Linux edge package indexes: tkey-ssh-agent-doc from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz
apk95%

tkey-ssh-agent-udev 1.1.1-r2

SSH Agent for TKey, a flexible open hardware/software USB security key (udev rules)

https://www.tillitis.se/

sudo apk add tkey-ssh-agent-udev
  • License: GPL-2.0-only
  • Architecture: x86_64
  • Source Package: tkey-ssh-agent
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Tkey Ssh Agent
Alpine Linux edge package indexes · dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org · Alpine Linux edge package indexes: tkey-ssh-agent-udev from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz
winget95%

Tillitis.TKeySSHAgent

winget install --id Tillitis.TKeySSHAgent -e
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Tkey Ssh Agent
Windows Package Manager source index · cdn.winget.microsoft.com · Windows Package Manager source index: Tillitis.TKeySSHAgent from https://cdn.winget.microsoft.com/cache/source.msix

package graph

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

Related tools

  • pinentry-macRuntime dependency declared by Homebrew.
  • goBuild dependency declared by Homebrew.

Same workflow

  • yubikey-agentShares av.db curated category or tags: cli, hardware-token, security, ssh, ssh-agent.
  • skmShares av.db curated category or tags: cli, security, ssh.
  • sshguardShares av.db curated category or tags: cli, security, ssh.
  • opensshShares av.db curated category or tags: cli, security, ssh.
  • pam-u2fShares av.db curated category or tags: cli, hardware-token, security.
  • ssh-auditShares av.db curated category or tags: cli, security, ssh.

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 package history
  • external package-manager database matches
  • package relationship graph
  • package version freshness
  • package-page enrichment