keychain
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Description:
User-friendly front-end to ssh-agent(1)
Type: Formula  |  Latest Version: 2.9.8@0  |  Tracked Since: Oct 31, 2025
Links: Homepage  |  formulae.brew.sh
Category: Security
Tags: ssh security authentication productivity devops
Install: brew install keychain
About:
Keychain is a script that manages ssh-agent sessions efficiently. It allows you to reuse a single ssh-agent process across multiple login sessions, storing credentials securely in the system keychain. This eliminates the need to repeatedly enter passphrases while maintaining security.
Key Features:
  • Manages ssh-agent lifecycle automatically
  • Persists credentials across terminal sessions
  • Supports both SSH and GPG keys
  • Works with system keychains (macOS, Linux)
Use Cases:
  • Developers managing multiple SSH connections across terminals
  • Automated scripts requiring SSH access without manual passphrase entry
Alternatives:
  • ssh-agent – Native agent requires manual session management
  • 1Password CLI – Commercial solution with GUI integration
Version History
Detected Version Rev Change Commit
Oct 31, 2025 5:28pm 0 VERSION_BUMP 718fd30f