deploy-felhom-compose/docs/vscode-ssh-fix.md

VSCode / Claude Code SSH Fix Guide

The Problem

Claude Code runs inside VSCode's integrated terminal, which uses Git Bash on Windows. Git Bash ships its own SSH binary at:

C:\Program Files\Git\usr\bin\ssh.exe

This binary resolves before Windows' native OpenSSH in the PATH:

$ which ssh
/usr/bin/ssh                              ← Git Bash SSH (BROKEN for our use)

$ where ssh
C:\Program Files\Git\usr\bin\ssh.exe      ← resolves first
C:\Windows\System32\OpenSSH\ssh.exe       ← Windows native (WORKS)

Git Bash's SSH does not have access to the Windows SSH Agent (ssh-agent service). This means SSH key authentication fails silently — commands return exit code 0 or 141 with no output captured, making it extremely confusing to debug.

Windows' native OpenSSH (C:\Windows\System32\OpenSSH\ssh.exe) connects to the Windows SSH Agent service and has access to your stored keys.

Fix 1: VSCode Settings (Recommended — Permanent)

Open VSCode Settings JSON (Ctrl+Shift+P → "Preferences: Open User Settings (JSON)") and add GIT_SSH to the terminal environment:

{
    "terminal.integrated.env.windows": {
        "GIT_SSH": "C:\\Windows\\System32\\OpenSSH\\ssh.exe"
    }
}

This tells Git (and any tool that respects GIT_SSH) to use Windows' native OpenSSH.

However, this only fixes git operations — direct ssh calls in the terminal still resolve to Git Bash's binary. To fix that too, prepend Windows OpenSSH to the PATH:

{
    "terminal.integrated.env.windows": {
        "GIT_SSH": "C:\\Windows\\System32\\OpenSSH\\ssh.exe",
        "PATH": "C:\\Windows\\System32\\OpenSSH;${env:PATH}"
    }
}

After changing this setting:

1. Close all terminals in VSCode (kill them, don't just hide)
2. Reload the window (Ctrl+Shift+P → "Developer: Reload Window")
3. Open a new terminal and verify:

   which ssh
   

   Should now show /c/Windows/System32/OpenSSH/ssh (or similar Windows path).

Fix 2: Per-Session Variable (Workaround)

If you don't want to change VSCode settings, set this at the start of every Claude Code session (or tell Claude to do it):

SSH=/c/Windows/System32/OpenSSH/ssh.exe

Then use $SSH instead of ssh in all commands:

$SSH kisfenyo@192.168.0.162 "docker ps"

This is what CLAUDE.md now documents for the build/deploy workflow.

Fix 3: Shell Profile (Alternative Permanent Fix)

Add to your ~/.bashrc or ~/.bash_profile (Git Bash profile):

# Prefer Windows native OpenSSH over Git Bash's bundled SSH
alias ssh='/c/Windows/System32/OpenSSH/ssh.exe'
alias ssh-add='/c/Windows/System32/OpenSSH/ssh-add.exe'
alias scp='/c/Windows/System32/OpenSSH/scp.exe'

This works for interactive shells but may not apply to all VSCode terminal contexts.

Verifying the Fix

After applying any fix, test with:

# Check which binary resolves
which ssh

# Test actual connectivity
ssh kisfenyo@192.168.0.162 "echo OK"

Expected output for a working setup:

OK

If you see no output, empty response, or exit code 141/255, the wrong SSH binary is still being used.

Why This Happens

• Windows SSH Agent (ssh-agent Windows service) stores SSH keys added via ssh-add from PowerShell/CMD
• Git Bash's SSH uses its own agent protocol (Unix socket) which is separate from the Windows service
• When VSCode spawns a Git Bash terminal, the PATH has Git's /usr/bin before C:\Windows\System32\OpenSSH, so Git's SSH wins
• The Git Bash SSH binary can't talk to the Windows SSH Agent, so key-based auth fails — but it fails silently (no error message, broken pipe on stdout)

Windows SSH Agent Setup (if keys aren't loaded)

If SSH still fails after fixing the binary path, ensure the Windows SSH Agent has your keys:

1. Open Services (Win+R → services.msc)
2. Find OpenSSH Authentication Agent → set to Automatic → Start
3. In PowerShell (not Git Bash):

   ssh-add C:\Users\User\.ssh\id_ed25519
   

4. Verify:

   ssh-add -l
   

   Should list your key fingerprint.