ssh password support #22963

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1. github-actions

   added

   needs-triage

   on Oct 3, 2026
2. desktop-triage commented on Oct 3, 2026

   

   desktop-triagebot

   on Oct 3, 2026

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   Thanks for the feature request! GitHub Desktop already supports SSH password prompts — this was added in PR #14676 and shipped starting in release 3.0.2/3.0.3. When ssh (invoked by Git) asks user@host's password:, Desktop intercepts the prompt via its SSH askpass trampoline and shows a native "SSH User Password" dialog where the user can enter (and optionally remember) the password.

   Initial hypothesis: The reporter's underlying scenario (a self-hosted Git server reachable over SSH with password auth, used from a non-GitHub.com remote, e.g. on a Steam Deck) should already be handled by this existing flow. The handler in trampoline-askpass-handler.ts lines 111-145 at commit 3754e26d1f021ccb2de77f86061ea1dab2c95d39 matches the literal 's password: prompt text ssh emits and calls trampolineUIHelper.promptSSHUserPassword, which opens the dialog defined in ssh-user-password.tsx. Since the issue doesn't include logs, a Desktop version, or exact repro steps showing the prompt failing to appear, it's unclear whether this is a true regression/edge case (e.g. a non-standard SSH prompt string not matching the regex, or a platform/Windows-OpenSSH-path issue) or simply a report made without awareness that the capability already exists. No evidence (logs, screenshots, version) was provided to confirm a bug versus confirm the feature is already present and working as requested.

   Given the capability described already ships in the product, I'm not suggesting a label — a maintainer should confirm whether to close this as already-addressed or request reproduction details (Desktop version, OS, exact SSH error/prompt text, and whether the password dialog appears at all) if the reporter believes it's still broken in a recent version.

   Generated by Issue Triage (skills-driven) for #22963 · auto · 45.6 AIC · ⌖ 1.24 AIC · ⊞ 8.9K · ◷
3. derric-young commented on Oct 3, 2026

   

   derric-young

   on Oct 3, 2026

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   it does not fail. it instead takes a extremely long time to do anything? is it reallyt connecting over http instead of ssh? who knows. is it becuase i did not add crypto keys? as in the password prompt from the deck to log in appears becuase what else would happen
4. babakks commented on Oct 6, 2026

   

   babakks

   on Oct 6, 2026

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   Thanks for the report, @derric-young! 🙏

   I have not been able to reproduce this. GitHub Desktop should display a password prompt when an SSH server requests password authentication.

   Could you provide the following information?

   1. Your GitHub Desktop version
   2. The operating system and version where GitHub Desktop is running
   3. The Git server software running on the Steam Deck
   4. The remote URL format, with any sensitive hostname or username information redacted
   5. The exact operation that is slow, such as cloning, fetching, pulling, or pushing
   6. Approximately how long the operation takes
   7. Whether an SSH password dialog appears in GitHub Desktop
   8. Whether the same operation works using command line Git
   9. The GitHub Desktop log files from a session where the problem occurs

   These details should help us determine whether Desktop is using SSH and where the delay is occurring.
5. babakks

   added

   more-info-neededThe submitter needs to provide more information about the issueThe submitter needs to provide more information about the issue

   unable-to-reproduce

   on Oct 6, 2026
6. github-actions commented on Oct 6, 2026

   

   github-actionsbot

   on Oct 6, 2026 – with GitHub Actions

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   Thank you for your issue! Unfortunately, we are unable to reproduce the issue you are experiencing. Please provide more information so we can help you.

   Here are some tips for writing reproduction steps:

   • Step by step instructions accompanied by screenshots or screencasts are the best.
   • Be as specific as possible; include as much detail as you can.
   • If not already provided, include:
     • the version of the application you are using.
     • the operating system you are using
     • any environment factors you can think of.
     • any custom configuration you are using.
     • a log file from the day you experienced the issue (access log files via Help > Show Logs in Finder/Explorer).
   • If relevant and can be shared, provide the repository or code you are using.