Pre-establishing SSH master connections for Ansible, or using OnlyKey with Ansible without losing your mind

Posted on 2026-04-07 in Software • Tagged with ansible , automation , howto , linux , security

I use an OnlyKey as a hardware security device for a variety of purposes:

  • Common passwords are one keypress away, they get typed automatically.
  • As 2FA in my password manager (KeepassXC), by applying HMAC on the password.
  • SSH connections.
  • GPG encryption and signing.

OnlyKey

SSH connections are handled through the …


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