Ssh claude auth

Claude Code auth on a headless Mac over SSH

Problem

Claude Code (subscription / OAuth login) stores its credentials in the macOS login keychain, encrypted with the user's macOS login password. A GUI login unlocks it automatically; an SSH / headless session does not, so Claude Code looks logged out until the keychain is unlocked. Two facts shape the fix:

• sudo cannot help — unlocking is decryption, and root has privilege but not the password.
• macOS Claude Code cannot use a plaintext credential file the way Linux does — the credential either lives in an unlocked keychain, or is replaced by a token.

Step 1 — Confirm the diagnosis

security show-keychain-info ~/Library/Keychains/login.keychain-db   # locked/timeout error => this skill applies
security find-generic-password -s "Claude Code-credentials" ~/Library/Keychains/login.keychain-db >/dev/null 2>&1 \
  && echo "creds are in the keychain"

Step 2 — Ask the user which approach (do NOT choose for them)

Use AskUserQuestion with the trade-offs below. List Approach A first, labeled "(Recommended)" — unless the user drives this machine's Claude Code remotely (see caveat), in which case recommend B.

	A. Long-lived OAuth token	B. Auto-unlock keychain
Secret stored on disk	A scoped, revocable OAuth token	The macOS login password, plaintext
Blast radius if leaked	Inference only; revoke anytime	Unlocks the entire keychain
Touches the keychain?	No — bypasses it	Yes
Maintenance	Re-mint ~yearly (token expires)	Re-edit file when Mac password changes
Remote Control sessions	❌ token can't establish them	✅ works

Caveat to surface before they pick: a setup-token credential is inference-only and cannot establish Remote Control sessions (driving this machine's Claude Code from claude.ai or mobile). Users who rely on that need Approach B.

Step 3 — Run the chosen setup script

Invoke scripts by absolute path: bash <skill-base-dir>/scripts/<name>.sh, where <skill-base-dir> is the base directory printed when this skill loads. All scripts read secrets interactively with no echo — never pass a password or token on the command line, and never have the user paste one into the conversation.

Approach A (requires a Claude Pro / Max / Team / Enterprise subscription):

1. The user mints the token themselves: claude setup-token (interactive browser OAuth; prints a ~1-year token, does not save it).
2. bash <skill-base-dir>/scripts/setup-oauth-token.sh — prompts for the token, stores it 600, and sources it from ~/.zshrc as CLAUDE_CODE_OAUTH_TOKEN, which Claude Code uses instead of the keychain.
3. If Approach B was ever set up, remove it so the macOS password stops living on disk: bash <skill-base-dir>/scripts/teardown-keychain-unlock.sh

Approach B:

• bash <skill-base-dir>/scripts/setup-keychain-unlock.sh — prompts for the macOS password, then installs the password file (600), unlock script (700), a login LaunchAgent, and a ~/.zshrc SSH hook.
• For a lighter variant that stores no password and prompts once per SSH session instead, see REFERENCE.md.

Step 4 — Verify

Open a fresh SSH session and run claude — it should be logged in with no prompt.

• Approach A: [ -n "$CLAUDE_CODE_OAUTH_TOKEN" ] && echo "token set". Note claude --bare ignores this variable — use ANTHROPIC_API_KEY there.
• Approach B: bash ~/.claude/unlock-keychain.sh && echo ok

Scripts

scripts/	Purpose
setup-oauth-token.sh	Install Approach A (token file + ~/.zshrc block)
teardown-oauth-token.sh	Undo Approach A (falls back to the keychain)
setup-keychain-unlock.sh	Install Approach B (password file, unlock script, LaunchAgent, ~/.zshrc hook)
teardown-keychain-unlock.sh	Undo Approach B, deleting the stored macOS password
lib.sh	Shared helpers; single source of truth for the # >>> … >>> block markers

Switching approaches = run the new setup, then the old teardown. Manual walkthrough, no-stored-password variant, command quick-reference, and common mistakes: REFERENCE.md