Re: `guix pull` of an ssh channel fails

[Bone Baboon]

I received help from civodul on #guix.  They suggested I run
`ssh-agent`.

After running `ssh-agent` and using the environment variables it outputs
in the command `SSH_AUTH_SOCK=/tmp/ssh-XXXXXXLfu5ES/agent.18550
SSH_AGENT_PID=18551 guix pull` I am no longer getting this error message
"guix pull: error: Git error: error authenticating: no auth sock
variable".

However I now get this error message "guix pull: error: Git error:
Failed to retrieve list of SSH authentication methods: Failed getting
response`".

Bone Baboon writes:

> I have a substitute server that needs to build a couple of packages with
> patches:
>
> * inetutlis version 2.0 from the core-updates branch instead of 1.9.4
>   from the master branch
> ** https://issues.guix.gnu.org/issue/48214#10
>
> * glib with longer test timeout
> ** https://issues.guix.gnu.org/issue/48024#12
>
> * offlineimap without tests
> ** https://issues.guix.gnu.org/issue/48213#2
>
> I am trying to setup a channel for this substitute server's patched Guix
> repository. `guix pull` is failing.
>
> On a client of the substitute server I have reconfigured with this in
> it's system configuration:
>
> ```
>     (service guix-service-type
>            (guix-configuration
>             (authorized-keys
>              (list
>               (local-file
>                "/path/to/signing-key.pub")))))
> ```
> Where signing-key.pub is the substitute server's public signing key.
>
> I have added the ssh public key of the substitute server to the client
> with `ssh-copy-id`.  The substitute server's ssh public key is in
> ~/.ssh/authorize_keys.  I have also done the reverse with the client's
> ssh public key and it is on the substitute server's
> ~/.ssh/authorize_keys.
>
> This is the contents of ~/.config/guix/channels.scm:
>
> ```
> (list
>  (channel
>   (name 'guix)
>   (url "ssh://<user>@<ip-address>:22/path/to/patched-guix-repo/")
>   (branch "master")))
> ```
>
> When I run `guix pull` I get this error.
>
> ```
> Updating channel 'guix' from Git repository at 
> 'ssh://<user>@<ip-address>:22/path/to/patched-guix-repo/'...
> guix pull: error: Git error: error authenticating: no auth sock variable
> ```
>
> I can successfully run `git clone
> ssh://<user>@<ip-address>:22/path/to/patched-guix-repo`.
>
> I can successfully transfer files from the substitute server to the
> client with scp without entering a password.
>
> Can a channel use a ssh url?