Administrators using MobaXterm with Okta Advanced Server Access (ASA) may encounter syntax errors, pseudo-terminal allocation failures, or keyring decryption errors. These issues occur due to incorrect PATH variables, missing proxy commands, or keyring configuration mismatches. Resolve these errors by correcting the MobaXterm PATH settings, configuring a proxy command, or re-enrolling the client via PowerShell or the Windows Command Prompt.

The sft command fails with the following error when the client is installed for all users:

bash: syntax error near unexpected token `('

An error occurs after successfully connecting to the target server:

Pseudo-terminal will not be allocated because stdin is not a terminal.

The following error occurs while using the client in MobaXterm:

error: error interacting with system keyring: data was encrypted with a different keyring configuration and cannot be decrypted

• Okta Identity Engine (OIE)
• Okta Classic Engine
• Okta Advanced Server Access (ASA)
• MobaXterm
• Secure Shell (SSH)

The syntax error occurs when the configuration lacks the PATH variable or fails to reference it due to spaces in the folder name, such as "Program Files (x86)". The pseudo-terminal error occurs when MobaXterm lacks a configured proxy command. The keyring error occurs when a different keyring configuration encrypts the data.

How is the PATH variable syntax error resolved?

Configure the MobaXterm PATH settings, verify the variables, and optionally set an alias by following these steps.

1. Select Use Windows PATH in the MobaXterm settings.
   Verify the MobaXterm terminal settings by viewing the following image.

2. Relaunch the application and execute the sft command again.
3. If the command fails, examine the PATH by displaying the variable contents in MobaXterm using the following command:

echo $PATH

4. Compare the output by executing the following command in the Windows Command Prompt:

echo %PATH%

5. If the path is correct, call the executable using the full path:

'c://Program Files (x86)/ScaleFT/bin/sft.exe'

Review the following image for an example of a successful output.

6. If spaces in the folder name cause issues, use Windows short names for the folder. Add PROGRA~2 to the path variable on the Windows side and relaunch MobaXterm:

c://PROGRA~2/ScaleFT/bin/sft.exe

7. If the path still fails, create an alias to reference the command:

alias sft=c://PROGRA~2/ScaleFT/bin/sft.exe

8. View the alias using the following command:

alias sft

9. Remove the alias using the following command:

unalias sft

Configuring a proxy command resolves the pseudo-terminal error.

Configure the proxy command and save the session in MobaXterm by following these steps.

1. Follow the MobaXterm Setup instructions to configure the proxy command. This allows the SSH or Secure Copy Protocol (SCP) utility to function with Okta Advanced Server Access without specifying sft.
2. Log in to the client using the sft login command.
3. Connect to a server using the following command:

ssh <server hostname | ip address>

4. Save a session by connecting to the target server at startup. Click Session, click Shell, and click Advanced Shell Settings.
5. Add the sft commands in the Execute the following commands at startup: field and click OK.
   Review the following image for an example of the shell settings.

NOTE: Okta Advanced Server Access only supports SSH for MobaXterm. Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) is not supported.

How is the keyring decryption error resolved?

Unenroll and re-enroll the client using PowerShell or the Windows Command Prompt by following these steps.

1. Open PowerShell or the Windows Command Prompt.
2. Unenroll the client by running the following command:

sft unenroll

3. Re-enroll the client by running the following command:

sft enroll

Related References

• sft client commands
• MobaXterm Setup