WSL podman fails to connect if ~/.ssh does not exist

[baude]

Issue Description

On WSL, if the user does not have a .ssh dir, we get a failure when connecting to a podman machine. It is probably the same for a remote connection? And it might be only WSL, but I would guess not.

Steps to reproduce the issue

Steps to reproduce the issue

1. On a fresh WSL install with podman 5.3.1, run podman machine init --now
2. Run any podman command like podman run -it --rm alpine ls

Describe the results you received

Machine "podman-machine-default" started successfully
PS C:\Users\baude> podman run -it alpine ls
Cannot connect to Podman. Please verify your connection to the Linux system using podman system connection list, or try podman machine init and podman machine start to manage a new Linux VM
Error: unable to connect to Podman socket: open C:\Users\baude.ssh\known_hosts: The system cannot find the path specified.

Describe the results you expected

Describe the results you expected

podman info output

Note: The Podman client is 5.3.1 but downloads a 5.3.0 machine image because it is WSL

PS C:\Users\baude> podman info
host:
  arch: amd64
  buildahVersion: 1.38.0
  cgroupControllers: []
  cgroupManager: cgroupfs
  cgroupVersion: v1
  conmon:
    package: conmon-2.1.12-2.fc40.x86_64
    path: /usr/bin/conmon
    version: 'conmon version 2.1.12, commit: '
  cpuUtilization:
    idlePercent: 98.75
    systemPercent: 0.97
    userPercent: 0.28
  cpus: 2
  databaseBackend: sqlite
  distribution:
    distribution: fedora
    variant: container
    version: "40"
  eventLogger: journald
  freeLocks: 2047
  hostname: DESKTOP-DBVSPIQ
  idMappings:
    gidmap:
    - container_id: 0
      host_id: 1000
      size: 1
    - container_id: 1
      host_id: 524288
      size: 65536
    uidmap:
    - container_id: 0
      host_id: 1000
      size: 1
    - container_id: 1
      host_id: 524288
      size: 65536
  kernel: 5.15.167.4-microsoft-standard-WSL2
  linkmode: dynamic
  logDriver: journald
  memFree: 3638992896
  memTotal: 4101287936
  networkBackend: netavark
  networkBackendInfo:
    backend: netavark
    dns:
      package: aardvark-dns-1.12.2-2.fc40.x86_64
      path: /usr/libexec/podman/aardvark-dns
      version: aardvark-dns 1.12.2
    package: netavark-1.12.2-1.fc40.x86_64
    path: /usr/libexec/podman/netavark
    version: netavark 1.12.2
  ociRuntime:
    name: crun
    package: crun-1.18.2-1.fc40.x86_64
    path: /usr/bin/crun
    version: |-
      crun version 1.18.2
      commit: 00ab38af875ddd0d1a8226addda52e1de18339b5
      rundir: /run/user/1000/crun
      spec: 1.0.0
      +SYSTEMD +SELINUX +APPARMOR +CAP +SECCOMP +EBPF +CRIU +LIBKRUN +WASM:wasmedge +YAJL
  os: linux
  pasta:
    executable: /usr/bin/pasta
    package: passt-0^20241030.gee7d0b6-1.fc40.x86_64
    version: |
      pasta 0^20241030.gee7d0b6-1.fc40.x86_64
      Copyright Red Hat
      GNU General Public License, version 2 or later
        <https://www.gnu.org/licenses/old-licenses/gpl-2.0.html>
      This is free software: you are free to change and redistribute it.
      There is NO WARRANTY, to the extent permitted by law.
  remoteSocket:
    exists: true
    path: unix:///run/user/1000/podman/podman.sock
  rootlessNetworkCmd: pasta
  security:
    apparmorEnabled: false
    capabilities: CAP_CHOWN,CAP_DAC_OVERRIDE,CAP_FOWNER,CAP_FSETID,CAP_KILL,CAP_NET_BIND_SERVICE,CAP_SETFCAP,CAP_SETGID,CAP_SETPCAP,CAP_SETUID,CAP_SYS_CHROOT
    rootless: true
    seccompEnabled: true
    seccompProfilePath: /usr/share/containers/seccomp.json
    selinuxEnabled: false
  serviceIsRemote: true
  slirp4netns:
    executable: ""
    package: ""
    version: ""
  swapFree: 1073741824
  swapTotal: 1073741824
  uptime: 0h 17m 26.00s
  variant: ""
plugins:
  authorization: null
  log:
  - k8s-file
  - none
  - passthrough
  - journald
  network:
  - bridge
  - macvlan
  - ipvlan
  volume:
  - local
registries:
  search:
  - docker.io
store:
  configFile: /home/user/.config/containers/storage.conf
  containerStore:
    number: 1
    paused: 0
    running: 0
    stopped: 1
  graphDriverName: overlay
  graphOptions: {}
  graphRoot: /home/user/.local/share/containers/storage
  graphRootAllocated: 1081101176832
  graphRootUsed: 887406592
  graphStatus:
    Backing Filesystem: extfs
    Native Overlay Diff: "true"
    Supports d_type: "true"
    Supports shifting: "false"
    Supports volatile: "true"
    Using metacopy: "false"
  imageCopyTmpDir: /var/tmp
  imageStore:
    number: 1
  runRoot: /run/user/1000/containers
  transientStore: false
  volumePath: /home/user/.local/share/containers/storage/volumes
version:
  APIVersion: 5.3.0
  Built: 1731456000
  BuiltTime: Tue Nov 12 18:00:00 2024
  GitCommit: ""
  GoVersion: go1.22.7
  Os: linux
  OsArch: linux/amd64
  Version: 5.3.0

Podman in a container

No

Privileged Or Rootless

NA

Upstream Latest Release

Yes

Additional environment details

Additional environment details

Additional information

Additional information like issue happens only occasionally or issue happens with a particular architecture or on a particular setting

[baude]

updated #24616 and closing this as a dupe.