LinuxQuestions.org - Authenticator provider $SSH_SK_PROVIDER did not resolve; disabling

After scratch-installing Slackware 15.0 on a computer (which was running 14.2, but wiped for this install), I'm having a interesting ssh issue. When I attempt to ssh to an external computer:

Code:

$ ssh -v mfoley@novatec-inc.com

OpenSSH_9.3p2, OpenSSL 1.1.1w  11 Sep 2023

debug1: Reading configuration data /home/mfoley/.ssh/config

debug1: /home/mfoley/.ssh/config line 3: Applying options for *

debug1: Reading configuration data /etc/ssh/ssh_config

debug1: Authenticator provider $SSH_SK_PROVIDER did not resolve; disabling

debug1: Connecting to novatec-inc.com [24.142.169.12] port 22.

debug1: connect to address 24.142.169.12 port 22: Connection refused

ssh: connect to host novatec-inc.com port 22: Connection refused

I can ssh to other external computers:

Code:

$ ssh mfoley@mercureytech.com

mfoley@mercureytech.com's password: 

Last login: Sun Apr 28 17:07:23 2024 from 98.102.63.110

Linux 5.15.145.

1 19:43:04 mfoley@mtech:~

And I can ssh to any host on the LAN, but not to novatec-inc.com. From another computer on the LAN I can ssh to novatec-inc.com, just not from this new install. No firewall is running on either computer.

Ideas?