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https://github.com/peter-bread/git-ssh-management
How to manage multiple GitHub accounts with ssh on one machine.
https://github.com/peter-bread/git-ssh-management
Last synced: about 1 month ago
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How to manage multiple GitHub accounts with ssh on one machine.
- Host: GitHub
- URL: https://github.com/peter-bread/git-ssh-management
- Owner: peter-bread
- Created: 2023-11-08T23:44:56.000Z (about 1 year ago)
- Default Branch: main
- Last Pushed: 2024-02-10T23:26:49.000Z (11 months ago)
- Last Synced: 2024-10-15T01:49:05.375Z (3 months ago)
- Size: 43 KB
- Stars: 0
- Watchers: 1
- Forks: 0
- Open Issues: 3
-
Metadata Files:
- Readme: README.md
- Changelog: change.md
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README
# git ssh management
***I am currently working on a [CLI tool](https://github.com/peter-bread/gamon) to manage this along with some additonal functionality.***
As of right now, this tool depends on the file structure detailed here being implented manually.
In the future, I hope to make generating this file structure automatic.
In the even further future, I hope to make this file structure more flexible, but that is not my priority at the moment.
---
How to manage multiple GitHub accounts with ssh on one machine.
> **Note:** This is an updated solution.
>
> [Click here](./README.old.md) to see old solution.
>
> [Click here](./change.md) to see explanation of differences and reasons between the two versions.
## Table of Contents
- [Prerequisites](#prerequisites)
- [Our Accounts](#our-accounts)
- [Set up File Structure](#set-up-file-structure)
- [Generate ssh keys](#generate-ssh-keys)
- [Add Stuff to `.gitconfig` Files](#add-stuff-to-gitconfig-files)
- [gh](#gh)
## Prerequisites
Before you begin, ensure you have met the following requirements:
- You have installed the latest version of [Git](https://git-scm.com/downloads).
- You have a Linux or MacOS machine. Windows users can use WSL.
- You have read the [guide on how to set up multiple accounts with GitHub CLI](./gh-cli.md).
## Our Accounts
In this let's assume we have two GitHub accounts, *personal* and *work*.
Suppose our emails are:
```text
personal: [email protected]
work : [email protected]
```
## Set up File Structure
We will have a directory for each account:
```text
~/
|–– .gitconfig
|–– repos/
| |–– personal/
| | |–– .gitconfig
| |–– work/
| | |–– .gitconfig
```
Repos on our personal GitHub will be stored in `~/repos/personal/`.
Repos on our work GitHub will be stored in `~/repos/work/`.
> On Linux: `~/` is the same as `/home/username/`.
>
> On MacOS: `~/` is the same as `/Users/username/`.
To be clear:
> You will only be able to clone repositories with **ssh** when in `~/repos/personal` or `~/repos/work`. These should be repositories **owned by you**.
>
> ---
>
> If you want to build an app from source, for example, you can clone a public repository **owned by anyone** anywhere you like as long as you use **https**.
>
> If you have any other ssh key loaded in your ssh agent or with a default name (like `id_ed25519`), ssh may work for this, but I haven't tested it.
## Generate ssh keys
```bash
ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -C "[email protected]" -f ~/.ssh/github-personal
ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -C "[email protected]" -f ~/.ssh/github-work
```
> **Note:** keygen options:
>
> - the `-t` lets us specify the key type to be generated. (ed25519 is newer and more secure than the more common rsa key.)
>
> - the `-C` option lets us add a comment to the key so it is easier to keep track of.
>
> - the `-f` option lets us specify the name of the key and where we want to it be saved.
Our ssh directory will look like:
```text
~/
|–– .ssh/
|–– github-personal
|–– github-personal.pub
|–– github-work
|–– github-work.pub
```
> **Note:** With this management technique we will not be using `~/.ssh/config` (for github at least, we can still use `~/.ssh/config` for other things, e.g. ssh remote connections).
## Add Stuff to `.gitconfig` Files
### `~/.gitconfig`
```bash
# ~/.gitconfig
[user]
name = John Smith
[init]
defaultBranch = main
[includeIf "gitdir:~/repos/personal/"]
path = ~/repos/personal/.gitconfig
[includeIf "gitdir:~/repos/work/"]
path = ~/repos/work/.gitconfig
```
### `~/repos/personal/.gitconfig`
```bash
# ~/repos/personal/.gitconfig
[user]
email = [email protected]
[core]
sshCommand = ssh -i ~/.ssh/github-personal -F /dev/null
```
### `~/repos/work/.gitconfig`
```bash
# ~/repos/work/.gitconfig
[user]
email = [email protected]
[core]
sshCommand = ssh -i ~/.ssh/github-work -F /dev/null
```
## `core.sshCommand` Explanation
**`[core]`:** This is a section in the Git configuration that is used for core settings that apply to the entire repository.
**`sshCommand`:** This is an option within the [core] section that allows you to specify a custom SSH command.
**`ssh -i /path/to/personal/key -F /dev/null`:** This is the custom SSH command itself. Let's break it down:
> **`ssh`:** The base SSH command.
>
> **`-i /path/to/personal/key`:** Specifies the path to the private key that Git should use when connecting via SSH. In this case, it points to a specific private key file associated with your personal account.
>
> **`-F /dev/null`:** Specifies the configuration file to use for SSH. `/dev/null` is a special file that essentially means "no configuration." This is useful when you want to use a specific key (`-i`) without any additional configuration. It ensures that no SSH configuration file is read, including `~/.ssh/config`, and the key specified with `-i` is used directly.
## gh
[Click here](./gh-cli.md) to see how to set up multiple accounts with GitHub CLI.