How to Work with GitHub and Multiple Accounts

github_multiple-accounts.md

Step 1 - Create a New SSH Key

We need to generate a unique SSH key for our second GitHub account.

ssh-keygen -t rsa -C "your-email-address"

Be careful that you don't over-write your existing key for your personal account. Instead, when prompted, save the file as id_rsa_COMPANY. In my case, I've saved the file to ~/.ssh/id_rsa_work.

Step 2 - Attach the New Key

Next, login to your second GitHub account, browse to "Account Overview" and attach the new key, within the "SSH Public Keys" section. To retrieve the value of the key that you just created, return to the Terminal and type: vim ~/.ssh/id_rsa_COMPANY.pub.

Copy the entire string that is displayed, and paste this into the GitHub textarea. Feel free to give it any title you wish.

Next, because we saved our key with a unique name, we need to tell SSH about it. Within the Terminal, type: ssh-add ~/.ssh/id_rsa_COMPANY. If successful, you'll see a response of Identity Added.

Step 3 - Create a Config File

We've done the bulk of the workload; but now we need a way to specify when we wish to push to our personal account, and when we should instead push to our company account. To do so, let's create a config file.

touch ~/.ssh/config vim config

If you're not comfortable with Vim, feel free to open it within any editor of your choice. Paste in the following snippet.

Default GitHub

---

	Host github.com
	  HostName github.com
	  User git
	  IdentityFile ~/.ssh/id_rsa

This is the default setup for pushing to our personal GitHub account. Notice that we're able to attach an identity file to the host. Let's add another one for the company account. Directly below the code above, add:

	Host github-COMPANY
	  HostName github.com
	  User git
	  IdentityFile ~/.ssh/id_rsa_COMPANY

This time, rather than setting the host to github.com, we've named it as github-COMPANY. The difference is that we're now attaching the new identity file that we created previously: id_rsa_COMPANY. Save the page and exit!

Step 4 - Try it Out

It's time to see if our efforts were successful. Create a test directory, initialize git, and create your first commit.

	git init
	git commit -am "first commit'

Login to your company account, create a new repository, give it a name of "Test," and then return to the Terminal and push your git repo to GitHub.

	git remote add origin git@github-COMPANY:Company/testing.git
	git push origin master

Note that, this time, rather than pushing to git@github.com, we're using the custom host that we create in the config file: git@github-COMPANY.

Return to GitHub, and you should now see your repository. Remember:

When pushing to your personal account, proceed as you always have. For your company account, make sure that you use git!github-COMPANY as the host.

@MaryTWelch I'm glad to know you've made it work, and it is always simple after we know how to do it :p

@mtander sorry for not getting back to you in time to help you out but I'm glad you've also sorted it out :D

@mtander you have solved that problem for me, thank you very much

Another tip to quickly test is that you can do ssh -T git@github.com and ssh -T git@github.com-COMPANY to see if the setting is already correct or not.

Given two GitHub profiles ndemarco and nmdemarco, I have not been able to make this work. Please explain how the URL in this command is constructed: git remote add origin git@github-COMPANY:Company/testing.git

git@github-COMPANY can become git@github-ndemarco if this matches a section in the ~/.ssh/config file?
and the repo address (after the :) has to match the GitHub repo, like ndemarco/test?

I'm not understanding how Git finds the remote name git@github-ndemarco when the remote is really at git@github.com.

My file permissions are correct (~./ssh is 700, ~/.ssh/* is 600).

@ndemarco:

I'm not understanding how Git finds the remote name git@github-ndemarco when the remote is really at git@github.com.

Assuming that nmdemarco would be your company account and ndemarco your private account. You'd generate 2 ssh keys:

• ssh-keygen -f ~/.ssh/id_github_ndemarco (and add that to your ndemarco account)
• ssh-keygen -f ~/.ssh/id_github_nmdemarco (and add that to your nmdemarco account)

Then you'd configure your SSH config like this:

Host github-ndemarco
 HostName github.com
 PreferredAuthentications publickey
 IdentityFile ~/.ssh/id_github_ndemarco

Host github-COMPANY
 HostName github.com
 PreferredAuthentications publickey
 IdentityFile ~/.ssh/id_github_nmdemarco

Then you can add your origin for a company repository just the way you posted it:
git remote add origin git@github-COMPANY:Company/testing.git

Thanks. It took a while before I understood the SSH config file is translating the address from the ***@***.***` to the authentication set specified in the relevant config file block.

…

On Tue, Aug 31, 2021 at 2:13 PM TyIsI ***@***.***> wrote: ***@***.**** commented on this gist. ------------------------------ @ndemarco <https://github.com/ndemarco>: I'm not understanding how Git finds the remote name ***@***.*** when the remote is really at ***@***.*** Assuming that nmdemarco would be your company account and ndemarco your private account. You'd generate 2 ssh keys: - ssh-keygen -f ~/.ssh/id_github_ndemarco (and add that to your ndemarco account) - ssh-keygen -f ~/.ssh/id_github_nmdemarco (and add that to your nmdemarco account) Then you'd configure your SSH config like this: Host github-ndemarco HostName github.com PreferredAuthentications publickey IdentityFile ~/.ssh/id_github_ndemarco Host github-COMPANY HostName github.com PreferredAuthentications publickey IdentityFile ~/.ssh/id_github_nmdemarco Then you can add your origin for a company repository just the way you posted it: git remote add origin ***@***.***:Company/testing.git — You are receiving this because you were mentioned. Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub <https://gist.github.com/e6049a12c8fd2923611802384cd2fb4a#gistcomment-3878297>, or unsubscribe <https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/ABQISVSUTFI533KMIRR6RSLT7ULTLANCNFSM4JBOVY4Q> . Triage notifications on the go with GitHub Mobile for iOS <https://apps.apple.com/app/apple-store/id1477376905?ct=notification-email&mt=8&pt=524675> or Android <https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.github.android&referrer=utm_campaign%3Dnotification-email%26utm_medium%3Demail%26utm_source%3Dgithub>.

Here's another way to approach it if your workflow is such that all of your company repositories are placed or can be placed under one (or a few) directories. This way is also "automatic" in the sense that whenever you clone a repo under the company directory, it just works. You don't have to remember to modify the origin with the git@github-COMPANY alias.

Assuming your company directory is ~/company:

• Add the following to your ~/.gitconfig file:

[includeif "gitdir:~/company/*]
        path = ~/.gitconfig_company

• Create the ~/.gitconfig_company file:

[core]
    sshCommand = "ssh -F ~/.ssh/config_company"
[user]
    name = <My name in the way I want it to appear in my company commits>
    email = <My company email address>

• And finally create another SSH config file ~/.ssh/config_company:

Host github.com
        Hostname github.com
        IdentityFIle <location of my RSA SSH private key file I'm using for the company GitHub account>
        IdentitiesOnly yes
        User <My company GitHub username>

I found that I was always changing my git user.email whenever I cloned a company repository anyway and so started to use the [includeif ...] feature to deal with that. It was an easy addition to pick a separate SSH config as well. This can also be used to set other company-specific Git settings.

@karlrado That's a beautiful solution! Thanks for sharing!

I had to remove Hostname github.com from the primary account in .ssh/config to get it working

Thanks JoaquimLey for the hints!

One remark on this setup:

It may happen that you have another user and email configured globally.
So even when you connect via ssh to a different GitHub account you are still committing with the other user.
Check your global configuration:

git config --global --list

You can set a different local user an email per repository.
Run this in your repo to set the user for the current repository only:

git config --local user.name "homeuser"
git config --local user.email "homeuser@example.com"