Setup GitHub repository SSH deploy keys

deploy-keys.md

Setup GitHub repository SSH deploy keys

1. Create GitHub repository in github and save the SSH repository url

2. Init git on server in code directory

• git init

3. Create SSH keys on the server

• ssh-keygen -t rsa -b 4096 -C your@email.here
• Rename the key that doesn't end with .pub to repo-name.deploy.pem
• Save .pub file content to your local client for use later
• Move .pem key to ~/.ssh/ or suitable location
• Change key file permission: sudo chmod 400 repo-name.deploy.pem

4. Create ssh-config file

• Navigate to ~/.ssh and touch config set permission sudo chmod 644 config
• Add entry in config file

Host gitreponame
Hostname github.com
IdentityFile ~/.ssh/repo-name.deploy.pem

5. Add the content from the public key file i.e. .pub to your github repository, settings > deploy keys > Add deploy keys

6. Set the remote git repository url on the server for the initalized git repo

• git remote add origin git@gitreponame:organization-name/repo-name.git or if already existing git remote set-url origin git@gitreponame:organization-name/repo-name.git
• test with: git remote -v

7. Add files to commit and push them to the master branch

• git add .
• git commit -m 'root commit'
• git push -u origin master

Could you please explain why do we need to setup SSH deploy keys? I did create them and then added them to my GitHub Account, because I needed access to GitHub from my IntelliJ. So my understanding is - the SSH deploy keys are needed if I need to access the GitHub from IntelliJ or another specific environment ??? Thank you

@blipsman Are you deploying anything on a server? If you don't know what it's for then you probably don't need it.

For local clients general access to github and all of your repositories. Add a SSH key to your account under "Personal Settings" and use a ssh-config entry as the one below.

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

What is the difference between "remote" (see https://gist.github.com/Nilpo/8ed5e44be00d6cf21f22#su)
and "deploy keys"?
Were are 4 ppl working on a JS project and want the possibility to push it to live (see link), when needed.

Thank you

@tispokes Can you are explain what you mean with push it live?

You've greatly demystified deploy keys for me. Thank you for this!

Configuration the key via .ssh/config as demonstrated here is nice.

I just learned about:

git config core.sshCommand 'ssh -i private_key_file'

via StackOverflow, which is even better, for my purposes, so wanted to mention it here.