guide for adding a git deploy key to server, for not adding a user (or using your own account)

git-deploy-key.md

Git add deploy key

Note: this only works when your cloned repo uses SSH url, e.g.: git@domain.com:group/repository.git

Tested in Debian with GitLab

Steps

1. Generate ssh key for repo and enter another filename (not the default one) for saving the key, e.g: /home/user/.ssh/id_rsa_my_repo

ssh-keygen -o -t rsa -b 4096 -C "my@email.com"

2. Upload the public key to the git repository server in the Deploy keys section, and mark it as read-only (as good practice)

cat ~/.ssh/id_rsa_my_repo.pub

3. Clone the repository

GIT_SSH_COMMAND="ssh -i ~/.ssh/id_rsa_my_repo" git clone git@domain.com:group/repository.git

4. Add the private key to your /repo/.git/config

cd my_repo
git config core.sshCommand "ssh -o IdentitiesOnly=yes -i ~/.ssh/id_rsa_my_repo -F /dev/null"

5. Now you can update the code as usual

cd my_repo
git pull