Using multiple github accounts with ssh keys

using-multiple-github-accounts-with-ssh-keys.md

Problem

I have two Github accounts: oanhnn (personal) and superman (for work). I want to use both accounts on same computer (without typing password everytime, when doing git push or pull).

Solution

Use ssh keys and define host aliases in ssh config file (each alias for an account).

How to?

1. Generate ssh key pairs for accounts and add them to GitHub accounts.

2. Edit/Create ssh config file (~/.ssh/config):

   # Default github account: oanhnn
   Host github.com
      HostName github.com
      IdentityFile ~/.ssh/oanhnn_private_key
      IdentitiesOnly yes
      
   # Other github account: superman
   Host github-superman
      HostName github.com
      IdentityFile ~/.ssh/superman_private_key
      IdentitiesOnly yes
   

3. Add ssh private keys to your agent:

   $ ssh-add ~/.ssh/oanhnn_private_key
   $ ssh-add ~/.ssh/superman_private_key

4. Test your connection

   $ ssh -T git@github.com
   $ ssh -T git@github-superman

   With each command, you may see this kind of warning, type yes:

   The authenticity of host 'github.com (192.30.252.1)' can't be established.
   RSA key fingerprint is xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:
   Are you sure you want to continue connecting (yes/no)?

   If everything is OK, you will see these messages:

   Hi oanhnn! You've successfully authenticated, but GitHub does not provide shell access.

   Hi superman! You've successfully authenticated, but GitHub does not provide shell access.

5. Now all are set, just clone your repositories

   $ git clone git@github-superman:org2/project2.git /path/to/project2
   $ cd /path/to/project2
   $ git config user.email "superman@org2.com"
   $ git config user.name  "Super Man"

Done! Goodluck!

Thanks :D

great!! thanks a lot!! 👍

Thank you my dude!

Thanks!

Thank you so much!

Thanks!

Super helpful! Thanks man!

What you need to do is to create a new ssh key for your second Github account because by default git is using the key from your first Github account and when you try to push from the second account you will get remote: Permission to privateuser/privaterepo.git denied to workuser. workeruser in this case is your first Github account's username. So you cant push to your second Github account using the first Github account's username. Follow this link for help.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fnSRBRiQIU8

Thanks, I have a problem that maybe someone know what is it coming from. When I restart the computer the ssh-agents get deconfigured and I need to set up again.
Has anyone come across this problem?

This is great, thanks!

One potential gotcha that I encountered lies within the git clone git@github-superman:org2/project2.git /path/to/project2 step.

When cloning or adding a remote URL, I usually copy the command generated by GitHub on the repo's homepage -- which will read like git clone git@github:org2/project2.git or git remote add origin git@github:org2/project2.git.

Adding that extra -superman makes all the difference 😂

Adding that extra -superman makes all the difference 😂

Indeed, this is the most critical part. git@github-superman locates superman account on github. For existing repos, change remote from git@github.com:org2/project2.git to git@github-superman:org2/project2.git with,

git remote set-url origin git@github-superman:org2/project2.git

When I run this
$ ssh -T git@github-superman
I get autenticated no problem. But when I run
$ git clone git@github-superman:org2/project2.git
I get Could not resolve hostname
Using MacOs and followed the above example step by step. Anyone have an idea?

Thank you!!

None of the solutions worked for me. check

https://www.freecodecamp.org/news/manage-multiple-github-accounts-the-ssh-way-2dadc30ccaca/

Nice!!

When I run this
$ ssh -T git@github-superman
I get autenticated no problem. But when I run
$ git clone git@github-superman:org2/project2.git
I get Could not resolve hostname
Using MacOs and followed the above example step by step. Anyone have an idea?

You should instead use:
git clone git@github.com-superman:org2/project2.git

Do no the miss the .com after github

Nice solution!

An alternative is to use Personal Access Tokens with HTTPS and prefix the user in your clone URL, such as git clone https://myuser@github.com/oanhnn/my-repository.git. This way you don't need to configure SSH on your clients or manage keys in your ssh-agent, and you get some other advantages of using HTTPS over SSH. You can keep your Personal Access Tokens in a ~/.netrc file and they will get picked up automatically by Git, or you can use your system's credentials keychain.

Great work! saved my day. Thank you 🙇‍♂️

Thank you!!! I was finally able to make it work! Lifesaver!

You save me! Thank you very much! Have a good day!

you saved me.. Thank you...

Thanks!

Is there any way to configure the local user.name and user.email within ssh config file? In other words what if I don't want to

$ git config user.email "user@mail.com"
$ git config user.name "user_name"

every time I set up my repository?

Thanks.

Thanks for the solution @oanhnn

thank you

Is there any way to configure the local user.name and user.email within ssh config file? In other words what if I don't want to

$ git config user.email "user@mail.com"
$ git config user.name "user_name"

every time I set up my repository?

Thanks.

Use the --global flag when setting those values - without these you're only setting the values for the current repository.

git config --global user.email "user@mail.com"

Is there any way to configure the local user.name and user.email within ssh config file? In other words what if I don't want to

$ git config user.email "user@mail.com"
$ git config user.name "user_name"

every time I set up my repository?
Thanks.

Use the --global flag when setting those values - without these you're only setting the values for the current repository.

git config --global user.email "user@mail.com"

Well, this sets up global configuration. And uses the same committer information for multiple accounts.

What I am trying is that without setting up two different config per repository, I am expecting the local repository to detect which account to use when I push my code to remote. Thanks.

thx for the guide @oanhnn

Just what I needed, thanks @oanhnn

Also thanks @miautoml, this was helpful

git remote set-url origin git@github-superman:org2/project2.git

Thanks alot man..

Best documentation I have seen on this problem - many thanks guys

It works! thanks