Connect to Github via SSH

· #linux

Secure Shell Protocol (SSH) is a cryptographic network protocol that provides a secure channel over an unsecured network. In the context of Git and GitHub, SSH offers an efficient and secure method to authenticate and interact with repositories, bypassing the need to repeatedly input passwords. By configuring an SSH key pair, you can establish a trust-based connection between your local machine and GitHub.

Prerequisites

  • Linux or macOS
  • GitHub account (or other Git hosting service, minor adjustment needed)

Step 1: Check for existing SSH keys

Check if you already have SSH keys

ls -al ~/.ssh

If ~/.ssh doesn’t exist, proceed to Step 2. Otherwise, skip to Step 4

Step 2: Generate a new SSH key pairs

Generate a new SSH key

ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -C "user@example.com"

Follow the prompts

Enter file in which to save the key (/home/user/.ssh/id_ed25519): [ENTER]
Enter passphrase (empty for no passphrase): [ENTER]
Enter same passphrase again: [ENTER]

Step 3: Add the private SSH key to the SSH Agent

  1. Start the SSH agent

    eval "$(ssh-agent -s)"

  2. Add your SSH key

    ssh-add ~/.ssh/id_ed25519

For macOS Sierra 10.12.2 or later, add the following to ~/.ssh/config

Host github.com
  AddKeysToAgent yes
  IdentityFile ~/.ssh/id_ed25519

Step 4: Add your public SSH key to GitHub

  1. Copy your public key to the clipboard

    cat ~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub

  2. Visit Github

  3. Navigate to Settings > SSH and GPG keys > New SSH key, and paste the key

Step 5: Test the SSH Connection

Test the connection with

ssh -T git@github.com

If prompted, type yes to confirm the connection. You’ll see a success message if everything is set up correctly.