GitHub SSH Setup

SSH keys let you authenticate with GitHub without entering your password every time you push or pull.

Why SSH?

No password prompts when pushing/pulling
More secure than HTTPS with passwords
Required for automated deployments

Step 1: Check for Existing Keys

First, check if you already have SSH keys:

ls -al ~/.ssh

If you see id_ed25519.pub or id_rsa.pub, you already have keys. Skip to Step 4.

Step 2: Generate SSH Key

Open Terminal and run:

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

Replace your_email@example.com with your GitHub email.

Follow the prompts:

Plaintext

Enter file in which to save the key (/Users/you/.ssh/id_ed25519): [Press Enter]
Enter passphrase (empty for no passphrase): [Enter passphrase or press Enter]
Enter same passphrase again: [Confirm passphrase]

Passphrase: Optional but recommended. Adds extra security if someone accesses your computer.

Open Git Bash or PowerShell and run:

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

Follow the prompts to save the key and set a passphrase.

Step 3: Add Key to SSH Agent

Start SSH Agent

eval "$(ssh-agent -s)"

Add Key to Agent

ssh-add --apple-use-keychain ~/.ssh/id_ed25519

Configure SSH (Optional)

Create ~/.ssh/config for automatic key loading:

nano ~/.ssh/config

Add:

Plaintext

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

Save with Ctrl+O, exit with Ctrl+X.

Start SSH Agent

In PowerShell (Admin):

Get-Service -Name ssh-agent | Set-Service -StartupType Manual
Start-Service ssh-agent

Add Key to Agent

ssh-add ~/.ssh/id_ed25519

Start SSH Agent

eval "$(ssh-agent -s)"

Add Key to Agent

ssh-add ~/.ssh/id_ed25519

Step 4: Add Key to GitHub

Copy Your Public Key

pbcopy < ~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub

Get-Content ~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub | Set-Clipboard

Or manually copy:

cat ~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub

cat ~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub

Select and copy the output.

Open GitHub Settings

Go to github.com and sign in
Click your profile photo (top right)
Click Settings

Navigate to SSH Keys

In the left sidebar, click SSH and GPG keys
Click New SSH key

Add Your Key

Title: Enter a name (e.g., "MacBook Pro", "Work Laptop")
Key type: Keep as "Authentication Key"
Key: Paste your public key

Click Add SSH key
Confirm with your GitHub password if prompted

Step 5: Test Connection

Verify your SSH setup:

ssh -T git@github.com

First time connecting? You'll see:

Plaintext

The authenticity of host 'github.com' can't be established.
Are you sure you want to continue connecting (yes/no)?

Type yes and press Enter.

Success message:

Plaintext

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

This message is normal and means SSH is working correctly.

Using SSH for Git Operations

Clone with SSH

When cloning repositories, use the SSH URL:

# SSH (recommended)
git clone git@github.com:chohra-med/aimobileLauncher_standart.git

# Instead of HTTPS
git clone https://github.com/chohra-med/aimobileLauncher_standart.git

Get SSH URL from GitHub

Go to the repository on GitHub
Click the green Code button
Select SSH tab
Copy the URL

Update Existing Repository

If you cloned with HTTPS, switch to SSH:

# Check current remote
git remote -v

# Update to SSH
git remote set-url origin git@github.com:username/repo.git

# Verify change
git remote -v

Common Issues

Issue	Solution
"Permission denied (publickey)"	Ensure key is added to GitHub and SSH agent
"Could not open connection to agent"	Run `eval "$(ssh-agent -s)"`
"Bad configuration option: usekeychain"	Remove `UseKeychain` line (Linux only)
Key not working after restart	Add SSH config file (see Step 3)

Debug SSH Connection

ssh -vT git@github.com

This shows detailed connection info to help troubleshoot.

Quick Reference

# Generate key
ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -C "email@example.com"

# Start agent
eval "$(ssh-agent -s)"

# Add key to agent
ssh-add ~/.ssh/id_ed25519

# Copy public key (macOS)
pbcopy < ~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub

# Test connection
ssh -T git@github.com

# Clone with SSH
git clone git@github.com:chohra-med/aimobileLauncher_standart.git

GitHub SSH Setup

On this page