Setting Up SSH for GitHub

Several UASAL repositories require ssh keys to be configured in order to clone a repository or install a package. Follow this tutorial to set up an ssh key for GitHub.

1. Generate an SSH Key

1. Open a terminal.

2. Run the following command, replacing your_email@example.com with the email associated with your GitHub account:

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

3. When prompted, type the path and name of the key, hitting Enter to save it:

   $ Generating public/private ed25519 key pair.
   $ Enter file in which to save the key (/home/username/.ssh/id_ed25519): /home/username/.ssh/key_name
   

4. Enter a secure passphrase (optional, but recommended).

2. Add the SSH Key to the SSH Agent

1. Start the SSH agent in the background:

   eval "$(ssh-agent -s)"
   

2. Add your private key to the SSH agent:

   ssh-add ~/.ssh/key_name
   

2. (Alternate) Add target to SSH Config

1. Modify ~/.ssh/config and add the following:

   Host github.com
    HostName ssh.github.com
    Port 443
    IdentityFile ~/.ssh/key_name
   

3. Add the SSH Key to GitHub

1. Copy your public key to the clipboard:

   cat ~/.ssh/key_name.pub
   

2. Go to GitHub SSH Key Settings.

3. Click New SSH key.

4. Paste your public key into the “Key” field.

5. Give it a descriptive title.

6. Click Add SSH key.

4. Test the SSH Connection

Run the following command to verify the connection:

ssh -T git@github.com

If successful, you should see a message like:

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

Troubleshooting

• If you encounter Permission denied (publickey), ensure that:

  • Your SSH key is added to GitHub and has not expired.

  • The SSH agent is running and the key is added (ssh-add -l should list your key).

  • You are using the correct SSH URL.

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Now you are ready to securely interact with GitHub using SSH!