Git is a popular version control system that is widely used by software developers and tech enthusiasts alike.
It allows you to keep track of changes to your code, collaborate with others on a project, and manage your codebase in an organized manner.
However, sometimes you may need to access a remote Git repository that requires authentication via an SSH key.
In this case, you need to specify the correct private SSH key when executing shell commands on Git.
This can be accomplished through a few simple steps.
Setting Up the SSH Key
Before you can use an SSH key for authentication, you need to generate one.
You can do this using the ssh-keygen command.
To generate an RSA key, for example, run the following command in your terminal:
ssh-keygen -t rsa -b 4096
This will generate two files: a private key (id_rsa) and a public key (id_rsa.pub).
The private key is what you’ll use for authentication, while the public key is what you’ll add to the remote Git repository.
Setting Up the SSH Agent
Once you have your SSH key, you need to add it to the SSH agent so that it can use it for authentication.
To do this, run the following command in your terminal:
eval "$(ssh-agent -s)"
Next, add your private key to the SSH agent with the following command:
ssh-add ~/.ssh/id_rsa
Configuring Git to Use the SSH Key
Finally, you need to configure Git to use the correct SSH key when executing shell commands.
You can do this by creating a config file in the ~/.ssh directory.
To create this file, run the following command in your terminal:
nano ~/.ssh/config
Then, add the following contents to the file, replacing [private_key_file] with the path to your private key file:
Host [remote_git_repo]
HostName [remote_git_repo_hostname]
User [username]
IdentityFile [private_key_file]
Save the file and exit
From now on, Git will use the specified SSH key when executing shell commands on the specified remote Git repository.
Conclusion
Specifying the private SSH key to use when executing shell commands on Git is a simple process that can save you a lot of time and effort in the long run.
By following the steps outlined in this tutorial, you’ll be able to securely access your remote Git repository and manage your codebase with ease.
