Setup Github ssh key with git/github: Clone private repo using ssh

Using ssh key allows you to work with private repos easily without username password authentication. Github now has an option for PAT (personal access token, read about it here), but I still use ssh key option.

Step-1: Install Git

Mac/Linux: git should be pre-installed.
Windows: download and install git bash from here.

Step-2: Generate a new ssh key

If you already have a key pair, skip this step and use the same keys. Otherwise, use below command to generate a new public-private key pair. Works on windows, mac and linux.
Replace youremail@something.com with your github email id.

ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -C "youremail@something"

Notice it’s capital C .

keygen on windows

When asked for location and file name, hit enter to save to default location.

passphrase prompt

When asked for passphrase, either type a secret passphrase and hit Enter, or to leave empty hit Enter twice.

This generates 2 files:

1. A public key ending with .pub
2. A private key without any extension (this is secret and should never be shared)

Step-2.1: Add key to ssh agent (for windows only)

Open git bash

Run this command (Use Shift + Ins to paste in bash)

eval "$(ssh-agent -s)"

You’ll see the process id

Add the newly generated key to ssh agent. (Use the same file which was generated in previous step)

ssh-add ~/.ssh/id_rsa

Step-3: Add ssh key to github

Copy the newly generated public key

cat ~/.ssh/id_rsa.pub

Above command works on Mac and Linux. On windows it works in powershell and git-bash. Copy the printed output as it is, including the starting ssh-rsa .

Now go to this url https://github.com/settings/keys

Or manually navigate:
1. click top right profile icon -> settings

click top right profile icon -> settings

2. Click “ssh and gpg keys” in left panel

Click “ssh and gpg keys” in left panel

3. Click New SSH key

4. Add Titleof your choice -> leave the Key type set to Authentication Key -> Paste the copied public key in Key section

Hit the green button.

Done 🙌🏻. You should be able to clone, pull-push to private repos with the ssh remote url.

Hope this helped😀… consider hitting 👏. Saved your precious time !! Appreciate my efforts buy me a tea ☕. You can also find me on Linkedin and say 👋

If you changed default ssh key location to something else

Assuming you named it something like

.ssh/id_rsa_github

Then you will still get this error if you try to clone:

Then you need to edit the ssh config file usually foundd under .ssh/config

vi .ssh/config

If the file doesn’t exist already, you can create it in .ssh folder. Then paste the following, replacing the file name

Host github.com
 IdentityFile ~/.ssh/id_rsa_git

And done !!