Setting Up GitHub SSH Keys on Your Computer

This guide provides step-by-step instructions to set up SSH keys for secure and efficient interaction with GitHub repositories.

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Prerequisites

• Ensure Git is installed on your system. If not, download and install it from Git for Windows.
• A GitHub account.

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Steps to Set Up SSH Keys

1. Configure Git with Your User Information

Open Git-Bash and run the following commands to set your Git username and email address globally. Replace Your Name and [e-mail] with your details.

git config --global user.name "Your Name"
git config --global user.email "[e-mail]"

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2. Generate an SSH Key Pair

Open CMD and use the ssh-keygen command to generate a new SSH key pair. Replace [e-mail] with your GitHub email address.

ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -C "[e-mail]"

• When prompted for a file location, press Enter to accept the default: /c/Users/YOU/.ssh/id_ed25519.
• Optionally, set a passphrase for added security.

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3. Start the SSH Agent

Enable and start the SSH agent to manage your SSH keys. Use the following commands in PowerShell (run as Administrator):

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

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4. Add Your SSH Key to the Agent

Using CMD add the generated private key to the SSH agent for authentication.

ssh-add c:/Users/YOU/.ssh/id_ed25519

Replace YOU with your system username if necessary.

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5. Copy the Public Key to Your Clipboard

Copy the contents of your public key file to your clipboard for adding it to GitHub:

clip < ~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub

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6. Add the SSH Key to GitHub

1. Log in to your GitHub account.
2. Go to Settings > SSH and GPG Keys.
3. Click New SSH Key.
4. Provide a title (e.g., "Laptop SSH Key").
5. Paste the public key from your clipboard into the Key field.
6. Click Add SSH Key.

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7. Verify the SSH Connection

Run the following command to confirm the connection with GitHub:

ssh -T [e-mail]

If successful, you will see a message similar to:

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

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Conclusion

Your SSH key is now configured for GitHub. You can securely push, pull, and manage your repositories without entering your GitHub credentials repeatedly.