How to setup multiple Github accounts with ssh?

If you have more than one Github account, you may want to use them on the same machine without typing your username and password every time you push or pull. In this post, I will show you how to use ssh keys to manage multiple Github accounts on a single machine.

This blog post will guide you through the process of setting up multiple Github accounts using SSH, granting you seamless access without ever entering another password. Let's unleash your inner juggling act!

Step 1: Generate the Keys

The first step is to generate SSH keys for each of your GitHub accounts Each account gets its own private key (kept safe on your machine) and a public key (shared with Github for verification).

ssh-keygen -t rsa -b 4096 -C "your_email@example.com" -f ~/.ssh/your_email -P ""
# Or
ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -b 4096 -C "your_email@example.com" -f ~/.ssh/your_email -P ""

Repeat this incantation for each account, giving each key a relevant label.

Step 2: Add SSH Keys to the SSH Agent

Start the SSH agent and add the keys:

eval "$(ssh-agent -s)"

# For the first GitHub account
ssh-add ~/.ssh/id_rsa

# For the second GitHub account
ssh-add ~/.ssh/id_rsa_second

Step 3: Add SSH Keys to GitHub

Copy the content of each public key:

cat ~/.ssh/id_rsa.pub   # Copy this for the first account
cat ~/.ssh/id_rsa_second.pub   # Copy this for the second account

Go to your Github account settings > SSH and GPG keys > New SSH key, and paste the respective key for each account. Open browser and navigate to Github account settings, navigate to SSH and GPG keys and click New SSH key. Paste the public key for each account and give it a fitting title.

Step 4: Create SSH Config File

Create or edit the ~/.ssh/config file:

vi ~/.ssh/config

Host github-work
    HostName github.com
    IdentityFile ~/.ssh/work_key
    IdentitiesOnly yes

Host github-personal
    HostName github.com
    IdentityFile ~/.ssh/personal_key
    IdentitiesOnly yes

Replace work_key and personal_key with your actual paths. Each Host block defines a unique alias (e.g., "github-work") for easier access.

Step 5: Clone Repositories

When cloning repositories, use the appropriate hostname for each account

git clone git@github-work:your_company/project.git
git push -u origin master

There are no prompts. You'll be seamlessly switching between your Github identities.

Now you have successfully set up multiple GitHub accounts with multiple SSH keys on your machine. You can seamlessly switch between accounts and contribute to different projects without any conflicts.

Remember

• Keep your private keys safe and secure.
• Consider passphrase protection for an extra layer of security.
• Don't share your private keys with anyone!