Managing Multiple GitHub Accounts with SSH Keys

Managing multiple GitHub accounts on a single machine can be a challenging task. However, with the right configuration, you can seamlessly switch between your personal and work accounts without hassle. This guide will walk you through the process of setting up SSH keys for multiple GitHub accounts.

Note : For Window Use Git Bash

Step 1: Generate SSH Keys for Both Accounts

First, you need to generate SSH keys for your personal and work accounts. Open your terminal and use the ssh-keygen command.

For your personal account:

ssh-keygen -t rsa -b 4096 -C "lsehotr###@gmail.co"
# When prompted, save the key as: /home/lovely/.ssh/id_rsa_personal(any name)

For your work account:

ssh-keygen -t rsa -b 4096 -C "l.sehotra##@work.com"
# When prompted, save the key as: /home/lovely/.ssh/id_rsa_work

Example

Step 2: List the Keys

Verify that the keys have been created successfully by listing the contents of the .ssh directory:

ls ~/.ssh

Step 3: Copy the Public Keys

You need to add your public keys to GitHub. Display the contents of each public key file with the following commands:

For your personal account:

cat ~/.ssh/id_rsa_personal.pub

For your work account:

For your work account:cat ~/.ssh/id_rsa_work.pub

Step 4: Add the Keys to GitHub

• Log in to GitHub.

• Navigate to Settings > SSH and GPG keys.

• Click New SSH key and add the appropriate public key for each account.

Step 5: Configure SSH

Next, you need to configure SSH to use the correct key for each account. Create and edit the SSH config file:

touch ~/.ssh/config
nano ~/.ssh/config

Add the following configuration. Set Host Name and Identity File :

Host github.com
  User git
  IdentityFile ~/.ssh/id_rsa_personal

Host github.com-work
  HostName github.com
  User git
  IdentityFile ~/.ssh/id_rsa_work

Step 6: Configure Git

You can also configure Git to use different user information for each account. Create and edit the Git configuration file:

nano ~/.gitconfig

Add your details:

[user]
  name = Your Name
  email = lsehotra###@gmail.com
[includesIf "gitdir:~/work/"]
        path = ~/work/.gitconfig

Create a Directory for Work then cd work and run :

nano .gitconfig

Add Detail

[user]
  name = Your Work Name
  email = l.sehotra##@work.com

Step 7: Manage SSH Keys

First, remove all keys:

ssh-add -D

Then, add your personal key:

ssh-add ~/.ssh/id_rsa_personal

Same for work account

ssh-add ~/.ssh/id_rsa_work

Step 8: Verify the SSH Connection

Verify that your SSH configuration is correct by testing the connection:

ssh -T github.com
ssh -T github.com-work

Example

Step 9: Clone Repositories

You can now clone repositories using the host name corresponds to account as specified in the SSH config file.

For your personal account:

git clone git@github.com:LovelySehotra/Chat-App-Ui.git

This command uses the default host configuration (github.com), which corresponds to your personal account as specified in the SSH config file.

For your work account:

git clone git@github.com-work:Viladhan/backend.git

In this command, the host github.com-work corresponds to the work account as specified in the SSH config file.