How To Generate SSH Key For Git?

Today, you will learn how to generate SSH key for Git and add into GitHub. You can use any git repository hosting provider like GitHub, Bitbucket, GitLab, etc. Keep in mind that with using SSH as a cloning URL, you can get rid of entering credentials every time using this method.

# Requirements

• Git installed in your system. Download
• GitHub (or Bitbucket, GitLab) account and repository.

# Step 1: Create SSH Key

Execute following command into Git Bash. Replace your email address.

ssh-keygen -t rsa -b 4096 -C "email@example.com"

# Step 2: Saving SSH Key To Path

After executing above command will ask you to enter file in which to save the key. Use default and press enter.

Next, it will ask you to enter a password. Press enter to leave it blank. Similarly, do it for the enter the same password prompt too.

# Step 2: Adding SSH Key To SSH Agent

After, creating and saving SSH Key, ensure the ssh-agent is running.

eval "$(ssh-agent -s)"

Running above command will return pid.

Finally, add SSH key to agent by executing.

ssh-add ~/.ssh/id_rsa

SSH key is now generated successfully.

# Adding SSH Key In GitHub (Bitbucket, GitLab)

After setting up your SSH key, login into your GitHub account. Click on your profile picture at the right top and click settings.

After that, click on SSH and GPG keys.

Add new SSH key by clicking New SSH Key button.

Go to C:\Users\user-name\.ssh path. Open id_rsa.pub in notepad. Copy whole content and paste it into GitHub new SSH key section. Click on add new button.

That’s it! You learned how to generate SSH key for Git and add it into GitHub. From now, you can use SSH as a cloning URL, and you don’t need to enter a password every time, whenever you push data.