GitHub Account Switcher - Complete Guide

Table of Contents

1. Overview
2. Prerequisites
3. Step-by-Step Implementation
4. Understanding SSH Keys
5. SSH Config Management
6. Git Configuration
7. Troubleshooting
8. Best Practices
9. Quick Reference

Overview

This guide teaches you how to switch between different GitHub accounts when using git push. This is essential when you have multiple GitHub accounts (personal, work, client projects) and need to push to different repositories using different accounts.

Why This is Needed

• Multiple GitHub Accounts: Personal, work, client accounts
• Repository Access: Different accounts have access to different repositories
• Security: Each account has its own SSH keys and permissions
• Attribution: Commits should be attributed to the correct account

Prerequisites

Before starting, ensure you have:

• Multiple GitHub accounts
• SSH access to your system
• Basic understanding of Git and SSH
• Terminal/command line access

Step-by-Step Implementation

Step 1: Generate New SSH Key for Target Account

1.1 Navigate to SSH Directory

cd ~/.ssh

1.2 Generate New SSH Key

ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -C "your-target-email@example.com" -f ~/.ssh/id_ed25519_targetaccount

Explanation:

• -t ed25519: Use ED25519 encryption (more secure and faster than RSA)
• -C "email": Comment with your target GitHub account email
• -f ~/.ssh/id_ed25519_targetaccount: Custom filename for the key

1.3 Example Command

ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -C "flordgoat@gmail.com" -f ~/.ssh/id_ed25519_flordgoat

Step 2: Add SSH Key to SSH Agent

2.1 Start SSH Agent (if not running)

eval "$(ssh-agent -s)"

2.2 Add Your New Key

ssh-add ~/.ssh/id_ed25519_targetaccount

2.3 Verify Key is Added

ssh-add -l

Step 3: Add SSH Key to GitHub Account

3.1 Copy Public Key

cat ~/.ssh/id_ed25519_targetaccount.pub

3.2 Add to GitHub

1. Go to GitHub.com
2. Log in to your target account
3. Go to Settings → SSH and GPG keys
4. Click "New SSH key"
5. Title: Give it a descriptive name
6. Key: Paste the public key content
7. Click "Add SSH key"

Step 4: Configure SSH Config File

4.1 Create/Edit SSH Config

nano ~/.ssh/config

4.2 Add Configuration

# Default GitHub account
Host github.com
    HostName github.com
    User git
    IdentityFile ~/.ssh/id_ed25519

# Target GitHub account
Host github-target
    HostName github.com
    User git
    IdentityFile ~/.ssh/id_ed25519_targetaccount

Step 5: Test SSH Connection

ssh -T git@github-target

Step 6: Configure Git Remote

git remote set-url origin git@github-target:username/repository.git

Step 7: Configure Git User Information

git config user.name "Your Target Username"
git config user.email "your-target-email@example.com"

Troubleshooting

Common Issues and Solutions

Issue 1: "Permission denied (publickey)"

Cause: SSH key not added to GitHub or wrong key being used Solution:

ssh-add ~/.ssh/id_ed25519_targetaccount
ssh -T git@github-target

Issue 2: "No GitHub account was found matching the commit author email"

Cause: Git email doesn't match GitHub account email Solution:

git config user.email "correct-email@example.com"

Best Practices

Security

1. Use strong passphrases for SSH keys
2. Never share private keys
3. Use ED25519 keys when possible
4. Regularly rotate keys

Organization

1. Use descriptive key names
2. Use descriptive SSH host aliases
3. Document your setup

Quick Reference

Essential Commands

# Generate new SSH key
ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -C "email@example.com" -f ~/.ssh/id_ed25519_account

# Add key to SSH agent
ssh-add ~/.ssh/id_ed25519_account

# Test SSH connection
ssh -T git@github-account

# Update git remote
git remote set-url origin git@github-account:username/repo.git

# Configure git user
git config user.name "Username"
git config user.email "email@example.com"

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Conclusion

You now have a complete understanding of how to switch between GitHub accounts when using git push. This setup allows you to work with multiple GitHub accounts seamlessly while maintaining proper commit attribution and repository access.