Brainforge Knowledge

SETUP_SSH

3 min read

SSH Setup Guide for GitHub

This guide will help you set up SSH authentication for GitHub so you can push/pull without entering credentials.

Step 1: Generate SSH Key

Open Terminal and run:

ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -C "packslighter@users.noreply.github.com"

What happens:

  • You’ll be prompted: Enter file in which to save the key (~/.ssh/id_ed25519):
  • Press Enter to use the default location
  • You’ll be prompted: Enter passphrase (empty for no passphrase):
  • Press Enter for no passphrase (or enter one if you want extra security)

Expected output:

Your public key has been saved in ~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub
The key fingerprint is: ...

Step 2: Add SSH Key to SSH Agent

Start the SSH agent and add your key:

# Start the ssh-agent in the background
eval "$(ssh-agent -s)"
 
# Add your SSH key to the ssh-agent
ssh-add ~/.ssh/id_ed25519

Step 3: Copy Your Public Key

Display your public key to copy it:

cat ~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub

Select and copy the entire output (should look like):

ssh-ed25519 AAAAC3NzaC1lZDI1NTE5AAAA... packslighter@users.noreply.github.com

Step 4: Add Key to GitHub

  1. Go to GitHub Settings: https://github.com/settings/keys
  2. Click “New SSH key” (green button)
  3. Fill in:
    • Title: MacBook Pro (or whatever describes this computer)
    • Key type: Authentication Key (default)
    • Key: Paste your public key (from Step 3)
  4. Click “Add SSH key”
  5. Confirm with your GitHub password if prompted

Step 5: Test SSH Connection

Test that SSH authentication works:

ssh -T git@github.com

Expected output:

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

If you see a permission denied error, wait a minute and try again (GitHub needs a moment to register the key).

Step 6: Change Git Remote to SSH

Update your repository to use SSH instead of HTTPS:

cd ~/path/to/brainforge-vault
git remote set-url origin git@github.com:brainforge-ai/brainforge-vault.git

Verify the change:

git remote -v

You should see:

origin  git@github.com:brainforge-ai/brainforge-vault.git (fetch)
origin  git@github.com:brainforge-ai/brainforge-vault.git (push)

Step 7: Test Git Push

Now try pushing:

git push origin gtm/linkedin-playbooks

It should work without asking for credentials! 🎉

Troubleshooting

”Permission denied (publickey)” error

  • Make sure you added the key to GitHub (Step 4)
  • Verify key was added: ssh-add -l (should show your key)
  • Try testing again: ssh -T git@github.com

”Host key verification failed”

  • Remove old GitHub keys: ssh-keygen -R github.com
  • Try again: ssh -T git@github.com

Still asking for credentials

  • Double-check remote URL: git remote -v (should start with git@github.com:)
  • Make sure you’re using the right SSH key: ssh-add -l

Quick Reference

View your public key:

cat ~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub

Test SSH connection:

ssh -T git@github.com

Change remote to SSH:

git remote set-url origin git@github.com:brainforge-ai/brainforge-vault.git

List your SSH keys:

ssh-add -l

Graph View