Working with different Github account on the same PC

STEP 1: Generating a new SSH key

Generate the SSH key by following this link.

STEP 2: Adding your SSH key to the ssh-agent

Add the generated SSH key to the ssh-agent by following the GitHub document

STEP 3: Adding a new SSH key to your GitHub account

To do that, follow this doc

Adding the second account SSH keys

By following the steps below again, set up a second account on the same PC

• Generate the second SSH key in your PC by following STEP 1 and save the file name different from the previous one
• Add SSH key to the ssh-agent by following the STEP 2
• Add the new SSH key to your account by following STEP 3

Configuring the SSH for two different accounts

Run the below comments in the terminal if you're using Linux based system. If you are using Windows, run it in Git base.

1. Navigate to the ssh folder by running the below command

cd ~/.ssh ls

2. list the files available in the ssh folder by the below command

ls 

let assume that it has two key pairs like below,

id_encryption_personal
id_encryption_personal.pub
id_encryption_work
id_encryption_work.pub

3. Create the config file by running the below command or you can create it from GUI

touch config

open it in your editor and add the following line to it

Host github.com
   HostName github.com
   User git
   PreferredAuthentications publickey
   IdentityFile ~/.ssh/id_encryption_personal
Host alias-for-your-second-account
   HostName github.com
   User git
   PreferredAuthentications publickey
   IdentityFile ~/.ssh/id_encryption_work

In the above config, the Host is up to you. you can create it on your own’s.

Testing your SSH connection

Test the above configuration from your Terminal/Git Bash by the following steps

ssh -T git@github.com

I am using the host as github.com here because I am keeping it as github.com in the config file seen above. Make it as you created

Testing the second account,

ssh -T git@alias-for-your-second account

Here I am mentioning the host as alias-for-your-second account because i have created like this in the config file seen above

Cloning repo from the remote

cloning it from the first account

Go to your repository and copy the SSH URL to clone the repo. It will look like below

git@github.com:user_name/repo_name.git

To clone the repo run the below command from the directory where you have to clone the repo

git clone git#github.com:user_name/repo_name.git

Here, I am not done any changes in the URL copied from the git, Because I am having the Host for the first account is github.com.

If you have changed the Host in the config for the first account. Replace the github.com as you mentioned the host in the config file

Cloning it from the second account

Go to your second account’s repository and copy the SSH URL to clone the repo. It will look like below

git@github.com:user_name/repo_name.git

To clone the repo run the below command from the directory where you have to clone the repo

git clone git#alias-for-your-second-account:user_name/repo_name.git

Here, I have changed the URL

URL copied from the git is

git@github.com:user_name/repo_name.git

URL used to clone is

git#alias-for-your-second-account:user_name/repo_name.git

Because I have changed the host in the config file as alias-for-your-second-account. like below

Host alias-for-your-second-account
   HostName github.com
   User git
   PreferredAuthentications publickey
   IdentityFile ~/.ssh/id_encryption_work

Cloning without changing the URL

you can clone the repo without changing the URL. For that should have the config as below

Host github.com
  HostName github.com
  User git
  IdentitiesOnly yes

Match Host github.com exec "pwd | grep '/organization' > /dev/null"
  IdentityFile ~/.ssh/id_encryption_work

Match Host github.com !exec "pwd | grep '/organization' > /dev/null"
  IdentityFile ~/.ssh/id_encryption_personal

Above config is,

If you are cloning the repo to the directory organization. It will use the Identity file as ~/.ssh/id_encryption_work

If you are cloning the repo to the directory other than the organization folder. It will use Identify file as ~/.ssh/id_encryption_personal