Keeping Work and Personal GitHub Accounts Separate on Ubuntu

Managing two GitHub accounts (e.g., personal and work) on the same machine can be tricky, but it's possible with proper SSH key configuration. Follow this step by step guide to set up and use multiple GitHub accounts on Ubuntu.

Step 1: Check Existing SSH Keys

Before generating new SSH keys, check if there are any existing keys on your system. Open a terminal and run:

ls -al ~/.ssh

Inspect the filenames before generating new keys. If a target file already exists, reuse it when appropriate or choose another filename; do not overwrite a key you still need.

Step 2: Generate SSH Keys for Personal and Work Accounts

Generate SSH Key for Personal GitHub

Run the following command to create an SSH key for your personal GitHub account:

ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -C "your-personal-email@example.com" -f ~/.ssh/id_ed25519_personal

Set a passphrase when prompted and use an SSH agent for convenience. Add only the public .pub key to GitHub; keep the private key on your machine.

Generate SSH Key for Work GitHub

Similarly, generate an SSH key for your work GitHub account:

ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -C "your-office-email@example.com" -f ~/.ssh/id_ed25519_office

Use a separate passphrase protected key for the work account.

Verify the Generated Keys

To confirm the keys have been created, run:

ls -la ~/.ssh

You should see the following files:

• id_ed25519_personal and id_ed25519_personal.pub
• id_ed25519_office and id_ed25519_office.pub

Step 3: Configure SSH for Multiple GitHub Accounts

Create or Edit the SSH Config File

Open or create the SSH config file:

nano ~/.ssh/config

Add Configurations for Both Accounts

Paste the following configuration into the file:

# Personal GitHub Account
Host github-personal
    HostName github.com
    User git
    IdentityFile ~/.ssh/id_ed25519_personal
    IdentitiesOnly yes

# Office GitHub Account
Host github-office
    HostName github.com
    User git
    IdentityFile ~/.ssh/id_ed25519_office
    IdentitiesOnly yes

Save and Exit

Press Ctrl+O, then Enter, and Ctrl+X to save and exit.

Set Correct Permissions

Ensure the correct permissions for the config file:

chmod 600 ~/.ssh/config

Step 4: Add SSH Keys to GitHub Accounts

Personal GitHub Account

1. Copy the personal public key:

cat ~/.ssh/id_ed25519_personal.pub

2. Go to GitHub Settings > SSH and GPG Keys > New SSH Key
3. Paste the key and save

Work GitHub Account

1. Copy the work public key:

cat ~/.ssh/id_ed25519_office.pub

2. Go to your work GitHub account's Settings > SSH and GPG Keys > New SSH Key
3. Paste the key and save

Step 5: Test SSH Connections

Test Personal Account

ssh -T github-personal

Confirm that the greeting names the intended account. GitHub does not provide shell access, so an authentication test can report successful authentication with a non zero exit status.

Expected greeting:

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

Test Office Account

ssh -T github-office

Expected output:

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

Step 6: Clone Repositories with Correct SSH Config

Clone Personal Repos

git clone git@github-personal:your-username/your-repo.git

Clone Office Repos

git clone git@github-office:your-organization/your-repo.git

Step 7: Configure Git User for Each Repository

Personal Repository

git config user.name "Your Personal GitHub Name"
git config user.email "your-personal-email@example.com"

Office Repository

git config user.name "Your Office GitHub Name"
git config user.email "your-office-email@example.com"

Verify Configuration

Check the settings in each repository:

git config --get user.name
git config --get user.email

Key Takeaways

1. Use distinct SSH keys - Host aliases can select the intended authentication identity
2. SSH Config File - The config file makes it easy to manage multiple accounts
3. Repository Specific Configuration - Set user name and email per repository to avoid mix ups
4. Test Your Setup - Always verify SSH connections before starting work
5. Security First - Use passphrases for SSH keys to enhance security

After cloning, check git remote -v. For an existing clone, change the remote only if needed, for example, git remote set-url origin git@github-office:your-organization/your-repo.git.

Benefits of This Approach

Distinct authentication and author identity

The host aliases select different SSH keys. Repository configuration controls the author details written into commits. Check both, because an SSH alias alone does not prevent an incorrect commit email.

Easy Switching

No need to constantly log in and out. Just use the appropriate host alias when cloning or adding remotes.

Professional Organization

Maintain different identities for different contexts, making your commit history clean and professional.