After you've checked for existing SSH keys, you can generate a new SSH key to use for authentication, then add it to the ssh-agent.

Generating a new SSH key

  1. Open Terminal.

  2. Paste the text below, substituting in your GitHub email address.

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    ssh-keygen -t rsa -b 4096 -C "your_email@example.com"
    # Creates a new ssh key, using the provided email as a label
    Generating public/private rsa key pair.

     

  3. When you're prompted to "Enter a file in which to save the key," press Enter. This accepts the default file location.

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    Enter a file in which to save the key (/Users/you/.ssh/id_rsa): [Press enter]

     using new path in case of override your other SSH-keys
     Enter a file in which to save the key (/Users/you/.ssh/id_rsa): [Press enter]

     

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    $ Enter a file in which to save the key (/Users/you/.ssh/id_rsa): /Users/you/.ssh/id_rsa_github [Type a passphrase]

     

  4. At the prompt, type a secure passphrase. For more information, see "Working with SSH key passphrases".

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    Enter passphrase (empty for no passphrase): [Type a passphrase]
    Enter same passphrase again: [Type passphrase again]

   

 

Adding your SSH key to the ssh-agent

Before adding a new SSH key to the ssh-agent, you should have checked for existing SSH keys andgenerated a new SSH key.

  1. Ensure ssh-agent is enabled:

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    # start the ssh-agent in the background
    $ eval "$(ssh-agent -s)"
    Agent pid 59566

     

  2. Add your SSH key to the ssh-agent. If you used an existing SSH key rather than generating a new SSH key, you'll need to replace id_rsa in the command with the name of your existing private key file.

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    $ ssh-add ~/.ssh/id_rsa

     

  3. Add the SSH key to your GitHub account.