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VCS: How I use multiple git identities and forges

VCS: How I use multiple git identities and forges

Multiple identities (including at a single software forge)

When an employer or other organization wants me to work with one of the same software forges that use elsewhere in my life, I use a different identity. How do I keep this cleanly configured so that I git with the correct identity and that It Just Works (once I’ve set it up)?

  • Per-organization local directories
  • A different SSH key and some per-organization configuration for ~/.ssh/config.
  • A different email address/commit signing key.

So for “Org1” with “me@org1.example.com” and “Org2” with “me@org2.example.com”

~/.ssh/config1 

# ~/.ssh/config
Host github.com-me
    HostName github.com
    User git
    IdentityFile ~/.ssh/rhu-2026-ed25519

Host github.com-org1
    HostName github.com
    User git
    IdentityFile ~/.ssh/rhu-org1-2026-ed25519

Host myforge, vcs
    # HostName might be different depending on LAN DNS?
    HostName forge.example.com
    User git
    IdentityFile ~/.ssh/rhu-2026-ed25519

~/.gitconfig-org1 

# ~/.gitconfig-org1
[user]
  name  = My Name
  email = me@org1.example.com
  signingKey =  ~/.ssh/rhu-org1-2026-ed25519

~/.gitconfig-org2 

# ~/.gitconfig-org2
[user]
  name  = My Name
  email = me@org2.example.com
  signingKey =  ~/.ssh/rhu-org2-2026-ed25519

~/.gitconfig 

# ~/.gitconfig
### <snip>
[commit]
  gpgSign = true
[gpg]
  format = ssh
[user]
  name  = My Name
  email = me@personal.example.com
  signingKey =  ~/.ssh/rhu-2026-ed25519
[includeIf "gitdir:~/orgs/Org1/"]
  path = ~/.gitconfig-org1
[includeIf "gitdir:~/orgs/Org2/"]
  path = ~/.gitconfig-org2
### <snip>

Create directory structure and ssh keys 

$ mkdir -p ~/orgs/{org1,org2}
$ git clone git@github.com-org1.com:org1/repo1.git ~/orgs/org1/repo1

TODO: coping with multiple repositories: manyrepos, gickup, etc.

TODO: See Also/hat-tip to https://flori.dev/reads/git-signing-and-multiple-identities/ and https://medium.com/@leroyleowdev/one-machine-many-identities-adding-effortlessly-switch-between-multiple-git-profiles-fd56a20bc181 and https://dev.to/victorbruce/managing-multiple-git-identities-a-seamless-workflow-for-personal-and-work-accounts-1kce

TODO: about ssh-signing: https://codon.org.uk/~mjg59/blog/p/ssh-certificates-and-git-signing/

  1. See my SSH tips article ↩︎

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