Git SSH Key Manager (gitsm)

🔐 SSH Key Management for Git, Simplified.

gitsm is a powerful Git wrapper that automatically configures different SSH keys for different repositories. No more editing ~/.ssh/config, just clone and go.

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Overview

• Do you use multiple GitHub or GitLab accounts?
• Do you need to use different SSH keys for different projects?
• Are you tired of editing .git/config or ~/.ssh/config by hand?
• Do you want a cross-platform solution that "just works" on Windows, macOS, and Linux?

gitsm is the solution you need.

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Demo

Demonstration: Repository cloning with interactive SSH key selection and automatic configuration.

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Features

• Auto-discovery: Automatic detection of SSH keys in your ~/.ssh directory
• Per-repository Configuration: Each repository can use a different SSH key
• Smart Cloning: Interactive SSH key selection during clone operations
• Repository Management: Commands to fix, convert, and manage repositories
• Key Management: List and validate SSH keys across your system
• Security: Built-in SSH key testing and validation
• State Management: Persistent configuration storage
• Branch Operations: Safe branch switching with state preservation
• Cross-platform: Full support for Windows, macOS, and Linux

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Installation

npm install -g gitsm

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Getting Started

1. Clone a Repository

Run gitsm clone instead of git clone.

gitsm clone [email protected]:username/repo.git

gitsm will prompt you to select an SSH key from your ~/.ssh directory. It then clones the repository and automatically configures it to use that key for all future Git operations (pull, push, fetch, etc.).

2. Use Git as Usual

Once cloned, you can use standard Git commands inside the repository.

cd repo
git pull
git push

3. List Managed Repositories

See all repositories configured with gitsm.

gitsm list repos

4. Fix a Repository's SSH Config

If you move your SSH keys or encounter a path error, gitsm fix can repair the configuration.

gitsm fix /path/to/your/repo

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Usage

Command Reference

Command	Description	Options	Example
clone	Clone a repository with SSH key selection	--dir <directory>: Target directory	gitsm clone [email protected]:user/repo.git
switch	Safely switch branches with stash handling	--force: Force switch with changes --no-pull: Skip pulling updates --create: Create new branch	gitsm switch feature-branch
convert	Convert existing repo to use gitsm	[repoPath]: Path to repository (defaults to current directory)	gitsm convert ~/projects/myrepo
list keys	Show available SSH keys	None	gitsm list keys
list repos	Show gitsm-managed repositories	None	gitsm list repos
fix	Repair SSH configuration	<repoPath>: Repository path	gitsm fix ~/projects/myrepo
upgrade	Update gitsm to latest version	None	gitsm upgrade
help	Show command help	[command]: Show help for specific command	gitsm help switch

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Prerequisites

• Node.js: Version 16.x or higher.
• Git: Must be installed and available in your system's PATH.
• SSH Directory: Must have a .ssh directory in your home folder:
  • Unix/Linux/macOS: ~/.ssh
  • Windows: C:\Users\YourUsername\.ssh
• SSH Keys: SSH keys must be in the root of your .ssh directory (not in subdirectories)
  • Example: ~/.ssh/id_rsa, ~/.ssh/id_ed25519
  • Public keys must have .pub extension: id_rsa.pub, id_ed25519.pub

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License

This project is licensed under the MIT License.

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Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to open an issue or submit a pull request. Whether it's a bug report, feature request, or documentation improvement, all contributions are appreciated.

Made with ❤️ for developers who juggle multiple SSH keys.