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Commit+ can manage the SSH keys that Git uses for SSH remotes such as git@github.com:owner/repo.git. Generate a key for this Mac, copy its public key to your Git provider, and load a passphrase-protected key into ssh-agent without opening Terminal.

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Open SSH key management

Choose Commit+ → Configure SSH Keys… from the menu bar, or open Settings → Git, find SSH Keys, and click Configure SSH Keys…. The window lists the key pairs in ~/.ssh. Select a key to see its type, SHA256 fingerprint, and public key. Click Reload Keys after adding or removing key files outside Commit+.

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Add a key to your Git provider

  1. Select an existing key, or generate a new one.
  2. Click Copy Public Key.
  3. Paste the public key into the SSH keys section of your GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, or other provider account.
Use Show in Finder to reveal the key files.

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Generate a key

  1. Click Generate Key (+).
  2. Choose a Type: Ed25519 — Recommended or RSA 4096. Use RSA only when a server does not accept Ed25519 keys.
  3. Enter a File Name, such as id_ed25519. Commit+ suggests a name that is not already used.
  4. Optionally enter a Comment, usually your email address, and a Passphrase.
  5. Click Generate.
Commit+ creates the key with the system ssh-keygen and saves it in ~/.ssh. It never overwrites an existing key with the same name. When you set a passphrase, Commit+ also loads the key into ssh-agent and saves the passphrase in the macOS Keychain.

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Add an existing key to the Keychain

If Git asks for a key’s passphrase in Terminal or fails because it cannot prompt, select the key and click Add to Keychain…. Enter the passphrase, or leave it empty for a key without one, then click Add. Commit+ runs ssh-add --apple-use-keychain so Git can use the key without a prompt.

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How Git chooses a key

Git uses SSH keys through the system ssh-agent and your ~/.ssh/config. Commit+ does not change ~/.ssh/config; if you use several keys for the same host, choose the key for each host there. A connected Git provider account that selects its own SSH key uses that key instead.