Let’s talk about how to prevent Git from entering a password

Using Git as a version control tool makes our development work more efficient. But when we usually use Git, we often enter our username and password to log in and perform push and pull operations, which is a big problem for our efficiency. Therefore, how to achieve smoother Git operations without entering a password has become one of the problems that Git users need to solve. Next, let’s share how to prevent Git from entering a password.

1. Using SSH keys

First, we need to understand what an SSH key is. SSH (Secure Shell) is a network protocol that can securely transmit data in an insecure network through an encrypted data channel. The SSH key is the login method used by the SSH protocol. It can be used to replace the traditional username and password login method, so that we no longer need to remember passwords.

To use SSH keys, we first need to generate a pair of keys, namely a public key and a private key. The method to generate a key is as follows:

$ ssh-keygen -t rsa -C "your_email@example.com"

Among them, "your_email@example.com" is your email address, which can be changed according to your actual situation. After executing this command, you will be prompted to select the location to save the key. The default is to save it in the ~/.ssh directory. You can press Enter to select the default location, or enter a new path.

Next, the command line will prompt you to enter a secure password (passphrase). This password only serves as a password protection key and does not need to be entered when performing Git operations. If you don't want to enter the password, you can just press Enter to skip this step.

Two files are generated in the ~/.ssh directory: id_rsa and id_rsa.pub, where id_rsa is the private key and id_rsa.pub is the public key. We need to add the public key to the Git server so that the Git server can identify you.

On mainstream Internet services such as Github and GitLab, you can enter the "SSH and GPG keys" page of your personal account and add your public key. Once added, you no longer need to enter a password and can directly use the SSH protocol to perform Git operations.

2. Caching account password

If you don’t want to use SSH keys, there is another way to prevent Git from entering a password, and that is to cache the account password. To achieve this, we can use some commands provided by Git. For example, when using the Git push operation to add the --credential option, the command should be as follows:

$ git push --credential-store=cache

After executing this command, Git will remember your account name and password in the cache. The next time you perform a Git operation, Git will automatically obtain your account name and password, so you no longer need to enter them manually.

However, there is a problem with this approach. Passwords stored in the cache are in clear text, making it easy for your passwords to be stolen if your computer is hacked. Therefore, this method is not recommended for long-term use. If you decide to stop using this method, you can execute the following command:

$ git config --global credential.helper 'cache --timeout=3600'

The function of this command is to specify the cache time to be one hour. After one hour, Git will automatically clear the password in the cache.

Summary

Through SSH keys and cached account passwords, we can achieve Git operations without manually entering passwords. Of the two methods, SSH keys are more secure and can protect your account information from being stolen. Although caching account passwords is convenient, it has certain security risks. Therefore, before using cached account passwords, you need to carefully weigh your actual situation to ensure information security.

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