How to Set Up SSH Keys for GitHub, GitLab, and VPS Servers Without Password Login

Passwords are like socks in a dryer. They vanish, get stolen, or end up where they should not be. SSH keys are different. They are safer, faster, and much cooler. Once you set them up, you can push code to GitHub, work with GitLab, and log in to your VPS without typing a password every time.

What Is an SSH Key?

An SSH key is a pair of digital keys. One key is private. One key is public.

The private key stays on your computer. Guard it like a dragon guards gold. Do not email it. Do not paste it into chat. Do not upload it to random websites.

The public key can be shared. You add it to GitHub, GitLab, or a VPS server. When you connect, the server checks if your private key matches the public key. If it does, the door opens.

No password dance. No copy and paste from a password manager. Just secure magic.

Why Use SSH Keys?

SSH keys make life easier. They also make your accounts safer.

• No more password typing. Your terminal signs in for you.
• Better security. SSH keys are much harder to guess than passwords.
• Great for Git. Push and pull code without login prompts.
• Great for servers. Log in to your VPS fast and safely.
• Works with automation. Deploy scripts love SSH keys.

Think of SSH keys as a VIP pass. Your computer shows the pass. The server says, “Nice. Come in.”

Step 1: Check If You Already Have an SSH Key

Open your terminal. On macOS and Linux, use the Terminal app. On Windows, use PowerShell, Windows Terminal, or Git Bash.

Run this command:

ls ~/.ssh

You may see files like these:

• id_ed25519
• id_ed25519.pub
• id_rsa
• id_rsa.pub

The .pub file is your public key. The file without .pub is your private key.

If you already have a key, you can use it. But if you are not sure, create a fresh one. Fresh keys are clean and easy to name.

Step 2: Create a New SSH Key

Use ed25519 if possible. It is modern, secure, and nice. Like a tiny security ninja.

Run this command. Replace the email with your email:

ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -C "you@example.com"

If your system does not support ed25519, use RSA:

ssh-keygen -t rsa -b 4096 -C "you@example.com"

The terminal will ask where to save the key. Press Enter to use the default location.

Then it asks for a passphrase. You can press Enter for no passphrase. But a passphrase is safer. It protects your private key if someone steals your laptop.

A good passphrase is long and easy to remember. For example, something like:

purple cats drink tea at midnight

Do not use that exact one. The cats are already famous now.

Step 3: Start the SSH Agent

The SSH agent remembers your private key while you work. This means you do not need to type the passphrase again and again.

On macOS or Linux, run:

eval "$(ssh-agent -s)"

Then add your key:

ssh-add ~/.ssh/id_ed25519

If you used a different name, change the file path.

On Windows with Git Bash, you can usually run the same commands. If you use Windows OpenSSH, run PowerShell as your normal user and try:

Start-Service ssh-agent
ssh-add $env:USERPROFILE\.ssh\id_ed25519

If Windows complains, do not panic. Windows likes drama. Make sure the OpenSSH Authentication Agent service is installed and enabled.

Step 4: Copy Your Public Key

Now you need the public key. Remember, this is the shareable one.

To print it in your terminal, run:

cat ~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub

Copy the full line. It starts with ssh-ed25519 or ssh-rsa. It ends with your email or comment.

Do not copy your private key. The private key does not end in .pub. If you share the private key, the raccoons win.

Set Up SSH Keys for GitHub

GitHub uses SSH keys to let you clone, pull, and push code without typing your username and password.

1. Go to GitHub.
2. Click your profile picture.
3. Open Settings.
4. Click SSH and GPG keys.
5. Click New SSH key.
6. Add a clear title, like Work Laptop or Home PC.
7. Paste your public key into the key box.
8. Click Add SSH key.

Now test it:

ssh -T git@github.com

You may see a warning about authenticity. Type:

yes

If it works, GitHub says something like:

Hi username! You've successfully authenticated.

Nice. You are now speaking SSH with GitHub.

Use SSH URLs with GitHub

SSH keys only help if your Git remote uses an SSH URL.

An HTTPS URL looks like this:

https://github.com/username/project.git

An SSH URL looks like this:

git@github.com:username/project.git

Check your current remote:

git remote -v

Change it to SSH:

git remote set-url origin git@github.com:username/project.git

Now git pull and git push should work without password login.

Set Up SSH Keys for GitLab

GitLab works in a very similar way. Same idea. Different buttons. Classic internet.

1. Go to GitLab.
2. Click your avatar.
3. Open Preferences or Edit profile.
4. Click SSH Keys.
5. Paste your public key.
6. Add a title, like Main Laptop.
7. Set an expiration date if you want.
8. Click Add key.

Test the GitLab SSH connection:

ssh -T git@gitlab.com

If GitLab greets you, you are in. The message may say that shell access is not provided. That is normal. GitLab is just saying, “You can use Git, not my whole house.”

For GitLab remotes, use this format:

git@gitlab.com:username/project.git

Change an existing remote like this:

git remote set-url origin git@gitlab.com:username/project.git

Set Up SSH Keys for a VPS Server

A VPS is a virtual private server. It is your tiny computer in the cloud. You can host websites, apps, bots, databases, and other fun chaos.

You often log in like this:

ssh root@your_server_ip

Or like this:

ssh username@your_server_ip

At first, the server may ask for a password. We want to replace that with SSH key login.

Step 1: Copy Your Public Key to the VPS

The easiest way is ssh-copy-id. It copies your public key to the server and puts it in the right place.

Run:

ssh-copy-id username@your_server_ip

Use your real username and server IP.

If you log in as root, use:

ssh-copy-id root@your_server_ip

Enter your password one last time. After that, your key should be installed.

Now test it:

ssh username@your_server_ip

If you get in without the account password, great. If you used a key passphrase, you may still need to unlock the key locally. That is normal.

If ssh-copy-id Is Not Available

Some systems do not have ssh-copy-id. No problem. We can do it by hand.

First, print your public key:

cat ~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub

Copy the full line.

Log in to the server with your password:

ssh username@your_server_ip

Then run these commands on the server:

mkdir -p ~/.ssh
chmod 700 ~/.ssh
nano ~/.ssh/authorized_keys

Paste your public key into the file. Save and exit.

Then set the right permissions:

chmod 600 ~/.ssh/authorized_keys

Permissions matter. SSH is picky. If the permissions are too open, SSH may refuse the key. It is like a bouncer who hates messy folders.

Step 2: Test Key Login Before Changing Anything

This part is important. Very important. Put a tiny alarm bell in your brain.

Open a new terminal window. Do not close your current server session yet.

Try to log in:

ssh username@your_server_ip

If it works, celebrate gently. Maybe nod like a wise wizard.

If it fails, fix it before going further. Do not disable password login yet. That is how people lock themselves out and start yelling at clouds.

Step 3: Disable Password Login on the VPS

Once key login works, you can disable password logins. This makes your VPS much safer.

Open the SSH server config file:

sudo nano /etc/ssh/sshd_config

Find these lines. They may be commented with a #.

PasswordAuthentication no
PubkeyAuthentication yes

Also consider this line for root login:

PermitRootLogin prohibit-password

This means root cannot log in with a password. Root may still log in with a key. If you want to block root login completely, use:

PermitRootLogin no

That is safer, but only do it if you have another sudo user ready.

Save the file. Then test the SSH config before restarting:

sudo sshd -t

If there is no output, that is good. Silence is success. Weird, but true.

Restart SSH:

sudo systemctl restart ssh

On some systems, the service is called sshd:

sudo systemctl restart sshd

Now open another new terminal and test again:

ssh username@your_server_ip

If you can log in, you did it. Password login is gone. Your server door now has a much better lock.

Using Different Keys for Different Places

You can use one SSH key everywhere. But for better organization, you may want separate keys.

For example:

• ~/.ssh/id_ed25519_github
• ~/.ssh/id_ed25519_gitlab
• ~/.ssh/id_ed25519_vps

Create a named key like this:

ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -C "github key" -f ~/.ssh/id_ed25519_github

Then add it to the agent:

ssh-add ~/.ssh/id_ed25519_github

To make SSH use the right key for the right service, edit your SSH config:

nano ~/.ssh/config

Add something like this:

Host github.com
  HostName github.com
  User git
  IdentityFile ~/.ssh/id_ed25519_github

Host gitlab.com
  HostName gitlab.com
  User git
  IdentityFile ~/.ssh/id_ed25519_gitlab

Host myvps
  HostName your_server_ip
  User username
  IdentityFile ~/.ssh/id_ed25519_vps

Then you can log in to your VPS with a cute shortcut:

ssh myvps

That feels good. Like naming your spaceship.

Common Problems and Easy Fixes

• Permission denied: Make sure the public key is added to the correct account.
• Wrong remote URL: Use SSH URLs, not HTTPS URLs.
• Bad file permissions: Use chmod 700 ~/.ssh and chmod 600 ~/.ssh/authorized_keys.
• SSH agent not running: Start it and add your key with ssh-add.
• Using the wrong key: Set the right IdentityFile in ~/.ssh/config.

Final Safety Tips

Never share your private key. Back it up only in a secure place. Remove old keys from GitHub, GitLab, and servers when you stop using a computer. If a laptop is lost, delete its public key from every service right away.

SSH keys may look scary at first. But they are simple once you meet them. You create a key pair. You share the public key. You protect the private key. Then your Git pushes and server logins become smooth, safe, and wonderfully password-free.

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