Step-by-Step Guide to Handling Multiple GitHub Accounts Using githubuser.sh

1. Deleting Existing GitHub User and GPG Key Configurations

Before setting up switchable accounts, it's essential to remove any previous GitHub user configurations and GPG keys that may cause conflicts.

Steps:

1. Remove Global GitHub User Configurations:

   • Open a terminal and run the following commands to delete existing user configuration:

       git config --global --unset user.name
       git config --global --unset user.email
       git config --global --unset user.signingkey
       git config --global --unset commit.gpgSign
     

2. List GPG Keys:

   • Run this command to list all GPG keys on your system:

       gpg --list-secret-keys --keyid-format LONG
     

3. Delete Old GPG Keys (if necessary):

   • Find the GPG key IDs you wish to delete (e.g., 73CEDBB8).

   • Delete the keys using:

       gpg --delete-secret-keys <KEY_ID>
       gpg --delete-key <KEY_ID>
     

4. Confirm Deletion:

   • Ensure that no old configurations exist by running:

       git config --global --list
     

2. Generate New GPG Keys for Multiple GitHub Accounts

You’ll need to generate two separate GPG keys, one for each GitHub account. Here's how to do that for each account:

Steps:

1. Generate GPG Key for GitHub1 (Main Account):

   • Run the following command:

       gpg --full-generate-key
     

   • Choose RSA and RSA (4096 bits).

   • Select a key that never expires. 0

   • Use your GitHub1 account details:

     • Name: githubusername1

     • Email: github1@gmail.com

   • Select Okay Leave the passphrase empty Enter Confirm Protection Not needed (since you don’t want to be prompted on each push).

2. Generate GPG Key for GitHub2 (Side Account):

   • Run the same command again:

       gpg --full-generate-key
     

   • Choose RSA and RSA (4096 bits).

   • Select a key that never expires. 0

   • Use the details for GitHub2:

     • Name: githubusername2

     • Email: github2@protonmail.com

   • Select Okay Leave the passphrase empty Enter Confirm Protection Not needed (since you don’t want to be prompted on each push).

3. List Your GPG Keys:

   • Run the following to list both GPG keys:

       gpg --list-secret-keys --keyid-format LONG
     

   • You will see output like:

       pub   rsa4096 2024-10-08 [SC]
             C3E0A1B4F98D67CBF2A81D6B543A2B18A92E7D45
       uid           [ultimate] githubusername1 <github1@gmail.com>
       sub   rsa4096 2024-10-08 [E]
     
       pub   rsa4096 2024-10-08 [SC]
             7A5BC9D0139F47C8E34DF8A1A67913E295D10A28
       uid           [ultimate] githubusername2 <github2@protonmail.com>
       sub   rsa4096 2024-10-08 [E]
     

4. Export and Add Your GPG Keys to GitHub:

   • For each GPG key, export the public key and add it to the respective GitHub account:

     • GitHub1:

         gpg --armor --export C3E0A1B4F98D67CBF2A81D6B543A2B18A92E7D45
       

     • Copy the output and add it to GitHub1’s account under Settings > SSH and GPG keys.

     • GitHub2:

         gpg --armor --export 7A5BC9D0139F47C8E34DF8A1A67913E295D10A28
       

     • Copy the output and add it to GitHub1’s account under Settings > SSH and GPG keys.

3. Configuring Git to Use the Correct GPG Key for Each Account

Now that you have two GPG keys, configure Git to use them for the respective accounts.

Steps:

1. Set Global Config for GitHub1 (Main Account):

   • Run the following commands to set the global Git configuration:

       git config --global user.name "githubusername1"
       git config --global user.email "github1@gmail.com"
       git config --global user.signingkey C3E0A1B4F98D67CBF2A81D6B543A2B18A92E7D45
       git config --global commit.gpgSign true
     

2. Set Local Config for GitHub2 (Side Account):

   • For repositories where you want to use GitHub2, navigate to the repository and set the local configuration:

       git config user.name "githubusername2"
       git config user.email "github2@protonmail.com"
       git config user.signingkey 7A5BC9D0139F47C8E34DF8A1A67913E295D10A28
       git config commit.gpgSign true
     

4. Automating GitHub Account Switching with githubuser.sh

To make switching between accounts easier, you can create a simple shell script (githubuser.sh) that allows you to quickly switch between your GitHub profiles.

Steps:

1. Create the Script (githubuser.sh):

   • Create a new file called githubuser.sh and add the following content:

       #!/bin/bash
     
       if [ "$1" == "main" ]; then
           git config --global user.name "githubusername1"
           git config --global user.email "github1@gmail.com"
           git config --global user.signingkey C3E0A1B4F98D67CBF2A81D6B543A2B18A92E7D45
           echo "Switched to GitHub1: githubusername1"
     
       elif [ "$1" == "side" ]; then
           git config --global user.name "githubusername2"
           git config --global user.email "github2@protonmail.com"
           git config --global user.signingkey 7A5BC9D0139F47C8E34DF8A1A67913E295D10A28
           echo "Switched to GitHub2: githubusername2"
     
       else
           echo "Usage: githubuser.sh [main|side]"
       fi
     

2. Make the Script Executable:

   • Make the script executable by running:

       chmod +x githubuser.sh
     

3. Add the Script to Your System PATH:

   • Place the script in a directory like /usr/local/bin (on macOS/Linux) or add it to the PATH in Windows so that it can be accessed globally.

   • 

     

5. Switching Between GitHub Accounts

You can now easily switch between your GitHub accounts by running the script:

• For GitHub1:

    githubuser.sh main
  

• For GitHub2:

    githubuser.sh side
  

These commands will automatically update your Git configuration to use the correct user details and GPG key for signing commits.