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Using multiple git user configs with credentials store (multiple github accounts)

Posted on 18 Feb, 2023

So, you have decided to have 2 separate accounts for work and personal. Here are steps to follow to use both git configurations simultaneously with same .git-credentials.

Step 1: Separate Work/Personal directories

Create a work and a personsal directory in your Documents folder. Use these directories to separate your git directories.

  Documents
  ├── work
  │   ├── ...
  │   └── ...
  └── personal
      ├── ...
      └── ...

Step 2: Separate git config for each account

  • Create .gitconfig-personal in the personal dir.

    [credential]
  helper = store
[user]
  name = Personal_Username
  email = personal_email@domain.com
[credential "https://github.com"]
  username = Personal_Username
  helper = store

  • Create .gitconfig-work in the work dir.

    [credential]
  helper = store
[user]
  name = Work_Username
  email = work_email@domain.com
[credential "https://github.com"]
  username = Work_Username
  helper = store

Step 3: Update global .gitconfig to switch the profile based on directory

  • Update your global config using following command.

    git config --global --edit

  • Add the following config.

    [includeIf "gitdir:~/Documents/work/"]
    path = ~/Documents/work/.gitconfig-work
[includeIf "gitdir:~/Documents/personal/"]
    path = ~/Documents/personal/.gitconfig-personal

Step 4: Register Access Tokens

  • Check your .git-credentials file & add github access tokens for each account.

    https://Personal_Username:PERSONAL_TOKEN@github.com
https://Work_Username:WORK_TOKEN@github.com

That's it, the next time you pull/push/clone a private repo, git will automatically choose the correct token for each config.

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