When working on multiple projects that use different Git hosting services like GitHub and Bitbucket, we sometime need to configure separate SSH keys on the same machine. This step-by-step guide will show you how to set up multiple SSH keys on Ubuntu 22.04 for managing different Git accounts seamlessly. I have done this for ubuntu system but this approach is more or less for windows and mac os.

Step 1: Check Existing SSH Keys

Before generating new SSH keys, check if you already have any keys in your system:

ls -l ~/.ssh/

Step 2: Generate a New SSH Key for GitHub

Since you already have an SSH key for Bitbucket, create a separate key for GitHub:

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

When prompted:

Do not overwrite the existing key (id_rsa).

Instead, save it as id_rsa_github (or another recognizable name).

Example:

Enter file in which to save the key (/home/your-user/.ssh/id_rsa): /home/your-user/.ssh/id_rsa_github

This will generate:

~/.ssh/id_rsa_github (private key)

~/.ssh/id_rsa_github.pub (public key)

Step 3: Add Your New SSH Key to GitHub

  1. Copy your public key: cat ~/.ssh/id_rsa_github.pub
  2. Go to GitHub → Settings → SSH and GPG keys.
  3. Click "New SSH key", paste the copied key, and save it.

Step 4: Configure SSH to Use the Correct Key

To ensure Git uses the correct key for each service, configure SSH by editing (or creating) the

~/.ssh/config file:
nano ~/.ssh/config

Add the following:

# Bitbucket Configuration
Host bitbucket.org
HostName bitbucket.org
User git
IdentityFile ~/.ssh/id_rsa

# GitHub Configuration
Host github.com
HostName github.com
User git
IdentityFile ~/.ssh/id_rsa_github

Save and exit (Ctrl + X, then Y and Enter).

Step 5: Add SSH Keys to the SSH Agent

To ensure the keys are loaded, start the SSH agent:

eval "$(ssh-agent -s)"

Save and exit (Ctrl + X, then Y and Enter).

Then add both keys:

ssh-add ~/.ssh/id_rsa
ssh-add ~/.ssh/id_rsa_github

Step 6: Test the SSH Connections

Verify that SSH is correctly using each key:

ssh -T git@bitbucket.org

Expected output:

logged in as .

ssh -T git@github.com

Expected output:

Hi ! You've successfully authenticated.

Step 7: Clone Repositories Using the Correct SSH Key

When cloning repositories, always use the correct SSH URL:

  • For Bitbucket:

git clone git@bitbucket.org:your-bitbucket-username/repository.git

For GitHub:

git clone git@github.com:your-github-username/repository.git