The right way to Set up Git on Ubuntu 22.04 and 24.04

Conditions

• A Linux VPS or cloud server operating Ubuntu 22.04 LTS or Ubuntu 24.04
• SSH entry with sudo privileges
• A GitHub or GitLab account (for the SSH key configuration steps)

Each Ubuntu 22.04 LTS and 24.04 ship with OpenSSH shopper pre-installed. No further instruments are required earlier than starting.

Not arrange on a VPS but? InMotion Internet hosting’s Cloud VPS contains Ubuntu 22.04 LTS as a supported OS. The Managed VPS helps Ubuntu throughout all plan tiers.

Step 1: Replace Bundle Lists

Earlier than putting in any bundle, sync your apt bundle index to make sure you’re pulling the most recent accessible model.

sudo apt replace

sudo apt replace

Step 2: Set up Git

sudo apt set up git -y

sudo apt set up git -y

The -y flag confirms the set up robotically. On Ubuntu 22.04, this installs Git 2.34.x. On 24.04, you’ll get Git 2.43.x. To confirm the put in model:

git --version

git --model

Anticipated output will look much like: git model 2.43.0

Step 3: Configure Your Git Identification

Git requires a reputation and electronic mail handle hooked up to each commit. Set these globally for the server person you’ll be working with.

git config --global person.title "Your Identify"

git config --global person.electronic mail "you@yourdomain.com"

git config --world person.title "Your Identify"

git config --world person.electronic mail "[email protected]"

Confirm the configuration:

git config --list

git config --checklist

Step 4: Set Up SSH Key Authentication

Cloning and pushing to distant repositories over HTTPS requires a password or token on each operation. SSH keys authenticate as soon as and by no means immediate once more. That is the usual strategy for server-to-repository authentication.

4a. Generate the SSH key pair

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

ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -C "[email protected]"

The -t ed25519 flag specifies the Ed25519 algorithm, which is the trendy beneficial key kind. When prompted for a file location, press Enter to simply accept the default (~/.ssh/id_ed25519). Optionally set a passphrase.

In case your distant service requires RSA (older GitLab cases, for instance), use:

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

ssh-keygen -t rsa -b 4096 -C "[email protected]"

4b. Show your public key

cat ~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub

cat ~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub

Copy the complete output, together with the ssh-ed25519 prefix and the remark on the finish.

4c. Add the important thing to GitHub or GitLab

On GitHub: Settings > SSH and GPG keys > New SSH key. Paste your public key and provides it a descriptive title (for instance, ‘InMotion VPS manufacturing’).

On GitLab: Person Settings > SSH Keys. Paste the important thing, give it a title, and set an expiration date in case your safety coverage requires one.

4d. Check the connection

Anticipated output: Hello username! You’ve efficiently authenticated, however GitHub doesn’t present shell entry.

Anticipated output: Welcome to GitLab, @username!

Step 5: Clone a Repository

With SSH authentication configured, cloning makes use of the SSH URL slightly than HTTPS.

git clone [email protected]:yourusername/your-repo.git

The repository will clone right into a listing named after the repo. Navigate into it and ensure the distant configuration:

cd your-repo && git distant -v

cd your-repo && git distant -v

Managing A number of Git Identities on One Server

Improvement VPS environments incessantly must authenticate as totally different customers for various repositories. A developer account for private initiatives, a CI deploy key for a shopper’s repository, a separate identification for work. The SSH config file handles this cleanly.

Create a per-host SSH config

nano ~/.ssh/config

nano ~/.ssh/config

Add a block for every host identification:

Host github-personal  HostName github.com  Person git  IdentityFile ~/.ssh/id_ed25519Host github-client  HostName github.com  Person git  IdentityFile ~/.ssh/id_ed25519_client

Host github-private  HostName github.com  Person git  IdentityFile ~/.ssh/id_ed25519Host github-shopper  HostName github.com  Person git  IdentityFile ~/.ssh/id_ed25519_client

Generate the second key pair with a distinct filename:

ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -f ~/.ssh/id_ed25519_client -C "deploy@clientdomain.com"

ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -f ~/.ssh/id_ed25519_client -C "[email protected]"

Add id_ed25519_client.pub to the shopper’s GitHub or GitLab account underneath their deploy keys.

Use the alias when cloning

git clone git@github-client:clientorg/their-repo.git

git clone git@github-shopper:clientorg/their-repo.git

SSH resolves github-client to github.com and makes use of the required key file. This strategy works with none battle between identities, even on the identical bodily server.

Setting a Default Department Identify

Git’s default department title modified from ‘grasp’ to ‘principal’ in newer configurations, however repositories created on older setups should still use ‘grasp’. To align your server’s Git habits together with your group’s conference, set the default department title globally:

git config --global init.defaultBranch principal

git config --world init.defaultBranch principal

Non-obligatory: Set up a Newer Model by way of PPA

Ubuntu’s default repositories might not embrace absolutely the newest Git launch. In case you want a more moderen model for particular options, the Git Maintainers PPA gives present builds for Ubuntu LTS releases:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:git-core/ppasudo apt updatesudo apt set up git

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:git-core/ppasudo apt updatesudo apt set up git

That is elective for many use instances. The model in Ubuntu’s default repos is steady and ample for the overwhelming majority of workflows.

Associated information: The right way to Setup a VPS Server covers the complete VPS setup workflow from provisioning by deployment.