[SOLVED] github configure machine to use existing ssh key

Issue

Background:

I had a personal account that was working fine with github, then my employer gave me a new github account and so i configured my github account to use my machine generated SSH key. Now my old machine is replaced ....

How do i configure this new machine to check-in check-out code to github..

do i generate and add another key to the account? it is also asking me for email account..when i give my old([email protected]) (email added on git hub) it says:

error: invalid key: [email protected]

Directly adding it says

*** Please tell me who you are.

Run

 git config --global user.email "[email protected]"
 git config --global user.name "Your Name"

to set your account's default identity.
Omit --global to set the identity only in this repository.

fatal: unable to auto-detect email address (got 'x y@DESKTOP-8ITRR8F.(no                                                                                                                                                                                               ne)')

UPDATE

windows 10 doesnot allow creating a folder .ssh in c:/users/samra/.. and when i try to generate key (thinking it may create a .ssh in the process) it says

Saving key failed: No such file or directory found

Solution

Steps to generate another ssh key:

1. from cmd prompt go to c:/users/xyz/mkdir .ssh

2. open gitbash from c:/program files/git/bin/bash.exe

3. type

    ssh-keygen -t rsa -C "your-email-address"
   

4. Enter full path when asked for the file name (this is important)

    C:/Users/xyz/.ssh/id_rsa_ge
   

5. Enter pass phrase..and your key shall be generated.

6. Login to your Github account "SSH and GPG keys" click New SSH Key button

7. Open your id_rsa_ge.pub file in a text file eg notepad and copy everything and paste into the key dialog..give any title of your choice.

8. In git bash Type

    ssh-add ~/.ssh/id_rsa_ge
   

9. If it says "Could not open a connection to your authentication agent.", do the following commands

    ssh-agent
    eval $(ssh-agent)
   

it should return a agent pid Now again repeat step 8.

Create config file in .ssh folder and type

#Default GitHub
Host github.com
HostName github.com
User git
IdentityFile ~/.ssh/id_rsa

Host github-ge
HostName github.com
User git
IdentityFile ~/.ssh/id_rsa_ge

Now use git

git add .
git commit ...
git push origin master

Note: before reinstalling your OS always take a backup of keys

Answered By - Samra

Answer Checked By - Willingham (WPSolving Volunteer)