GitHub Authentication

This skill provides secure access to GitHub credentials for API operations, repository management, and git commands.

Instructions

When helping with GitHub operations that require authentication:

Credential Location

• Credentials are stored in the project root .env file

• Cross-platform path examples:

  • Linux/macOS: ~/apps/your_claude_skills/.env or use relative path: ./.env
  • Windows: %USERPROFILE%\apps\your_claude_skills\.env or relative: .\.env

• Load credentials:

  # Linux/macOS:
  source ./.env
  
  # Windows PowerShell:
  # Get-Content .\.env | ForEach-Object { if ($_ -match '^([^=]+)=(.*)$') { [Environment]::SetEnvironmentVariable($matches[1], $matches[2]) } }
  

• Access in scripts:

  # Linux/macOS:
  GITHUB_USERNAME=$(grep GITHUB_USERNAME ./.env | cut -d= -f2)
  GITHUB_PAT=$(grep GITHUB_PAT ./.env | cut -d= -f2)
  
  # Windows PowerShell:
  # $GITHUB_USERNAME = (Get-Content .\.env | Select-String "GITHUB_USERNAME").Line.Split("=")[1]
  # $GITHUB_PAT = (Get-Content .\.env | Select-String "GITHUB_PAT").Line.Split("=")[1]
  

GitHub API Operations

Use the GitHub CLI (gh) for authenticated operations:

# Authenticate gh with stored PAT
echo "$GITHUB_PAT" | gh auth login --with-token

# Or use API directly with curl
curl -H "Authorization: token $GITHUB_PAT" https://api.github.com/user/repos

Git Operations with Authentication

⚠️ SECURITY WARNING: Embedding credentials in URLs is a security risk. Use SSH keys or git credential helper instead.

RECOMMENDED: Use SSH Keys

# Setup SSH key for GitHub (one-time setup)
ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -C "your_email@example.com"
cat ~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub  # Add this to GitHub Settings > SSH Keys

# Clone with SSH (RECOMMENDED)
git clone git@github.com:owner/repo.git

# Add SSH remote
git remote add origin git@github.com:owner/repo.git

ALTERNATIVE: Use Git Credential Helper

# Configure git credential helper (stores credentials securely)
git config --global credential.helper store

# First time will prompt for credentials, then stores them securely
git clone https://github.com/owner/repo.git

NOT RECOMMENDED: Credentials in URL (only for automation/CI)

# WARNING: Credentials in URLs can leak in logs/history
# Only use in secure, automated environments
git clone https://$GITHUB_USERNAME:$GITHUB_PAT@github.com/owner/repo.git

Common GitHub Operations

1. Create Repository

   gh repo create owner/repo --private --description "Description"
   

2. List Repositories

   gh repo list
   

3. Create Pull Request

   gh pr create --title "Title" --body "Description"
   

4. Manage Issues

   gh issue create --title "Issue" --body "Description"
   gh issue list
   

5. Release Management

   gh release create v1.0.0 --title "Release 1.0.0" --notes "Release notes"
   

Security Best Practices

1. Never Echo or Display PAT

   • Never use echo $GITHUB_PAT or display the token
   • Use it directly in commands or pipe to stdin
   • Keep .env file permissions restricted (chmod 600)

2. Use gh CLI When Possible

   • Prefer gh commands over raw API calls
   • gh stores credentials securely
   • Better error handling and user-friendly output

3. Never Put Credentials in Git URLs

   • Credentials in URLs can leak in git history, logs, and error messages
   • Use SSH keys or git credential helper instead
   • Only use URL credentials in secure CI/CD environments

4. Verify .env is Gitignored

   • Always check .gitignore includes .env
   • Never commit credentials to git
   • Use .env.example for documentation

5. Rotate Tokens Regularly

   • GitHub PATs should be rotated periodically
   • Revoke old tokens after rotation
   • Update .env file with new token

Error Handling

If authentication fails:

1. Verify PAT is valid in .env file
2. Check PAT has required scopes (repo, workflow, etc.)
3. Verify PAT hasn't expired
4. Test with: gh auth status

Examples

Example 1: Create and Push to New Repo

# Load credentials (Linux/macOS):
source ./.env

# Load credentials (Windows PowerShell):
# Get-Content .\.env | ForEach-Object { if ($_ -match '^([^=]+)=(.*)$') { [Environment]::SetEnvironmentVariable($matches[1], $matches[2]) } }

# Create private repository
gh repo create yourusername/my-new-repo --private --description "My new project"

# Initialize local repo and push
git init
git add .
git commit -m "Initial commit"
git branch -M main
git remote add origin https://github.com/yourusername/my-new-repo.git
git push -u origin main

Example 2: Clone Private Repo (SSH - RECOMMENDED)

# Clone with SSH (most secure)
git clone git@github.com:yourusername/private-repo.git

Example 2b: Clone with Credential Helper

# First time setup (one-time)
git config --global credential.helper store

...