GitPython and SSH Keys?

Question:

How can I use GitPython along with specific SSH Keys?

The documentation isn’t very thorough on that subject. The only thing I’ve tried so far is Repo(path).

Asked By: andreihondrari

||

Answers:

Please note that all of the following will only work in GitPython v0.3.6 or newer.

You can use the GIT_SSH environment variable to provide an executable to git which will call ssh in its place. That way, you can use any kind of ssh key whenever git tries to connect.

This works either per call using a context manager

ssh_executable = os.path.join(rw_dir, 'my_ssh_executable.sh')
with repo.git.custom_environment(GIT_SSH=ssh_executable):
    repo.remotes.origin.fetch()

… or more persistently using the set_environment(...) method of the Git object of your repository:

old_env = repo.git.update_environment(GIT_SSH=ssh_executable)
# If needed, restore the old environment later
repo.git.update_environment(**old_env)

As you can set any amount of environment variables, you can use some to pass information along to your ssh-script to help it pick the desired ssh key for you.

More information about the becoming of this feature (new in GitPython v0.3.6) you will find in the respective issue.

Answered By: Byron

Following worked for me on gitpython==2.1.1

import os
from git import Repo
from git import Git

git_ssh_identity_file = os.path.expanduser('~/.ssh/id_rsa')
git_ssh_cmd = 'ssh -i %s' % git_ssh_identity_file

with Git().custom_environment(GIT_SSH_COMMAND=git_ssh_cmd):
     Repo.clone_from('git@....', '/path', branch='my-branch')
Answered By: Vijay Katam

I’ve found this to make things a bit more like the way git works in the shell by itself.

import os
from git import Git, Repo

global_git = Git()
global_git.update_environment(
    **{ k: os.environ[k] for k in os.environ if k.startswith('SSH') }
)

It basically is copying the SSH environment variables to GitPython’s “shadow” environment. It then uses the common SSH-AGENT authentication mechanisms so you don’t have to worry about specifying exactly which key it is.

For a quicker alternative which carries probably a lot of cruft with it, but it works too:

import os
from git import Git

global_git = Git()
global_git.update_environment(**os.environ)

That mirrors your entire environment, more like the way a subshell works in bash.

Either way, any future call to create a repo or clone picks up the ‘adjusted’ environment and does the standard git authentication.

No shim scripts necessary.

Answered By: mjn

In case of a clone_from in GitPython, the answer by Vijay doesn’t work. It sets the git ssh command in a new Git() instance but then instantiates a separate Repo call. What does work is using the env argument of clone_from, as I learned from here:

Repo.clone_from(url, repo_dir, env={"GIT_SSH_COMMAND": 'ssh -i /PATH/TO/KEY'})
Answered By: Shadi

I’m on GitPython==3.0.5 and the below worked for me.

from git import Repo
from git import Git    
git_ssh_identity_file = os.path.join(os.getcwd(),'ssh_key.key')
git_ssh_cmd = 'ssh -i %s' % git_ssh_identity_file
Repo.clone_from(repo_url, os.path.join(os.getcwd(), repo_name),env=dict(GIT_SSH_COMMAND=git_ssh_cmd))

Using repo.git.custom_environment to set the GIT_SSH_COMMAND won’t work for the clone_from function. Reference: https://github.com/gitpython-developers/GitPython/issues/339

Answered By: 3lokh

With Windows be careful where you place the quotes. Say you have

git.Repo.clone_from(bb_url, working_dir, env={"GIT_SSH_COMMAND": git_ssh_cmd})

then this works:

git_ssh_cmd = f'ssh -p 6022 -i "C:Usersmwb.sshid_rsa_mock"'

but this does not:

git_ssh_cmd = f'ssh -p 6022 -i C:Usersmwb.sshid_rsa_mock'

Reason:

https://github.com/git-lfs/git-lfs/issues/3131

https://github.com/git-lfs/git-lfs/issues/1895

Answered By: Joe

Here are the steps to clone gitlab repository using GitPython

  1. Create SSH key in Gitlab

  2. Run the following script after adding necessary details

    from git import Repo
    Repo.clone_from("gitlab_ssh_url", 
                    "path_where_you_want_to_clone_repo", 
                    env={"GIT_SSH_COMMAND": 'ssh -i path_to_ssh_private_key'})
    
    """
    Example
    Repo.clone_from("[email protected]:some_group/some_repo.git", 
                    "empty_dir/some_repo", 
                    env={"GIT_SSH_COMMAND": 'ssh -i /home/some_user/.ssh/id_rsa'})
    """
    
Answered By: Abercrombie

This is what the latest documentation says:

ssh_cmd = 'ssh -i id_deployment_key'
with repo.git.custom_environment(GIT_SSH_COMMAND=ssh_cmd):
    repo.remotes.origin.fetch()

From: https://gitpython.readthedocs.io/en/stable/tutorial.html#handling-remotes

Answered By: Breno Leitão
Categories: questions Tags: , , ,
Answers are sorted by their score. The answer accepted by the question owner as the best is marked with
at the top-right corner.